Author: Ted Cohen

A federal court has ruled that a  federal ban on home distilling is unconstitutional, calling it an unnecessary and improper means for Congress to exercise its power to tax.The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled in favor of the non-profit Hobby Distillers Association and four of its 1,300 members, according to Guardian.com.They argued that people should be free to distill spirits at home, whether as a hobby or for personal consumption including, in one instance, to create an apple-pie-vodka recipe.The ban was part of a law passed during the country’s post-Civil War Reconstruction era in 1868,…

The county’s top Navy official has accepted a Bath Iron Works warship into the fleet, “ensuring we can fight tonight and win tomorrow.”Navy Secretary John Phelan commissioned the USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. in front of a crowd of 1,800.The ceremony marks the official acceptance of a ship into the U.S. Navy fleet.“This ship is not symbolic – it is combat power, and today she joins something bigger,” Phelan said. “The ship and her crew join the President’s Golden Fleet, the Fleet of the future, rebuilding American maritime dominance by putting more capable ships in the water, strengthening our industrial…

If Maine’s southern-district congresswoman loses the state’s largest leftist newspaper then she’s got a huge problem – unless she’s planning a U.S. Senate run.In an unprecedented move, the Portland Press Herald’s most liberal columnist has ripped into Chellie Pingree for joining the anti-vaccine lobby.Pingree is not only the darling of the left, she was married to a former owner of the newspaper, billionaire Donald Sussman, and typically enjoys insestuous fawning coverage from the publication.So it’s a new dawn when she takes a body blow from Maine’s leading tree-hugger communist – sorry, columnist.In a column that usually deals with nothing political,…

A California veteran congressman accused of rape pulled out of the state’s gubernatorial primary Sunday, two days after an explosive TV report featuring his alleged victim.“I am suspending my campaign for governor,” U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell tweeted Sunday night.Swalwell, a member of Congress for 13 years, was considered the leading Democrat candidate to succeed term-limited Gavin Newsom.But over the weekend several women accused him in a CNN report of sexual misconduct and one of them of rape. Swalwell aired a self-produced video Saturday night denying the charges and saying he would fight them. But 24 hours later he caved to…

A new appendage on a guided-missile destroyer built in Maine is triggering analytic intrigue in the defense world.The additional equipment appears to be a drone interceptor, though a military analyst is raising other possibilities as well.“The new launcher could also be for deploying other kinds of munitions, drones, and/or decoys,” says Joseph Trevithick of TheWarZone.com.He most recently noticed the newly-installed weapon on the deck of the USS Carl M. Levin, which was launched five years ago from Bath Iron Works.The new weapon was not on the ship when it left Bath in May 2021, according to Trevithick.The launcher can be…

University of New England just became the first Maine cheerleading team to ever win back-to-back at NCA College Nationals.“One year after capturing their first national championship, the University of New England cheer team headed back to Daytona Beach, Florida, to defend their title,” wrote Mackenzie Schors for Biddeford Buzz.Jaelyn Belanger, a member of the class of 2028 majoring in medical biology, told Schors going into the weekend the team was “hungrier than ever” for a repeat.As it turned out, they pulled it off.

A popular Maine ski resort known for its quality spring skiing is under fire over the early closure of terrain and lifts. Sunday River in Newry, Maine closed White Heat, its signature double-black-diamond trail, earlier than usual.The mountain also shut down on weekdays, a practice unusual for Sunday River even though it’s increasingly common among ski resorts as the season drags on. But Sunday River skiers were upset with the mountain ‘s spring operations strategy, Ian Wood of UnofficialNetworks.com is reporting.After lots of criticism, along with an increased push from nearby ski resorts to stay open, Sunday River responded, Wood…

You know those thick, fuzzy blankets in hotels or at your grandparents? Maybe you owned one yourself.If you’ve seen one before, there’s a good chance you saw an original Vellux blanket, invented 60 years ago in Biddeford, Maine.The Vellux blanket, created in 1966 by Francis Spencer of Biddeford at the Pepperell Mills, now has its own museum. “I’m very proud of my grandfather for his invention,” Jeff Spencer said.The Spencer blanket came out just in time to save the Pepperell mill from closing, keeping hundreds of workers employed as Maine’s textile industry was declining.“‘Vel,’ for velvet and ‘lux’ for luxury,…

Despite the human tendency of picking a fight at the drop of a hat, whether over a parking space or at the Walmart bargain bin, we’ve always claimed the top of the evolutionary pecking order.So it’s not surprising we always wonder just how advanced we really are, despite our mantle for allegedly being able to do the one thing no other species can – reason.But if we ever doubt our perch we can always find the benefit of comparison to the chimpanzee.How emancipating to find out that a band of chimps are literally killing each other in a “civil war”…

A war ship built at Bath Iron Works began the mission of clearing mines Sunday from the Strait of Hormuz.The U.S. Navy said the USS Michael Murphy, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, joined the USS Frank Peterson on the delicate mission. The 509-foot Murphy, part of Destroyer Squadron 31 of Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, was launched 15 years ago from BIW.The Murphy and Peterson “transited the Strait of Hormuz are operating in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” the…

Two Democrat federal judges handed President Trump an unusual victory Saturday, allowing his new ballroom project to go forward.The appeals court majority overruled a lower-court judge who had recently issued an order stopping  construction.The 2-1 order from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is a temporary win for Trump in a protracted legal fight over whether he has the authority to build the ballroom on the site of the former East Wing without approval from Congress.Trump has argued that since the project is privately financed he doesn’t need congressional approval.The appeals court said work on the project can continue until…

A New York man has been indicted for conspiring to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cargo bound for Maine and selling the items for illicit profit, the U.S. attorney announced.The goods allegedly stolen include beer worth $35,200, frozen snow crabs valued at $325,000 and pallets of blueberries.Romoy Forbes, 31, a Jamaican national living in Deer Park, N.Y., has been indicted for interstate transportation of stolen goods, and conspiracy.Forbes and his co-conspirators were able to steal the goods, partly through fraudulent emails that they sent to shippers, federal authorities said.The emails were made to appear as though they…

A small parrot with a taste for adventure has become the internet’s latest fascination.Bebe, a white‑winged parakeet about six inches long, was filmed drifting beneath the ocean’s surface in a hand‑built miniature submarine. The footage, which has gathered more than 4 million views on Instagram, is being publicized by NBCMiami.com.The video “shows the tiny green bird calmly taking in the underwater scenery as the capsule moves through the water,” the TV news outlet reported.“The vessel, dubbed the Bebesphere by its creator, Steven Lawyer, is a custom plastic chamber fitted with a controlled oxygen system,” NBC 6 South Florida said.In a…

