PORTLAND — Widening of the northbound and southbound off ramps at Exit 7 of Interstate 295 should begin later this year, according to the Maine Department of Transportation. Work on the ramps at Franklin Arterial is intended to relieve traffic jams at the heavily used exit, MDOT project manager Ernie Martin said. “The whole project […]

PORTLAND — A police officer making his normal rounds at Portland High School Monday morning came across a man who was allegedly loading a high power rifle in the alley behind the downtown school. Officer Steve Black, a resource officer at the high school, was in Freshman Alley around 8 a.m. when he saw a […]

PORTLAND — More than 80 percent of voters on Tuesday supported the $91.3 million school budget, which will take effect July 1. School leaders interpreted the 1,704 to 398 vote – a 4-1 margin – as a sign the public is regaining trust in the School Committee, following several years of budget overruns and high-profile […]

PORTLAND — A temporary bridge will be built to preserve pedestrian and bicycle access between Martin’s Point and Washington Avenue when the Veranda Street bridge is closed in June. Jim Wentworth, project manager of the Maine Department of Transportation, said the bridge will be closed from June 24 until a new bridge is built. The […]

PORTLAND — The Holiday Inn by the Bay on Spring Street has a new owner. Bangor-based Lafayette Hotels announced May 11 that it had acquired the hotel from Harper Hotels of Vermont. The hotel, which opened in 1973 and is Maine’s largest, has been approved by InterContinental Hotels Group to keep the Holiday Inn brand. […]

PORTLAND — An attorney for a former State Theater tenant said a lawsuit between his client and the owner of the theater is gaining momentum. Attorney Dan Skolnik said this week that the 3-year-old suit, which has been dormant since 2007 – along with the theater – has come back to life now that a concert […]

PORTLAND – The City Council on May 18 will decide how to allocate $570,000 in federal stimulus funding earmarked for community development projects. At the May 18 meeting, the council is also scheduled to have a final hearing and vote on a proposed $189 million city budget that would not change the property tax rate, […]

PORTLAND — The Salvation Army usually conjures images of holiday-time bell ringers or volunteers distributing blankets to victims of fires or other disasters. This week, a local advertising agency has teamed up with at least 50 local businesses to come to the Salvation Army’s aid. The advertising campaign is part guerrilla, part traditional, and is […]