Man who put razor blades in pizza dough sentenced to prison
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A man accused of putting razor blades and screws in pizza dough at supermarkets in Maine and New Hampshire has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison. The hearing proceeded Thursday even though Nicholas Mitchell, 39, of Dover, New Hampshire, was recovering from COVID-19 contracted in jail. During his sentencing, the judge said the nature of the crime spread fear in the community and Mitchell tearfully apologized. He was ordered to pay $230,000 in restitution to Hannaford Supermarkets.
New England shrimp industry should not restart, experts say
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A group of experts is recommending to keep New England’s shrimp fishing industry closed down because of concerns about the health of the population. The industry has been shut down since 2013. Scientists have said the shrimp are in jeopardy in part because of the warming of waters off New England. A board of the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is slated to vote Dec. 17 on whether to reopen fishing. The board relies on a recommendation from a technical committee made up of scientists, regulators and other experts. A report released by the committee on Thursday recommended the board keep the fishing moratorium in place.
Foundation donating $2.25M to improve children’s cancer care
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A foundation is making the largest gift in its history to help fight children’s cancer in Maine. The medical center said on Thursday that the Sam L. Cohen Foundation will donate $2.25 million to Maine Medical Center, Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and Maine Children’s Cancer Program. The medical center said a new pediatric center in Scarborough will be named The Sam L. Cohen Pediatric Infusion Center. Construction of the infusion center, which will be on Maine Medical Center’s Scarborough campus, is slated to begin in January and finish in the spring.
UMaine to boost football coach salaries after departure
ORONO, Maine (AP) — The University of Maine plans to increase the salary of its football head coach and assistants following the departure of Nick Charlton, who took a job as offensive coordinator at UConn. The Bangor Daily News reports that Charlton made $153,000 per year, compared with the average conference head coach salary of $400,000. UMaine director of athletics Ken Ralph didn’t say how much the pay increase will be. But it’s part of an effort to create “sustained excellence.” A search is underway after Charlton’s departure this week.
Lobster fishers ask high court to stop rules to help whales
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Members of the Maine lobster fishing industry are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block new fishing restrictions designed to protect a rare species of whale. New rules make an approximately 950-square-mile area of the Gulf of Maine essentially off limits to lobster fishing from October to January. The rules are to protect North Atlantic right whales. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month that the closure is on. Court documents say the lobstering union and others filed an emergency application with the high court on Nov. 24 asking it to vacate the appeals court’s decision.
CANCER CENTER-DONATION
Foundation donating $2.25M to improve children’s cancer care
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A foundation is making the largest gift in its history to help fight children’s cancer in Maine. The medical center said on Thursday that the Sam L. Cohen Foundation will donate $2.25 million to Maine Medical Center, Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and Maine Children’s Cancer Program. The medical center said a new pediatric center in Scarborough will be named The Sam L. Cohen Pediatric Infusion Center. Construction of the infusion center, which will be on Maine Medical Center’s Scarborough campus, is slated to begin in January and finish in the spring.
Law results in donation of thousands of menstrual products
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A brand of menstrual hygiene products is donating 100,000 of the products to Maine schools in the wake of a new law that makes the donations easier. A bill signed into law earlier this year provided immunity from civil and criminal liability for donations of such products. Democrats who supported the creation of the law said Wednesday that U by Kotex made the donation through the Alliance for Period Supplies with distribution help from Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services. Democratic Sen. Cathy Breen of Falmouth introduced the bill to make the donations easier earlier this year.
AP-US-SEABIRD-LOSS-CLIMATE-CHANGE
Heat, no food, deadly weather: Climate change kills seabirds
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The warming of the planet is taking a deadly toll on seabirds, which are in decline because of heatwaves, extreme weather, failure to reproduce and inadequate fish to eat. They include birds such as albatrosses off the Hawaiian islands and puffins off the Maine coast. The birds are less able to build nests, raise young and hunt for fish as the ocean heats up. That has resulted in mass die-off events of birds such as the Cassin’s auklet in recent years. One estimate says seabird populations have fallen 70% since mid-century.
WATERFRONT REPORT
Report: Maine’s working waterfront is in economic danger
ROCKLAND, Maine (AP) — A report from a nonprofit organization that works to sustain Maine’s coastal cities called the Island Institute raised concerns that weak infrastructure and climate change are threatening Maine’s waterfront economic development. The Portland Press Herald reported Wednesday that the report said the factors such as lack of financial support, dock maintenance, affordable housing and increasing risks from climate change have potentially made Maine’s working waterfronts susceptible to an economic downturn. The report suggests that to sustain Maine’s waterfront, the state must create its own waterfront protection foundation or invest more into existing organizations and buy and protect the local real estate.