Maine’s largest paper thought it was breaking news with a story about the huge rise in police calls at the library.But beyond a shallow catalog of police calls, the story never once mentions how this impacts children and families, placing them in literal fear of simply visiting their library.The piece also downplays what it characterizes simply as “drug use, disturbances and littering,” when it is much, much worse.The newspaper of record failed to point out that families no longer feel safe in the state’s biggest-city library. And it goes beyond simply failing to point out just how far the quality…

Arthur S. Demoulas, known mostly for the age-old corporate fight at a huge New England grocery chain, has scored big for his alma mater, UMaine Men’s Hockey.The team announced that Demoulas, whose father and uncle founded Market Basket, “has committed $500,000 to support the men’s ice hockey program through the Black Bear Student-Athlete Experience Fund.”Demoulas, now 67, was a defenseman for the team during Alfond Arena’s inaugural season in 1977 and again for the 1978 season.”Arthur’s lead gift has given Maine hockey great momentum as we embrace the new NCAA landscape,” said men’s hockey head coach Ben Barr. “This gift…

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell came out swinging Friday amid claims he sexually assaulted several women and raped a former congressional staffer.“A lot has been said about me through anonymous allegations,” the Democrat from California said. “Hear it directly from me. These allegations are flat false.  And I will fight them.”Swalwell, running for the Democrat gubernatorial nomination in California, was accused by an ex-staffer of raping her. The woman who made the most serious accusation appeared in shadow on CNN, declining to be identified.Amid a torrent of allegations against Swalwell, leading Democrats both in California and on the national scene called…

There’s an old adage that goes “if you know somebody is after you don’t hand over the gun.”Unfortunately for him, that’s what state Sen. James Libby, R-Standish, did in the self-immolation of his candidacy, quitting the GOP primary gubernatorial race. Libby, in what became the second failed attempt in 24 years to become governor of Maine, touted his educational chops to anyone who would listen – or not.It didn’t matter – the veteran state lawmaker would take any opportunity he could to let people know how much smarter he is than everyone else – including during The Maine Wire debate…

The embattled Janet Mills primary campaign for U.S. Senate says Democrat leader Chuck Schumer has done nothing to help her campaign.That’s according to The Washington Post, which reports that Sen. Schumer has gone south on poor Janet due to her failure to catch fire in Maine.Schumer initially got behind Mills as his candidate of choice over Graham Platner but she’s been lagging far behind despite party leadership claiming she’s the best bet against Republican Susan Collins.The Post says Janet’s negative ads against Platner have fallen flat, that he remains far ahead in the polls. “One recent poll conducted by a…

A gun-rights group has filed a lawsuit challenging rules banning firearms in national park buildings, including visitor centers, ranger stations and offices.The Second Amendment Foundation argues that the park gun ban, including Acadia in Maine, is unconstitutional.“The ban at federal facilities writ large is over-inclusive,” foundation legal director Bill Sack told SFgate.com “It runs contrary to the history and tradition of gun control in the country.”Guns are generally allowed in national parks, but visitors must follow the firearm laws of the state the park is in, and guns are allowed only for self-defense. Though park visitors can legally carry guns…

The recent heist of 12 tons of Kit Kat bars has prompted the popular candy’s distributors to hire armed escorts.Kit Kat has even created a new app designed to find the stolen chocolate bars.The company launched a KitKat “tracker” to help them try to recover the missing chocolates.After thieves stole an entire truck containing more than 400,000 candy bars from a truck leaving an Italian production site late last month, Kit Kat suits decided to crack down.Besides creating a Kit Kat tracker, they’re now using armored trucks with guards to accompany their delivery vans.

A number of lobstermen fishing the Atlantic just north of Maine are allegedly hiding their catch to avoid taxes.So the marine patrol in New Brunswick is joining its counterparts in Nova Scotia cracking down on lobster theft.Nova Scotia was the first to focus on unreported catches, which the police say is costing the province $400 million a year in lost tax revenue.The Nova Scotia government has said up to 30 per cent of annual lobster landings in the Atlantic region go unreported. New Brunswick Public Safety Ministry has begun hiring a team of  enforcement officers who’ll monitor, inspect and investigate…

If you can’t run a simple campaign you can’t run a complicated government. The adage became reality for a state senator forced out of the Republican gubernatorial primary race.Maine political-oversight officials cited “fraudulent qualifying contributions” in the campaign of James Libby.The perennial candidate was forced to drop out of the race Friday. “My campaign is no longer viable,” Libby wrote in a social-media post. Libby was depending on public funding for his gubernatorial bid but state officials found problems with his paperwork.The Ethics Commission determined that one of the people collecting matching contributions for Libby lied on forms that he…

A Canadian radio reporter thought the “pure maple syrup” he’d just bought tasted weird so he followed his hunch.He took it for testing to a food lab, which determined the syrup was half cane sugar.The maple farmer who distributed the doctored syrup is now a potential target of a class-action lawsuit from consumers across Canada.The scandal began a week ago in Quebec but has now spread to Ontario.Canada proudly guards its reputation as the world’s largest producer of maple syrup. So the potential taint of its top seasonal agricultural export has the makings of arguably the largest food scandal ever…

Paul Kelley didn’t bring world peace but he turned a TV shopping channel into a multi-billion-dollar entertainment bonanza.Kelley, one of the QVC network’s original program “hosts” 40 years ago, died earlier this week.He worked as an on-air “host” and commentator from 1986 to 1993.Kelley then took on a role as a QVC “ambassador” and “consultant” from 1994 to 2003.The QVC brand has Kelley to thank for turning TV shopping into a virtual corporate gold mine, even though Amazon is now giving it a good run for its money.He was called a “host,” the term shopping channels use to describe high-salaried…

A new survey shows Mainers are paying among the highest rates to run their appliances, a statistic on par with the state’s rising electricity costs.The total annual cost to run common appliances in the Pine Tree State is $319.14.The yearly cost of running a dryer tops the list at $131, followed by a refrigerator at $80, dishwasher at $48 and clothes washer at $21.Maine residents are paying 19 percent more to run household appliances than the average American.The appliance costs in Maine are 85 percent higher than the most affordable state, Utah.The average annual cost to run all of these…

