Charges dropped against man in crash that killed pedestrian
GRAY, Maine (AP) — A Maine man who struck and killed a woman with his car in April will not face criminal charges.
The office of the Cumberland County District Attorney said Thursday that 58-year-old Jay Westra, of North Yarmouth, will not be charged. Police said in April that Westra fatally struck 40-year-old Samantha Rinaldi, of Gray, while she was walking along Yarmouth Road in her hometown.
The district attorney’s office says Westra was initially charged with operating under the influence of alcohol. The Portland Press Herald reports a blood test revealed Westra’s blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit.
Westra’s wife, 47-year-old Kristen Westra, went missing last fall before her body was found in the woods near her home. An autopsy later confirmed Kristen Westra’s death was a suicide.
Public can weigh in on insurer rate hikes
GARDINER, Maine (AP) — The public can weigh in on proposed rate hikes on the individual health marketplace for 2020.
The Maine Bureau of Insurance is holding a public meeting July 25.
Insurer Anthem is requesting an average premium rate increase of 1%, while Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is requesting 1.9%. Meanwhile, Maine Community Health Options has proposed a 7.7% average rate increase for 2020.
Insurers expect new state laws mandating coverage of adult hearing aids and elective abortions will cost members a few more dollars a month.
Maine Community Health Options expects the individual market to shrink due to the repeal of the individual mandate that was a key part of former President Barack Obama’s signature health law.
New rates are effective January 1 if approved by the bureau.
Rwandan captured in Maine and convicted of hiding genocide role faces sentencing
BOSTON (AP) — Prosecutors are seeking 20 years in prison for a Rwandan man convicted of hiding his involvement in the African country’s 1994 genocide to seek asylum in the U.S.
Jean Leonard Teganya will be sentenced Monday in Boston federal court. He was convicted of immigration fraud and perjury in April.
Prosecutors say Teganya left Rwanda in July 1994 and was deported from Canada later for his role in the genocide. He fled to the U.S. and was found in Houlton, Maine. Prosecutors allege he applied for asylum and failed to disclose the extent of his involvement in the genocide.
Teganya denies any role in the genocide.
His lawyer is asking for about five years behind bars, saying Teganya will surely be sent to Rwanda after he finishes his sentence to face further prosecution.
Personal income up in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Federal data shows the personal income of Mainers has jumped this year partly due to tax code changes.
Maine Public reports personal income jumped 5.4 % in the first quarter of this year. That compares to 3.8 % in New Hampshire.
Maine’s bump was the third largest in the nation.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis says government transfer payments were up 18.5 percent from the 4th quarter of last year.
This year’s tax filing season was the first with the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 in effect.
An unusually high number of Mainers receive Social Security, and they recently received a 2.8 % cost of living increase.
State economist Amanda Rector says earnings are also up, particularly in health care and retail.
Federal proposal would improve compensation for firefighters
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A proposal in the U.S. Senate would make sure firefighters harmed in the line of duty are covered by federal worker’s compensation.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware introduced the legislation Tuesday. They say the proposal would also apply to firefighters who contract some illnesses during their service.
Collins and Carper say the proposal takes on problems federal firefighters face when they try to prove their injuries took place in the line of duty.
The senators also say federal laws put the burden on federal firefighters to prove cancers and other diseases were the result of exposure on the job. Most state disability laws presume some such diseases are the result of work exposure.
Maine’s independent Sen. Angus King is an original co-sponsor of the act.
Maine to use conservation dollars for fishing, aquaculture
STONINGTON, Maine (AP) — A Maine land conservation program will use more than $1 million to preserve working waterfront areas, including sites that are important to the lobster fishing industry.
State officials say the Land for Maine’s Future board is allocating the money to a half dozen projects. The money will be used to purchase development rights that ensure sites remain available for fishing and aquaculture.
One of the awards is a preliminary grant of more than $200,000 to the Stonington Co-op in Stonington, which is one of the most important lobster ports in New England. Officials say the money will be used to conduct site work to improve shipping and receiving of lobsters and bait.
Land for Maine’s Future is a state program used to conserve land for natural and recreational uses.
Power knocked out to thousands during thunderstorms
WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) — The power is mostly back following thunderstorms that left thousands of Maine homes and businesses in the dark.
