Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

December 16, 2012

Morning Sentinel area police log, Dec. 16, 2012

IN ANSON, Saturday at 4:32 p.m., a report of theft was investigated on Fletcher Road.

December 16, 2012

Augusta warming center opens early, but just in time for cold snap

AUGUSTA -- The Augusta Community Warming Center opened for the winter Sunday, just in time for a cold snap that plunged temperatures into the low teens.

December 16, 2012

REPORTING ASIDE: The old social media, aka Christmas cards

Some people think I write entirely too many Christmas cards. I disagree.

December 16, 2012

Big Augusta area venues report space available for first day of same-sex marriage

AUGUSTA -- Local and state officials say gay couples have not yet reserved any of the capital area's major public spaces for weddings on Dec. 29.

December 16, 2012

Wilton police seek advance IDs on residents with mental health, medical issues

WILTON -- When a disoriented man was found wandering downtown in freezing weather last year, police had a problem. They didn't know who he was or how to contact his family.

December 16, 2012

Fire destroys camp on Skowhegan's Notch Road

SKOWHEGAN -- A fire late Saturday night destroyed a camp at 721 Notch Road.

December 17, 2012

Local businesses look for same-sex wedding boost

The traditional wedding season is still half a year away, but local businesses have already seen a boost in inquiries from same-sex couples looking to tie the knot next year.

December 16, 2012

Ayla Reynolds timeline

Trista Reynolds files for full custody of her daughter, Ayla Reynolds, in Cumberland County District Court. Ayla had been in the care of her father, Justin DiPietro, since October, when Reynolds went into a drug rehabilitation program.

December 16, 2012

Ayla: One year later, intense scrutiny on family, plenty of theories, and still no sign of missing girl

WATERVILLE -- They keep returning to the water, searching for signs.

December 16, 2012

Oakland man with Marfan syndrome seeks to spread the word

OAKLAND -- Gary Bennett, 61, credits a men's magazine with saving his life after it helped him discover he had Marfan syndrome, a rare condition that also may have affected Abraham Lincoln.

December 17, 2012

Waterville offers free micro-websites for city businesses

WATERVILLE -- The city is offering a free online site for businesses and organizations to advertise their goods and services, and for consumers to see what they offer.

December 16, 2012

Church near Conn. shooting site evacuated after bomb threat

A search reveals no bomb, though the building is closed for the rest of the day.

December 16, 2012

Maine state park passes sell at record clip

More passes have been sold this year than in any other year in the 77-year-old park system's history.

December 16, 2012

Alabama officer improving after shooting, chase

Jackie Stovall was seriously wounded while chasing a man believed to have killed three people found dead in a mobile home.

December 16, 2012

Conservatives return to power with landslide in Japan

Signaling a shift that could further heighten tensions with China, ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will get a second chance to lead the country.

December 16, 2012

Syrian Islamist rebels take Aleppo infantry base

Forces fighting to topple President Bashar Assad advance on the country's largest city.

December 16, 2012

25 soldiers in 18th-century N.Y. cemetery identified

Hundreds are believed to have been buried in unmarked graves at a Hudson Valley military cemetery during the Revolutionary War.

December 16, 2012

Staffers hailed as heroes after school shooting

Some, like the school psychologist and principal, made the ultimate sacrifice. Others both saved students and managed to escape with their own lives.

December 16, 2012

Study to look at fish discards on Georges Bank

A University of New England professor is one of three researchers looking into the mortality rates of skates caught in scallop dredges.

December 16, 2012

Feds shut down important scalloping area

The closure of the key Northeastern fishing grounds aims to protect growing scallops there.

December 16, 2012

Winter storm to bring snow to western Maine, slush along coast

The precipitation should start this afternoon, taper off Monday and return Monday night.

December 16, 2012

Speaker won't stop Vermont House pot debate

Shap Smith says he's open to a dialogue on marijuana decriminalization, despite his own misgivings about the idea.

December 16, 2012

100th anniversary Titanic auction in New Hampshire

A top item on the block is one of only seven complete deck chairs known to exist.

December 16, 2012

Maine first lady to honor five WWII vets

Ann LePage will present hand-carved Eagle Canes at a Westbrook ceremony Sunday.

December 16, 2012

President Obama to speak at Newtown, Conn., vigil

This is the fourth trip of his presidency to a community still grieving from a mass shooting.

December 17, 2012

Gunman carried hundreds of rounds of ammo

Police say there was enough to kill almost all of the students if given enough time.