The state’s largest newspaper announced it was celebrating “Local News Day” by taking down its paywall.Oops.The paywall remained in place Thursday morning – “Local News Day” – amid the paper’s trying to show what a great job it does.Stefanie Manning, the paper’s CEO, wrote a column Thursday announcing that “today, we’re celebrating something we care deeply about: local news.”To show readers how much she cares about local news, Manning not only screwed up the paywall.She also forgot to acknowledge that while she’s allegedly overseeing the state’s biggest news staff she’s also flipping eggs.Manning owns Miss Portland Diner at the same…

A city councilor from York County’s largest city went off on taxpayers for whining online – and then after apparent backlash claimed he was sorry for overreacting.Brad Cote of Biddeford had complained that residents whine about taxes but don’t get off their couches to participate in council meetings.“For all the complaints about taxes, barely anyone actually showed up to make that argument,” he was quoted by the Biddeford Buzz news outlet, referring to a recent meeting. “If you aren’t willing to get up from your keyboard/mobile device to show up or participate in the process, you may not be pleased…

An Ohio man is the first person to be convicted under the Trump administration’s Take It Down Act, a federal law criminalizing posting nonconsensual explicit imagery.James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to cybercrimes, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.The offenses included real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims, the DOJ said.Strahler had installed more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 AI web-based models on his phone.“He used telephone calls, voicemails, text messages and web postings in a campaign of harassment against his victims,” DOJ officials said.Strahler…

Rex Heuermann has now copped to having murdered eight women, including a Scarborough mother.Heuermann was arrested three years ago in a string of Gilgo Beach, N.Y., killings that shocked Long Island for more than a decade. He was set for trial this fall but for unexplained reasons decided to admit to the killings. His lawyer claimed Wednesday his client wanted to spare the victims’ families the trauma of trials. So apparently a cold blooded serial killer suddenly got religion – and he hasn’t even been sentenced yet. He must have found a Bible in the prison where he’s been sitting…

A Hancock County judge has finally put the brakes on convicted porn king and disbarred lawyer Eliot Cutler’s attempts at freedom.Cutler, 79, failed in his bid Wednesday to persuade a judge that he would actually adhere to the conditions of bail if he were allowed out of jail.Cutler, previously convicted of possessing child porn, was arrested two months ago on a repeated charge of violating his probation.He had earlier served nine months in jail and was freed on so-called good behavior. But since then cops say they have found him several times ignoring the conditions of his freedom. He’s now…

The beleaguered, term-limited chief executive of Maine desperately trying against all apparent odds to get a job promotion is using a mysterious claim to find her footing.“I have stood up to bullies my entire life,” is the canned line being recycled day after day by a woman who has had taxpayer-financed jobs her “entire life,” if you’ll excuse the plagiarizing.Janet Mills, who polls show losing big-time to a Democrat U.S. Senate primary opponent, came out earlier this week with her campaign “policy platform.”The 20-page binder is allegedly Janet’s blueprint for what she hopes will be a term as a U.S.…

Nick Gagnon has broken the world record for what’s known as Fastest Known Time (FKT) on America’s longest trails, including a leg that began in Maine.Gagnon, who smokes half a pack a day, walked an unprecedented 32 miles a day and burned through 14 pairs of shoes to complete the hiking feat.He did the so-called Triple Crown of hiking, completing the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail back-to-back-to-back.Gagnon hiked 7,525 miles faster than anyone in history, finishing the epic journey in 231 days, 7 hours, and 33 minutes, according to OutsideOnline.com. Gagnon’s time shaved three days off…

NFL veteran Superbowl star Mike Vrabel is denying an affair with a longtime reporter “friend” with whom he was seen in a hot tub at a romantic resort.The New York Post ran photos Tuesday of Vrabel and Dianna Russini together at a hotel in Sedona, Arizona.Russini has been covering pro football for years, including for ESPN when Vrabel was with a previous team before joining the New England Patriots.In a statement to the Post, Vrabel said, ‘These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.’Russini, top sports reporter for The…

The nuclear-powered attack submarine named for a shark was supposed to be the most advanced, the lead boat of its class.Nearly three years after the USS Thresher was launched by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, it met a tragic fate.The 279-foot sub sank April 10,1963 during deep-diving tests, taking all 129 crew members to their watery graves.At 1 p.m. April 12, the 62nd Annual USS Thresher Memorial Service will be held at R. W. Traip Academy in Kittery.The first nuclear submarine to be lost went down 220 miles offshore.An investigation showed that the sub probably had faulty welds on…

The union representing Associated Press staffers pushed back Tuesday over job losses related to the news company’s AI plans.“AP continues to get rid of experienced staff and flirt with artificial intelligence – ignoring the opportunity to differentiate AP news stories as ones that are and always will be created by human journalists,” the News Media Guild said in a statement.“Just last week,” a guild spokesman said, “the AP ignored a union request to bargain over artificial intelligence, after it told staffers it was planning to make big changes.”The union is pushing back against the news company’s publicized plan to phase…

The Biddeford schools are honoring the memory of a beloved teacher who succumbed to heart disease.Rory Putnam, who was only 54, taught emergency medical services at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology.“He was a mentor who made a lasting impact on so many of our students and colleagues,” Biddeford school officials said in a post shared by Biddeford Buzz. Putnam, who lived in Windham, passed away at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston after a long struggle with heart disease.

The mother of a Milford baby who froze to death is pleading with the public for understanding, saying, “I didn’t just up and abandon my children.”Erika Dupuis posted an essay on Facebook trying to explain herself and her family’s difficult situation.Dupuis’ 1-year-old daughter Eleanora McLaughlin died from hypothermia in December while she and her two siblings were with the mother’s ex-husband.“The plan was to leave them with my ex till we got set up in a new state,” she said, referring to herself and her boyfriend now living in West Virginia.“I left my children with $4,000 cash, I stocked up…

Shock of shocks – a new batch of old Reddit posts is haunting U.S. Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine.Platner, a Marine veteran who has positioned himself as a staunch anti-war candidate and critic of the U.S. military campaign in Iran, once defended a Marine who urinated on a dead Taliban fighter, unearthed posts show.The report of yet-another trove of yet-more freshly discovered Reddit posts comes from The New York Post.“The left-wing populist further described war as the ‘most enjoyable experience of my life” and combat as the ‘best goddamn thing in the world’ in a series of since-deleted…

