PORTLAND

Vacancy expected next year on federal bench in Maine

U.S. District Judge George Singal plans to take senior status next year, a move that will create a vacancy on the federal bench in Maine.

Singal plans to take senior status on July 31, 2013 and maintain his chambers in Portland and hear federal cases in Maine, according to an announcement by Chief U.S. District Judge John Woodcock Jr.

President Bill Clinton nominated Singal to the federal bench in May 2000. Singal received his commission the following month after winning Senate confirmation. He served as chief judge of the District of Maine from 2002 to 2008.

Born in Florence, Italy, Singal emigrated to the United States in 1949 and was naturalized in 1956. He attended public schools in Bangor, graduated from the University of Maine and Harvard Law School.

Before he became a federal judge, Singal was a prosecutor in Penobscot County and worked at the firm of Gross, Minsky, Mogul and Singal in Bangor. 

Westbrook woman pleads guilty to role in robberies

A Westbrook woman on Wednesday pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from her role in store and bank robberies.

Maria Mattson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to interference with commerce by robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery.

In January, Mattson drove Paul Sans, also of Westbrook, to the Pine Street Cumberland Farms in Portland, which he robbed, according to a court document.

In January and February, Mattson drove Sans to and from a number of banks and credit unions he robbed, according to the document. The institutions were University Credit Union on Forest Avenue in Portland, TruChoice Credit Union on Park Avenue in Portland, Evergreen Credit Union in Windham and Auburn Savings Bank in Lewiston, according to the document.

Sans earlier this week pleaded not guilty to four counts of bank robbery, interference with commerce by robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery.

SCARBOROUGH

Elder ex-President Bush backs Summers for Senate

Former President George H.W. Bush has endorsed Charlie Summers for Maine’s open U.S. Senate Seat.

The Summers for Senate campaign on Wednesday announced the Republican’s endorsement by the former president.

In a prepared statement, Bush, a Republican who is a summer resident of Maine, said he has gotten to know Summers well and Summers has the experience and background to become an outstanding member of the Senate.

Summers, Maine’s secretary of state, faces Democrat Cynthia Dill and independents Angus King, Steve Woods and Danny Dalton in the Nov. 6 election. 

Panel votes not to pursue restriction on puppy sales

The Scarborough Ordinance Committee declined Tuesday to pursue a potential ban on the sale of puppies from puppy mills at pet stores in town.

Town Manager Tom Hall said the committee, after a long discussion, voted 2-1 not to pursue the issue. Councilor Carol Rancourt cast the dissenting vote.

The committee scheduled the discussion after hearing a presentation last month from Maine Citizens Against Puppy Mills, which asked town officials to consider stopping sales of puppies and kittens in local pet stores.

Carol Reynolds of Naples wrote a letter to the town on behalf of the citizens group. She said a movement to shut down large-scale breeding farms, often called puppy mills, is gaining momentum nationwide.

There is currently only one pet store in Scarborough.

AUBURN

Sabbatus man gets 15 years for stabbing woman, rescuer

A Sabbatus man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for stabbing his girlfriend and a man who came to her aid.

Leein Hinkley was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison with five years suspended, and six years of probation.

Hinkley also was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to John Clark, the man who attempted to stop Hinkley from stabbing Jennifer Alexander in February 2011. Clark had no health insurance to pay for surgery to repair his knife wound.

Hinkley, 32, pleaded guilty in February to charges including elevated aggravated assault.

Prosecutors say Hinkley stabbed Alexander in their car and Clark when he came out of his Lisbon home to help.

The Sun Journal reports that Hinkley’s lawyer said his client is “ashamed.”

EAST MILLINOCKET

Great Northern cashing in on ‘Fifty Shades’ popularity

The hit erotic series “Fifty Shades of Grey” is more like 50 shades of green in a town in Maine.

Nearly 3,000 tons of paper for E.L. James’ books has been produced at Great Northern Paper LLC in East Millinocket.

President and CEO Richard M. Cyr says demand for the best-selling trilogy has been so great that Random House book publisher and its paper merchant had to seek out many paper manufacturers, including Great Northern. He says the company is supplying its “Baxter Brite” paper for the books.

The three novels have dominated The New York Times’ bestseller list. Since April, one out of every five adult print novels sold in the U.S. has been a “Fifty Shades” title.