State News From The Associated Press 4-20-21

FOX ATTACKS

Fox, who attacked at least 3 people, to be tested for rabies

TOPSHAM, Maine (AP) — A fox suspected of having rabies attacked at least three people in a town near Brunswick, Maine, on Saturday until it was shot. The Times Record reports the Topsham police said they got multiple calls about an aggressive fox starting on Saturday morning. The grey fox attacked at least two different people that were walking with their dogs and then chased another man into his house. That man shot the animal with a gun, killing it. The fox will be tested for rabies at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines against rabies are completely effective in humans, but it is fatal if left untreated.

AP-NNE-GAS PRICES

Gas prices remain in high $2 range in northern New England

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Gas prices have stayed about the same in all three northern New England states over the past week. A GasBuddy survey of more than 1,200 stations in Maine found that gas prices were 4.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, but unchanged from last week. The average price is $2.79 per gallon, which is still nearly a dollar more than the price a year ago. GasBuddy said prices in Vermont and New Hampshire were both down less than half a penny per gallon. Vermont prices fell to $2.76 per gallon while New Hampshire’s fell to $2.69 per gallon.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE

Maine senators want PPP to help small, seasonal businesses

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s U.S. senators want the Paycheck Protection Program to provide more help to seasonal small businesses. Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King said Monday they are proposing a law change because some small seasonal businesses were unable to take full advantage of the program. The senators said their proposal “modifies a provision in the Paycheck Protection Program to provide additional funds to some seasonal businesses who applied in the early days of the PPP, helping to equalize their treatment with that of other seasonal small businesses.”