Graham Platner is telling donors to coalesce behind him in the Democrat U.S. primary race from Maine polls show him winning overwhelmingly.That’s according to Axios.com, which says Platner has deemed himself to have already won against Gov. Janet Mills.The self-described oyster farmer is telling party leaders the primary “is all but over,” reports Holly Otterbein, a senior political reporter.“Platner’s team told donors and allies that he is pivoting to focus more on the general election and polls show him leading Mills by double digits,” according to a tweet by Politics & Poll Tracker, quoting a memo reportedly seen first by…

Federal fisheries officials are putting together a DIY brochure on aquaculture for ‘Platner wannabes.’National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association officials announced they’re helping budding aquaculturists on the West Coast get into sea farming.They’re helping growers navigate state, federal, and local aquaculture permitting – the same kind of stuff Graham Platner knows first-hand.“Starting an aquaculture farm is a complicated process,” NOAA said. “Future farmers need to select species and gear, create a business plan, acquire space, and consider and mitigate environmental impacts. They also need to secure permits.”NOAA said its aquaculture-education program “is geared toward people wanting to learn about permitting oysters,…

The Associated Press, which for 180 years has been an aggregate newspaper company, has finally realized legacy papers are a fool’s errand. The company announced Monday it’s offering buyouts across the board in a transition to AI.The news organization says it’s becoming more focused on visual journalism and developing new revenue sources, particularly through companies investing in artificial intelligence, to cope with the economic collapse of many legacy news outlets. Once the lion’s share of AP’s revenue, big newspaper companies now account for 10% of its income, according to a report by AP writer David Bauder.“We’re not a newspaper company…

Auburn Police are honoring the memory of one of their own who perished nearly a half-century ago.Officer Rodney “Rocky” Bonney had responded April 6, 1981 to a call involving a teenage boy who had fallen into the Androscoggin River while walking along a railroad trestle. “Without hesitation, he removed his jacket and duty belt and entered the water,” Auburn Police say in their Facebook tribute.“He reached the boy but the teenager, panicked and struggling to stay afloat, began to fight against him. In that moment, Officer Bonney made a split-second decision – he pushed the boy toward safety, putting the…

Gov. Janet Mills says she never committed to an upcoming U.S. Senate Democrat debate, despite the moderator claiming she had.The debate with Mills opponents is scheduled for April 11 in Topsham.Moderator Colin Woodard was quoted over the weekend as having said Mills “pulled out” of the debate. “Mills just pulled out of the debate,” Woodard was quoted. “Scheduling conflict I’m told.”He called it “disappointing for primary voters and maybe not optimal if you’re behind by 30 points in the polls.”But the two-term limited governor claims she never agreed to participate.Debate organizers issued a statement apologizing for “confusion” over whether the…

Gov. Janet Mills has dropped out of a planned midcoast debate featuring Maine’s Democrat U.S. Senate candidates, organizers said Sunday.Colin Woodard, identifying himself as the moderator, was quoted in a social-media post that Mills has cancelled her scheduled faceoff with Graham Platner.The matchup organized by area Democrat groups has been set for April 11 in Topsham at Orion Performing Arts Center.“Mills just pulled out of the debate,” Woodard announced Sunday. “Scheduling conflict I’m told.”He called it “disappointing for primary voters and maybe not optimal if you’re behind by 30 points in the polls.”“We’ll be there, and whenever the schedule allows,…

Veazie, Maine, a tiny town sandwiched between Bangor and Orono, has proven size doesn’t matter.The town’s K-8 school has been named the best in the country – in the face of Maine’s disastrously failing schools, no less.Veazie Community School, where cops greet the kids arriving every morning and going home each afternoon, received the honor from Education Insider Magazine.The school’s focus on academic achievement is the key to its success, the magazine says.”Our success stems from staying clear and focused on what matters most,” says Timothy Tweedie, superintendent and principal. “We have students with high aspirations, and we have staff…

Doesn’t take much to get Pats fever stirred up.The NFL teams fans reached fever pitch on Facebook when FlightRadar24 posted a pic of the telltale plane.Speculation was rampant.What’s the Pats jet doing in Maine?Facebookers guessed it was being used by the Pentagon for a troop movement.Pats owner Robert Kraft often lets the military use his plane to ferry troops across the globe.The Bangor Airport is home to an Air National Guard refueling wing.Bangor is also a common refueling depot for international non-military flights due to its coastal proximity to Europe.

A painter is suing Bill Belichick alleging the home the former NFL coach owns with his Maine gal pal was a dangerous work site.Andrew Jackson said he fell during a painting job at Belichick’s home on Nantucket, a pricey island off the coast of Massachusetts.Jackson claims the home had improperly maintained plastic sheeting or coverings that are used to protect the floor and furniture, creating a “dangerous and unsafe” environment for him to work in. The painter is seeking nearly $300,000, according to the Nantucket Current.Belichick, 73, owns the home with his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, 24, according to the Daily…

In the first Navy mission of its kind, a Connecticut naval base “borrowed” hundreds of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers.The traveling band of submarine experts from the Kittery yard just completed a major overhaul in Groton of the USS Albany.“Despite the inherent challenges of executing an off-yard availability, compounded by multiple winter storms, the teaming demonstrated by the crew of Albany and the shipyard workforce drove through every obstacle, completing Albany’s docking period ahead of schedule,” said Capt. Jesse Nice, who commands the Kittery base.The Los Angeles-class attack sub underwent repairs, structural inspections, and replacements of mechanical and electrical systems at…

Bees in Peru now have the legal right to file lawsuits.It’s all the buzz – insects that can hire lawyers.In the towns of Satipo and Nauta, Peru, voters have approved ordinances recognizing native stingless bees as legal subjects with rights to exist, thrive, and be defended in court.IndianDefenceReview.com says it is the first time any country has granted legal rights to an insect species.The ordinances apply specifically to stingless bees of the Peruvian Amazon and their habitat, according to IDR reporter Evelyn Hart.The new local rules build on a law  passed two years ago by Peru’s congress.The measure brought stingless…

Presidential nephew Billy Bush disclosed on Hannity’s podcast a 2016 news-network campaign to keep Trump out of the White House.Bush, who has his own podcast out of North Haven, told Fox’s Sean Hannity that ABC “had a dedicated division with 75 people in it – I know the guy who ran the division – which was dedicated to basically getting him. “And all the big networks did,” Bush said on “Hang Out With Sean Hannity.” Bush, nephew of the first President Bush and cousin of the second, is also a brother of Maine GOP gubernatorial hopeful Jonathan Bush.His comments on…

