Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

January 4

Waterville mayor outlines city’s 2012 accomplishments

WATERVILLE — Mayor Karen Heck cites the police station project, opera house and airport renovations and the hiring of a new Thomas College president as some of the city highlights of 2012.

January 4

Changes to Waterville's city ward system proposed as city charter readies for revamp

WATERVILLE — Mayor Karen Heck’s suggestion that the city consider changing its ward system of government drew both support and opposition Thursday.

January 3

Weather has central Maine teeth chattering

Subzero temperatures descended on the region early Thursday morning, leading to increased use of warming centers and a warning from a wilderness survival expert to be smart about the cold.

January 4

Kennebec Valley Chamber to honor advocate for trails Seitzinger

AUGUSTA — Mike Seitzinger is helping pass on his love of hiking to the community by giving people the opportunity to get outside, stretch their legs and explore the outdoors in the heart of the city.

January 4

Toilet plungers used to ward off alleged attacker in Richmond

RICHMOND — A woman used a pair of toilet plungers to ward off an attack by her boyfriend over the weekend, police said.

January 4

Cameron facing retrial on dismissed counts, new contempt charge

A former state prosecutor convicted of child pornography charges faces a retrial next month on six convictions that were dismissed by an appeals court. The same court upheld James M. Cameron’s convictions on seven other child pornography charges.

January 3

Ken Fletcher, LePage's energy policy chief, resigns

Gov. Paul LePage's efforts in the Legislature to limit renewable power purchases and energy-efficiency spending in Maine suffered a serious blow Tuesday when his energy policy director resigned.

January 4

Pair face charges of smuggling whale tusks into Maine

A court document doesn't specify how much money was involved, but it says the Canadian sellers received at least 150 payments.

January 3

Company acquires Yarmouth's Cuddledown Inc.

The business' product line has expanded greatly since it first started selling down comforters in 1973.

January 3

Collins leaves homeland security for intelligence

Maine's Sen. Collins had been the top Republican of the Homeland Security Committee, but will move to the committee that oversees the nation’s intelligence-gathering operations.

January 3

Sanford police investigating credit union robbery

Police say that the suspect is heavy set, white, about six feet tall, in his 20s and wearing facial hair.

January 3

House re-elects Boehner speaker

The 113th Congress convened at 12 noon EST and elected Boehner to a second, two-year term as its leader despite grumbling from the Republican ranks.

January 3

Bangor father pleads not guilty in baby's death

Dustin Brown remains jailed with bond set at $100,000 in property or $50,000 cash.

January 3

Attorney General clears Trooper in use of deadly force

Trooper Kyle Wells shot at a car driven by Matthew Cole, 23 of Portland to disable it following a September car chase on the Maine Turnpike.

January 3

Feds bust alleged narwhal tusk smuggling ring

An indictment says two Canadians smuggled the Arctic whale tusks into Maine, where they were illegally shipped via FedEx to American buyers.

January 3

6 arrested after drug investigation in Conway, NH

The six suspects, from North Conway, Conway, and Fryeburg, face a variety of charges, the most common being possession of controlled/narcotic drugs.

January 3

Many Mainers may not get Al Jazeera

Shortly after the announcement that Al Jazeera would buy the cable channel Current TV, Time Warner Cable, the state’s largest cable provider, announced that it would drop the channel immediately.

January 4

Magazine opus: Scandal in a Maine town exposed anew

Illicit sex in a quaint New England town? It's no surprise Vanity Fair was drawn to Kennebunk.

January 3

Ex-prosecutor Cameron will face added contempt charge in Jan. 10 court appearance

January 4

Sonar spots Rangeley snowmobiles, but iceover, weather put off recovery

Search called off until next week when wind is expected to die down; Warden Service warn people to stay off the ice

January 3

Flu? Malaria? Disease forecasters look to the sky

Scientists who work on mathematical models to predict outbreaks of disease are factoring weather data.

January 3

Rare Stephen King book for auction in Ellsworth

The proceeds from the sale of the signed book will go to an Ellsworth homeless shelter.

January 3

Armed guards at NY paper that reported gun info

In December, the Journal News published online maps with the names and addresses of pistol permit holders in the two counties.

January 3

Price going up for lighting of NH-Maine bridge

The increase stems in part from the cost of bringing wiring and lighting to the top of the towers to allow downward lighting.

January 3

Career of Ravens' Lewis will end after playoffs

Lewis has been sidelined since Oct. 14 with a torn right triceps. He intends to return Sunday to face the Indianapolis Colts in what will almost certainly be his final home game.

January 3

Sandy Hook kids face 1st classes since shooting

Law enforcement officers have been guarding the new school, and by the reckoning of police, it is "the safest school in America."

January 3

Kennedy family reclaiming a seat in Congress

Joseph Kennedy III will take the oath of office on the House floor along with the rest of the Congress.

January 3

College of the Atlantic to turn food waste into fuel

A student team has been awarded a $15,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant to develop the system.

January 3

Maine cutback order brings Appropriations Committee back early

On the agenda is a $35.5 million curtailment order signed a week ago by Gov. Paul LePage.

January 3

Name of Bangor stabbing victim disclosed

Police say 34-year-old Jeffrey Leblanc was stabbed once in the abdomen at a city home at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

January 3

Franklin County commissioners OK sheriff's plan to add officer

FARMINGTON -- New Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols is adding another supervisor to his department and forming an advisory committee of fire and police departments in the county.

January 3

POLICE

IN ANSON, Tuesday at 11:31 a.m., a report of a past burglary was investigated on Town Farm Road.

January 3

New officials sworn in for Somerset

SKOWHEGAN -- Somerset County Commissioner Lynda Quinn, of Skowhegan, was appointed board chairwoman Wednesday night during the first commissioners' meeting of 2013. Quinn takes over the top seat on the five-member panel from Commissioner Robert Dunphy, of Embden.

January 3

Experts: Arrest before killings not needed

As family and friends grieve for the two Biddeford teenagers killed Saturday night after a dispute with their landlord, police said there was no legal reason to arrest James Pak before the shooting.