Central Maine Power reported outages affecting more than 2,700 customers as thunderstorms rolled through Saturday night. By Sunday morning, the company was reporting fewer than 150 customers without power, mostly in York County.
The Portland Press Herald reports the storm delayed the Shinedown concert in Westbrook. The concert venue was evacuated and patrons were told to stay in their cars. The band was back on stage by about 9:30 p.m. after the storm passed.
Acadia National Park re-opens visitor center
HULLS COVE, Maine (AP) — Acadia National Park has reopened its visitor center for the season in a Bar Harbor village.
The Bangor Daily News reports the facility in Hulls Cove has opened after months of renovations. Upgrades include new carpet, a family restroom and a separate entrance to the park store. Other additions include several oversized maps, new exhibits and a public display of pieces from the Acadia Artist-in-Residence program.
Still, the center has limited handicapped accessible parking.
Park officials say they have removed a small theater that screened an orientation film on the park.
Park entrance fees and contributions from the park store helped fund the renovations.
Maine county opts for 250-bed jail at $45 million
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine county is opting for a $45 million plan to replace its aging and overcrowded jail.
Penobscot County commissioners plan to ask voters to approve bonds to pay for its construction at the June 2020 primary election.
The Bangor Daily News reports county commissioners voted Tuesday to pay WBRC Architects and Engineers roughly $267,000 to design the jail.
Commissioners earlier this year had sought bids for a 300-bed, $65 million jail. A committee including Penobscot County Sheriff Troy Morton had said a 300-bed facility is needed to improve medical services for inmates, including substance use treatment..
It’s unclear where exactly the new jail would be built.
The current jail is licensed to hold 157 inmates. Its population has decreased slightly in recent months to between 200 and 250 inmates.
Law change will make it easier to ship Maine sea urchins
ELLSWORTH, Maine (AP) — Supporters of Maine’s sea urchin industry say a federal law change will make it easier to ship the seafood out of state.
Maine’s the site of a fishery for sea urchins, which are harvested so their roe can be used as food. But members of the industry and some lawmakers have charged over the years that burdensome inspection regulations make it difficult to ship the product where it needs to go.
Former Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin and current Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree are among the lawmakers who have called for an ease on those burdens, which sometimes result in the seafood spoiling while awaiting inspections.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says in the Federal Register that it’s amending regulations about importation and exportation of urchins to address the problem.
Former governor asks utility company to fix billing issue
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Former Maine Gov. John Baldacci calls on Central Maine Power to resolve thousands of customer complaints about excessively high bills.
The Democrat tells the Portland Press Herald Friday that if systematic problems led to the company over-billing customers then it should act immediately to “make those customers whole.”
The former governor currently serves on the board of Central Maine Power Co.’s parent company and told the newspaper he couldn’t detail the internal board discussions, but he feels strongly the company should work to rebuild trust.
The Office of the Public Advocate asked regulators to do an additional examination Thursday after more than 100,000 customers received inaccurate bills following the roll out of the new billing system in October 2017.
The findings showed some customers received monthly invoices for $1,500.
Police: Man drowns after falling while fishing in Maine pond
LINCOLNVILLE, Maine (AP) — Police in Maine say a 32-year-old man drowned after falling into a pond while fishing.
The Waldo County Sheriff’s Office says the body of Alan Bernardo of Hope was found in Norton Pond in Lincolnville on Friday. The sheriff’s office says an initial investigation shows Bernardo was fishing from a structure along the roadside when he fell.
Police say the medical examiner will make a final determination about cause of death. They say Bernardo’s death was first reported by a passing motorist at 10:45 a.m. on Friday when the driver saw Bernardo’s body floating in the water.
Lincolnville is a coastal town of about 2,100 just north of Camden.
Maine regulators agree to extend probe into utility bills
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved an extended scope into customer utility accounts as complaints of high electric bills continue to pour in.
The Office of the Public Advocate asked regulators to do an additional examination of Central Maine Power bills from May 2018 to present.
The Portland Press Herald reports a previous audit examined the company’s billing and metering system only through April 2018.
The investigation by an independent auditor was prompted after more than 100,000 customers received inaccurate bills following the roll out of the new billing system in October 2017. The findings showed some customers received monthly invoices for $1,500.
The newspaper says Central Maine Power blamed customers, the weather and energy prices.
Public Advocate Barry Hobbins says he thinks residents deserve answers.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
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