Ryan Jennings, a coach and father from North Yarmouth, died while rescuing his children from rip currents during a family vacation in South Florida.Jennings, 46, his wife Emily, and their three young children were visiting Ryan’s parents near Juno Beach.Two of the kids were caught in rip currents while swimming with their father, authorities were quoted by WPBF-TV.Witnesses said Jennings immediately swam after them, saving the children but losing his own life in the process.He was able to pick up and toss his son away from the current and held his daughter over his head until she could gain her…

After TWA Flight 800 exploded in a fiery crash into the ocean outside of New York City, investigators zeroed in on a faulty fuel tank.But despite their suspicion, a former press secretary to President Kennedy tried to peddle his “friendly-fire” theory.Pierre Salinger, a Kennedy insider who later went to work for ABC News, claimed he had a secret document showing that the Navy had accidentally fired a missile at the wide-body aircraft 12 minutes after it took off from JFK Airport on July 17, 1996.Salinger said he had two suspect vehicles that might have carried and fired the warrant missile…

First Tiger Woods thought he could get out of a DUI arrest by telling the cops he had just gotten off the phone with the president of the United States. But now the owner of 15 majors – major “lies” that is – is taking it yet a step further, claiming Trump apologized to him for announcing that Woods would not be playing the Masters. Tiger claims Trump told him he was sorry for publicly stating the golfer would not play in the 2026 Masters tournament. Woods revealed the alleged apology to officers following his recent car crash, claiming Trump…

A Penobscot County woman was jailed after refusing to turn over custody of her two grandchildren whose sibling died three months ago.Michele Dupuis, 53, has been caring for two toddlers whose 1-year-old sister died from hypothermia in December while in custody of her mother’s ex-husband.Dupuis refused recently to let two state child-welfare agents take the surviving kids to see their mother’s ex.She told the state workers the kids had important doctors appointments and that was more important than a scheduled visit with their father.That’s according to Robert Kearns of Bangor who has been helping the family with their challenges.“This is…

The son of U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr. figured it would be funny to announce he was now running for senate instead of governor.But judging from Facebook reactions Maine voters aren’t laughing at Angus King III’s lame attempt at an April Fool’s prank.“Today, after careful reflection, conversations with family, and encouragement from supporters across Maine, I am announcing that I will be a candidate for the United States Senate in the upcoming election cycle,” King posted on his Facebook account.“Not funny,” commented one reader, Marie Barbieri of Brunswick.“And now can you drop out for real?” asked Seth Schuth. “Yeah you’re…

A leading consumer says the Pine Tree State has one of the highest tax burdens in the country.WalletHub compared property taxes, income taxes, sales and excise taxes, basing the state’s total tax burden on the percentage of the average resident’s income.Maine places fifth from the top in living expenses, according to Newsweek reporter Hugh Cameron.Hawaii topped the rankings, with residents paying 13.3 percent of their income to local and state governments. New York followed at 12.4 percent, with Vermont (11.1 percent), New Mexico (10.8 percent) and Maine (10 percent) rounding out the top five.Alaska has the lowest taxes of any…

The island Chellie Pingree farms “organically” has a growing problem – mounds of trash.The few trash attendants North Haven had walked off the job, leaving garbage management to volunteers.“Despite advertising widely through multiple forums, within our local community, and on neighboring islands, we have not yet received interest from any applicants,”  Rebekah Carmichael-Austin, North Haven’s town administrator, told the island newspaper.“As a result, the town has been working to temporarily cover operations while continuing recruitment efforts,” Carmichael-Austin added.So the call goes out to U.S. Rep. Chellie: Forget whatever you’re not doing in Washington, jump on your damn private Democrap plane,…

The bearded oyster running for U.S. Senate has been outed yet again for offensive, off-color cracks.Washington Free Beacon reports a newly discovered Reddit post quoting Graham Platner as describing himself as so “crudely atheist” that he derided Jesus Christ as a “zombie” and the Virgin Mary as “a skank ”In the post, Platner responded to a 2008 lawsuit that claimed a soldier was denied a promotion for not embracing “fundamentalist Christianity.” Platner asked, “What units is this shit in?” and stated that while “I’ve spent 8 years in the infantry … I’ve been about as crudely atheist as one can…

The editor of a Biddeford news outlet has run an open letter to the community disclosing his possessing multiple videos of street dealing.But Joshua Wolfe said he’s reluctant to publish the evidence because the photographers “fear retaliation, both physically and emotionally.”The videos, along with some still shots, show drug use along the street in front of a drop-in site called Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center.Wolfe, who runs the widely followed Biddeford Buzz, said his sources fear potential backlash “from individuals affiliated with or utilizing services” at the community center.“I find it really frustrating that individuals in the community are feeling…

A social-media guy with a sense of humor – or more aptly sense of honor – decided the ultimate way to win a brotherly fight was with a sword.Actually, a huge sword – 15 feet long.(Makes The Maine Wire’s Sword Of Truth tiny by comparison.)YouTube maniac “Handy Geng,” who specializes in constructing crazy machines, pulled out all the stops to win a friendly fight with his brother.Geng, who lives in a rural Chinese province, manufactured a giant sword, which he then attached to a front-end loader.Then he fired up the mechanical beast and started hacking some of his brother’s belongings.“Hey…

The wife of the leading Democrat U.S. Senate candidate from Maine has suddenly come out of hiding to pitch “universal healthcare” amid her out-of-country infertility treatments. Amy Gertner hadn’t been seen for three months until she and candidate Graham Platner apparently decided Wednesday they needed to put an end to her mysterious disappearance.The last time we heard from Gertner was when she was touting her husband’s “great sperm” in a January announcement of their traveling to the country of Norway for IVF treatments.When Graham needed her most, amid opponent Janet Mills recently blasting him for sexual insensitivity, Amy was nowhere…

Pill-popping pro golfer Crash Woods says he’s “seeking treatment” outside the U.S., leaving Vanessa Trump behind to mull whether she’s so done with him.“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in,” Tiger Woods droned in a statement posted on social media. “I am stepping away to seek treatment and focus on my health.”But no focus on, nor mention of, Vanessa, the woman he was planning to marry.Maybe she’s done.On the day Crash got arrested for DUI, Vanessa left him out of a social-media post, talking instead about her daughter.The tabloids are reporting that she gave…

