Baby unharmed during armed standoff in Maine town
WALDO, Maine (AP) — Police in Maine say a two-week-old baby was unharmed during an armed standoff in a small town. State police say a 30-year-old man in Waldo reportedly fired shots in the direction of state troopers when they were investigating a domestic violence complaint on Sunday. Police say the home was also reportedly occupied by a two-week-old baby. Police said the man was arrested for domestic violence assault about three hours later.
Gas prices fall again in NH and VT, rise slightly in Maine
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Gas prices are a mixed bag in northern New England, where prices fell over the last week in Vermont and New Hampshire but rose slightly in Maine. GasBuddy, which surveys stations, said Monday the average price in Maine rose a little less than a penny to $3.40 per gallon. Prices in the state remain nearly 3 cents lower than a month ago.
The price in Vermont fell 1.6 cents to $3.32 and the price in New Hampshire fell 1.2 cents to $3.25.
Maine grants to improve senior transportation in rural areas
SACO, Maine (AP) — A charitable foundation in Maine is giving out a series of grants to help with transportation for older residents of the state. Maine has one of the oldest median ages in the country. The Maine Community Foundation said programs that help older residents with transportation will receive more than $140,000. The foundation said the grants would help with services such as volunteer transportation programs and food delivery. It says the grants will be especially helpful in rural parts of the state.
BROADBAND AUTHORITY
Maine broadband authority has its first leader
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — An advocate for improved internet access will serve as the first president of a Maine authority tasked with improving high-speed broadband in the state. Maine Gov. Janet Mills swore Andrew Butcher in as the first president of the Maine Connectivity Authority on Wednesday. Butcher served as leader of the Maine Broadband Coalition and has worked to boost expansion of high-speed broadband in parts of the mostly rural state that lack it. The Maine Connectivity Authority was created via state legislation last year.
MARITIME MUSEUM
Maritime museum to offer free admission to kids through 2026
BATH, Maine (AP) — The Maine Maritime Museum is offering free admission to those 17 and younger through the end of 2026. Rebecca Roche, the museum’s director of development, said it’s a step toward a goal of permanently eliminating admission fees for children to make the museum more accessible. The museum estimated 30,000 children under 18 will visit the museum between now and December 2026.
BC-COLD CASE-ALASKA
Trial in Alaska university cold case death to start soon
AUBURN, Maine (AP) — The trial of a Maine man who has been charged in the murder and sexual assault of a woman in Alaska nearly three decades ago is set to begin. The Sun Journal reports jury selection in the case of 47-year-old Steven Downs, of Auburn, Maine, is scheduled Monday in Fairbanks, Alaska. Downs was charged in the 1993 death of 20-year-old Sophie Sergie. Investigators have said Sergie had been visiting a friend at a University of Alaska Fairbanks dorm when her body was discovered.
GUARD GENERAL-UMAINE
Maine National Guard general retires, returns to alma mater
The highest-ranking woman in the Maine Army National Guard has departed to take a job at the University of Maine. Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, who retired Dec. 31 after serving for 33 years, now returns to her alma mater as a senior adviser for special initiatives to UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. In the Maine National Guard, she was the first female general officer, first woman to command a brigade and first woman to serve as assistant adjutant general.
FARMER UNION VETO
Maine governor vetoes bill to allow farm workers to unionize
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Democratic governor has vetoed a bill that would have given farm workers in the state the right to unionize. She is citing the possibility of heaping new costs on an already struggling agriculture sector. The Maine Legislature passed the proposal. It called for people working in agriculture to be able to organize for the purposes of collectively bargaining for wages, hours, working conditions and benefits. But Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the proposal on Friday.