If anyone thinks this competitive fishing thing is something to be messed with, perish that thought.As Maine’s serious bass anglers gear up for the start of the annual fishing tournaments they might heed a lesson well-learned.To wit, B.A.S.S. Nation, of which Maine is a proud member, just banned an Oklahoma fisherman for life after he ‘stalked’ another fisherman.BASS officials voted to disqualify an angler from all future fishing derbies following a violation of the Bassmaster Code of Conduct.“After a thorough review, B.A.S.S. determined that an attempt was made to track a fellow competitor’s movements in order to gain a competitive…

A Maine sandwich shop got an order so big it just had to be a prank.The caller told George’s Sandwich Shop in Biddeford he wanted “55 sandwiches to go,” immediately bringing to mind a gag once pulled by famous radio jock Don Imus.Imus called a McDonald’s while on the air, telling the fast-food clerk he needed “1,200 hamburgers to go.”When the poor McDonald’s staffer tried to explain “we don’t have enough meat or buns” for such a large order, Imus told him that he was “Sergeant Kirkland of the Army National Guard” and he needed the 1,200 hamburgers for a…

Bets are on that the Democrat congresswoman from southern Maine will be voting for the Republican Senate candidate come November.Yup, it’s Chellie Pingree’s big dream to succeed the GOP’s Susan Collins in the upper chamber after languishing for 18 years in the dreaded U.S. House.Collins told WCSH-TV earlier this week that if she wins re-election this will be her last term.But we’ve heard that one before, such as in 1996 when Collins pledged to serve only two terms when she first ran. Now here we are 30 years later and Collins is running for a sixth term.Angus King, now 82,…

A book about the difficulties of adolescence has just been voted one of the top books ever written.Stephen Chbosky wrote the highly popular “Perks of Being a Wallflower” in 1999 but it’s getting raves still today.Y Entertainment reports the novel won a top cite from the website Goodreads as among the “Best Books Ever.”The recognition “reflects its enduring significance and emotional impact,” said Y reporter Lila Parks.The book’s “honest and relatable portrayal of adolescence, identity and mental health helped it gain attention, attracting a devoted following that continues to grow,” Parks says.Chbosky also wrote a 2019 horror novel, “Imaginary Friend,”…

An Olympic competitor who was born with ‘both genders’ says he/she should be able to compete against women.Caster Semenya is vowing to fight gender testing for the female category at the Olympics, a policy the South African insists “undermines women’s rights.”The International Olympic Committee last week unveiled the policy that is expected to become a universal ⁠rule for female competitors after years of fragmented regulation that led to controversy.Semenya is described as someone with a ⁠”Difference of Sexual Development,” known as DSD.DSDs are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs.Though some people with DSDs are raised…

A federal judge Tuesday ordered President Trump to suspend construction of a $400 million ballroom it demolished the East Wing of the White House to make space for, barring work from proceeding without congressional approval.District Judge Richard Leon granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts Trump’s ballroom project.Leon, nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”“The president is the steward…

Underwater tunnels across the world that depend on rubber gaskets to keep out the ocean were not supposed to leak for 100 years.But a new engineering study says the gaskets are deteriorating much faster than thought due to the underwater pressure and salt-water exposure.Engineers analyzed the rubber gaskets that go between the pre-fabbed steel sections to see how they were faring.They used the 3.5-mile Yuliangzhou Tunnel in China as their example.The underwater tunnel is a six-lane highway spanning the floor of the Hanjiang River.Opened three years ago, it is central China’s first inland river immersed tunnel.The bad news is the…

Maine’s most colorful shore birds are making their trek back to land to do the yearly breeding thingy.“After months at sea, the orange-beaked birds are gathering along coastal cliffs in a short but sensational migration,” reports National Geographic.The Atlantic puffins spend most of their lives out on the ocean, but each April the urge to breed draws the black-and-white creatures back to land in huge numbers.The large coastal colonies breed, nest, and raise a single puffling while socializing and fishing to feed their young.While the puffin population frequents Maine, you can also find them on the coasts of Norway and…

A famous link to the Bush brand in Maine has come down on golf phenom Tiger Woods, calling the ill-fated driver “a loser.”Billy Bush, the nephew of one president, the cousin of a second, and the brother of a Maine gubernatorial candidate, pulled out all the stops Tuesday on his podcast.Bush does his podcast out of midcoast Maine where his family owns property on North Haven.He devoted his latest broadcast to lacing into Woods, who was arrested Friday on DUI charges.“He looks puffy and swollen,” Bush said. “Addiction is unsexy. And I understand it grabs people and it’s a disease…

Note: Subsequent to our publication of this story, the Daily Mail changed it’s story to note that although “Spyros Niarchos appeared in several files relating to Epstein, A representative for Spyros Niarchos has confirmed that he has never met or spoken with Jeffrey Epstein, and that any suggestion of an association or relationship is incorrect.” The Maine Wire’s initial story accurately cited and quoted the Daily Mail’s reporting at the time.A British tabloid has latched onto a Maine candidate’s achilles heel stemming from his allegedly playing fast and loose with the “Epstein files.”Seems Graham Platner has his own Epstein baggage even while…

Pity the plight of winning hundreds of millions in the coveted Powerball sweepstakes.The man who won the $167 million Powerball lottery is back in jail after allegedly burglarizing a Kentucky home, according to court documents.James Farthing was arrested Saturday on burglary and marijuana-possession charges.Farthing broke into the home where a victim said he stole $12,000 that she stored in her home, police said.This is the latest criminal investigation Farthing has been involved in since he won the jackpot last year.Farthing was arrested a year ago in Florida on charges of battery and resisting an officer. He pled guilty earlier this…

In full clown dress, including the telltale red noses, clowns in Bolivia aren’t laughing.In fact, they’re outraged at a new government directive keeping them from going into elementary schools.Dozens of clowns are marching through the streets of Bolivia’s capital protesting against a decree limiting extracurricular activities in schools.While government officials say the kids need more instruction time, the clowns say the ban is threatening their livelihoods.Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered Monday in front of the ministry of education in La Paz to oppose a decree published last month.The new mandate says schools must…

While snowmobiling in Millinocket, Greer Hermann hit a patch of ice, sending his sled into a turbulent roll, subsequently hitting a tree and violently ejecting him.A Baxter State Park ranger who just happened to be riding by called for assistance and rendered medical aid.It took searchers and emergency medical responders two hours to remove Herman from the woods before he was Life-Flighted to a Bangor hospital. Hermann, 22, a plumber and construction worker, remains hospitalized at Mass General in Boston with multiple critical injuries, his family said. They have started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his medical and…

The chief executive of Air Canada has resigned after backlash over a video he released primarily in English after a recent crash at LaGuardia Airport. Canada has two official languages, French and English, and the video was criticized as dismissive of French-speaking Canadians. “Companies have a requirement to communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said, lecturing the airline president. Now the irony – Carney made his statement to the broadcast media in English. Airline CEO Michael Rousseau, victim of French Karens because he can’t speak their language.“Hello. Bonjour. I’m Michael Rousseau, president and…

Amid great fanfare, the Portland Press Herald not long ago announced it was establishing what it was calling a “fact-checking” team to keep their competitors on their toes.But one would assume that a squad that was created to do nothing but make sure everyone else got the facts straight would at least do the same in-house.Big mistake on that assumption, no pun intended.Judging from the most recent faux pas they can’t even keep their own facts straight at the printing house run by the National Trust for Local Journalism. The fact squad trumpeted its pride this week pointing out that…

Central Maine Medical Center has announced it’s designing a new section to brighten up their kids’ hospital stays.The new “Pediatrics Joyful Space” at the Lewiston healthcare facility will open with a celebrity boost from New England Patriots 2X Superbowl Champ Rob Ninkovich.The grand opening celebration “kick-off” is slated for 3:30 p.m. April 2.“Made possible by a $85,000 grant from the Dunkin’ Joy In Childhood Foundation, the redesigned space features a Maine-inspired mural, interactive experiences, and custom Dunkin’ surprises in the pediatric waiting room,” a hospital spokeswoman said.“Dunkin’ Joyful Spaces”are aimed at transforming sections of hospitals, which can traditionally seem overwhelming…

Maine dog owners are being urged to take steps to protect their pets from a potentially deadly virus.The Midcoast Animal Emergency Clinic in Warren is seeing a significant increase in canine parvovirus cases throughout the midcoast and Augusta areas, according to WABI-TV.Clinic staff also said they have been told about possible contamination at Quarry Hill Dog Park in Portland. Parvi is one of the most serious viruses that dogs and puppies can get.The virus typically causes severe illness in young and unvaccinated dogs.Parvo is spread by contact with contaminated feces. The virus can also live on surfaces that have been…

A six-inch spider from Asia that can travel by air is expanding its “web” presence, penetrating deeper with the potential to invade the northeast.The golden arachnid, dubbed the Joro Spider hitched a ride on a shipping container, reports the Scientific American.“Millions of hand-size Joro spiders are moving up the east coast,” the magazine says. “Don’t panic.”Yeah right.“The spiders are indeed on the move,” reports Stephanie Pappas.They don’t readily bite and don’t kill humans.Oh OK now we feel better. Not!

The polls be damned, Republican Bobby Charles has decided who’s going to be the Democrat gubernatorial nominee in Maine.Charles, clearly leading the GOP field in recent polling, has fired off a challenge – not to Shenna, not to Hannah, not to Angus.But to Nirav Shah.Let the general-election race begin. Now, says Bobby Charles, who besides picking the Democrat winner has also selected himself as the GOP primary victor.“REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER BOBBY CHARLES CALLS ON NIRAV SHAH TO REJECT TIM WALZ, DEMAND MAINE DEMOCRATS CANCEL MAY 1 APPEARANCE”That’s Bobby’s chosen headline and typeface for a letter he’s shot off to Nirav, calling…

A mariner’s association representing boaters is girding for battle with the University of New England over the school’s so-called research pier.The scene of the standoff is the Saco River running between that city and Biddeford in Maine’s southernmost county.“Experienced mariners and commercial fisherman who for many years have legally held moorings on the Saco River, in the same spot where the university wants to build an obtrusive pier, have renewed their permits for another year,” the group announced Sunday.The permits are good for a year, arguably delaying the school’s pier plans for the next 12 months at least. The college…

The state’s largest paper is quite proud itself reprinting stories by New York media outlets about a murderer deciding to plead guilty.But even reprints require at least some semblance of curiosity as to their substance.To wit, the Portland Press Herald is “reporting” that Long Island architect Rex Heuermann, charged with killing Megan Waterman of Scarborough, Maine and six other “sex workers,” has decided to plead guilty. (That’s what the Portland Press Herald is calling them – “sex workers.” That moniker does a disservice to the memories of the seven women who were murdered. (“Sex workers” connotes them as legalized employees…

The numbers are on Tiger Woods’ side – 15 Professional Golf Association (PGA) majors and two Roll Over Association (ROA) majors.The fact that one guy has rolled two cars is as unlikely as one guy winning 15 major golf tournaments. The average person never rolls one car in a lifetime.Imagine the odds against one person rolling two cars in a lifetime.It’s about as unlikely – or more so – as getting struck by lightning.Think about this – have you ever rolled a car? Do you personally know anyone who has ever rolled a car?Have you ever rolled twice?Again, the odds…

“I mean, I have had some plants with a lot of tomatoes on them, but never in my life have I seen a single tomato plant with this much fruit on it. I was completely blown away.”The words are from James Prigioni, who makes popular gardening videos on YouTube.In one, Prigioni wanted to see if he could grow a tomato plant from the seeds of a tomato on a McDonald’s burger.He picked up a Deluxe Quarter Pounder with cheese, pulled out a tomato slice and put it in dirt.Prigioni has never had such good luck with planting tomatoes.“I expected this…

The King progeny running for Maine governor as a Democrat is apparently not all in with his party allowing boys in girls’ locker-rooms.During a debate this week, the son of the state’s junior U.S. senator declined to say whether he will vote with the liberals against the upcoming referendum.“King said athletic associations and schools are capable of handling that specific issue themselves, but that he, too, will stand up for Mainers whose rights are being threatened,” according to an account of the debate in the Portland Press Herald.The candidates were asked to stake a position on the ballot question asking…

When a Secret Service agent assigned to protect a former first lady  accidentally shot himself in the leg Friday there was a doctor in the house.But unfortunately it was a fake one who identifies as “Dr.” Jill Biden.The shooting occurred at Philadelphia International Airport, according to The Associated Press.Not to ascribe any untoward get-me-out-of-this-awful-assignment-at-any-cost motive or anything but agents assigned to first-lady details are considered the runt of the litter.The coveted assignment in the world of the Secret Service is guarding No. 1, aka the president of the United States.Agents shadowing wives of the No. 1’s are essentially the first…

The Skowhegan select-board chairman says town officials had no choice but to remain silent during an investigation of their town manager.Whitney Cunliffe says that amid the police probe of Nicholas Nadeau’s alleged sexual exploitation of a minor “it would not have been appropriate or responsible for me to comment publicly before law enforcement spoke publicly on it.”Nadeau, 32, shot and killed himself earlier this month during a police investigation of whether he had shared graphic, sexually-explicit material with a 14-year-old girl.During the investigation, selectmen didn’t notify the public of Nadeau’s alleged criminality.Cunliffe said police informed him March 19, the day…

Central Maine community officials are now trying to deny they failed to alert the public about an alleged pedophile running town hall.Six days after Town Manager Nicholas Nadeau shot and killed himself, Skowhegan selectboard members issued a canned, innocent-sounding bereavement statement.“This is a difficult moment for town government and the community,” the board said. “We extend our condolences to Mr. Nadeau’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those affected by his passing.”Yet a day after that attempt to cover up their knowledge that Nadeau was being investigated for child-sexual exploitation they trotted out their “interim manager” to deny what taxpayers now…

Inhabiting the moon and Mars sounded like a dream but now it might be a nightmare.A new study shows that male sperm and female eggs don’t make a sustainable reproductive match in weightlessness.Scientists took samples of the ingredients for fertilization from humans, pigs and mice (respectively) and tried to join them together in a weightless atmosphere to see if they would reproduce offspring.What they found is that gravity such as we experience on earth is necessary for the fertilization process to work.In what’s known as an atmosphere of microgravity the sperm and eggs just didn’t mesh properly.Development was either delayed…

Faced with an aging fleet of ice-eating monsters, the government is looking to build seven new vessels for the Gulf of Maine.The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking bids for the new boats, which will be used off the New England coast and in the Great Lakes.The specifications require the vessel’s to be able to eat through 12-inch thick ice while moving forward steadily at 3.5 miles per hour.The Coast Guard the new ice breakers will play a critical role in keeping shipping channels open, assisting vessels trapped in ice and reducing the risk of ice jams and flooding that can…

Two Maine colleges are taking home the bacon when it comes to making the national grade in their dining halls.A pair of new nationwide college-food surveys rank Bowdoin College in Brunswick as No. 2 and Bates College in Lewiston as No. 7 when it comes to good eats. The top accolades come from the Princeton Review, which rated Bowdoin’s excellence, and Niche.com, which cited Bates’. So there’s some friendly (but heated) competition going on when it comes to college eats. “When you hear about a school ranking highly on a national list, especially for something like food, it’s one of…

The Chili’s restaurant chain is making sure it doesn’t get confused with a competitor requiring “business casual.”Ruth’s Chris, a steak house mostly in the southern and western U.S., got some serious ribbing from the Chili’s suits over its new dress code.Ruthie went viral on X after a user posted about its dress code prohibiting sportswear and baseball hats, Dallas Morning News reports. The upscale restaurant’s website says “business casual – proper attire” is required and that patrons can not come in “gym wear, pool attire, tank tops, clothing with offensive graphics or language, revealing clothing or exposed undergarments.”Once Chili’s execs…

A California jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued YouTube over her childhood “addiction” to social media.Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old’s mental health, according to the BBC.The woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $3 million in a result that is likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through U.S. courts.Meta and Google said separately that they disagreed with the verdict and would both appeal.”Teen mental health is…

The USS Mason, the command-challenged warship built at Bath Iron Works, is putting its captain’s firing in the rear-view mirror.The guided-missile destroyer assigned to the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group left its Florida homeport in Florida to begin operations in support of an upcoming deployment, the Navy announced this week.The departure comes after months of training, maintenance and certification events as part of the strike group, Pentagon officials said.Mason is among the first destroyers to take on the responsibility of air and surface command, a role traditionally filled by cruisers.With the Navy’s aging cruiser fleet nearing retirement, destroyers are…

The Medal of Valor at the Portland Fire Department has extra significance at this time every year. The medal was created in memory of Joey Cavallaro, who was 26 years old when he died battling a blaze in Maine’s largest city.It happened March 25, 1980, at the Phoenix Nightclub.“FF Cavallaro joined the department in November 1977,” city firefighters announced on Facebook in a memorial to their fallen brother. “Assigned to Engine 1, FF Cavallaro died from burns and asphyxiation while fighting a 3-alarm fire at Box 3-53, the Phoenix Nightclub, at 83 Oak Street.”The department’s “Medal of Valor,” the department’s…

If you are having trouble finding carrots in local grocery stores, you are not alone.Several viewers from all over the state have reported to WMTW-TV seeing limited supplies of carrots, with some stores posting signs about the issue.The shortage is being felt across the country, due to heavy rain and cold weather in key growing regions, especially California.The weather has impacted the crops, reducing yield, delaying harvest, and affecting the quality of the crop. “The impact of weather conditions in several key growing regions has significantly affected the number of carrots available to retailers. This is an issue that’s impacting…

Nothing ever brought Kennebunkport, Maine more international attention than the presence of a presidential retreat.But with the money that all the Bush-loving tourists brought with them to buy trinkets, pay for hotel rooms and drop tip money into waitresses’ aprons came a just-discovered downside. Town officials are now admitting that a local law forbids tax money be used pay for hiring extra police to handle the traffic jams of the annual Christmas Prelude celebration.The annual Prelude tradition is organized and promoted by Kennebunkport businesses who benefit from its public attractions.But for 30 years selectmen have been charging property taxpayers to…

The breathtaking easternmost National Forest in the U.S. – spanning Maine and New Hampshire – is about to get a financial “shot in the arms.”A weapons company has announced it will be selling four exquisite commemorative rifles to benefit not only the White Mountain National Forest but the other 153 across the country.A share of The National Forest Foundation Edition Rifle Series proceeds will go to conservation projects across nearly 200 million acres of public lands nationwide.The four-rifle series by a weapons company called Henry Repeating Arms includes an exact replica of the commemorative firearm produced for display at U.S.…

The Skowhegan town manager who has died unexpectedly was under investigation for alleged sexual exploitation of a minor, a Bangor TV station reports.Nicholas Nadeau was hired less than a year ago after he served as Blue Hill’s town administrator.He previously served as interim town manager for his hometown of Fairfax, Vermont. Nadeau was also a former recreation director in Waterbury, Vermont. WABI-TV says state police had received a tip from a 14-year-old girl in Florida who reported inappropriate online communication with an adult male. The investigation was reportedly in the preliminary stages when Nadeau died by what the medical-examiner office…