3 defense contractors indicted for illegal contributions
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three former executives of a Hawaii-based defense contractor have been indicted on charges of funneling illegal donations to the reelection campaign of Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao and two others were indicted Thursday. They’re accused of using company credit cards, a shell company and individual shell donors to make illegal contributions. The indictment didn’t note any wrongdoing by Collins. Her campaign said it was unaware of the allegations until a search warrant was reported in the news media.
Man expected to plead guilty in decades-old Maine cold case
BELFAST, Maine (AP) — A man indicted in a decades-old cold case death in Maine is expected to plead guilty to a manslaughter charge. Police arrested Kirt Damon Sr., of Stockton Springs, in 2020 and charged him with murder stemming from the death of 63-year-old Dorothea Burke. Burke was last seen in 1984 at a Bucksport bar. Construction workers found her body several days later. Damon, now 58, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The Bangor Daily News says he’s on for a plea hearing on Friday and his attorney, Jeremy Pratt of Camden, said he will plead guilty to the lesser charge.
Gov. Mills to give $411M from surplus back to the people
Maine Gov. Janet Mills is proposing to return to the people half of an anticipated $822 million surplus to the people. She said the givebacks amount to about $500 per person and will be distributed to 800,000 taxpayers. The announcement during her State of the State address comes at a time of worries about the inflation that’s driving up the cost of food and gas. The governor also vowed to change her approach to keeping people safe as the science evolves during the pandemic. That was welcome news to critics of the emergency orders she has issued.
COLD CASE-ALASKA
Man found guilty in 1993 Alaska university rape, murder
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A jury in Alaska has found a man guilty of the killing and rape of a woman at a university that went unsolved for more than two decades. The killing of 20-year-old Sophie Sergie at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1993 flummoxed investigators for years. They linked Steven Downs of Auburn, Maine, to the crime using DNA evidence, and he was arrested in 2019. The Anchorage Daily News reports the jury found Downs guilty of murder and rape on Thursday. Downs, now 47, was a freshman at the university in 1993 and a resident of the dorm where Sergie was found dead in a bathtub.
HOTEL FIRE
Fire erupts at large Bar Harbor hotel closed for winter
BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Officials say an annex at a large hotel in Bar Harbor was destroyed, with flames shooting through the roof and smoke visible from miles away. The Bangor Daily News reported that the multi-story Bluenose Inn was closed for the winter, and no one was inside the building on Thursday. The fire engulfed most of an annex building directly across the parking lot from the inn’s main building. The main building burned down in the 1990s and was later rebuilt.
SKI RESORT-RENOVATION
Panel votes for hearing on Big Moose ski resort project
WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — A state land use commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to hold a public hearing on a proposed project to develop a ski resort, marina and housing at Moosehead Lake in Maine. The area on Big Moose Mountain is the site of a ski resort that has not operated since 2004. The Morning Sentinel reports the developers Big Lake Development LLC have been seeking to purchase the 1,200-acre property. A representative told the commission it needs permit approvals before the sale can take place and that a delay could endanger the project’s financing. A memo from the commission dated Jan. 31 said first phase of the project would cost $113.5 million.
PAY DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
Hospital ordered to pay $200K in wage discrimination lawsuit
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A female psychologist who sued because she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues is owed more than $200,000. A judge ordered triple the lost wages to be paid to Dr. Clare Mundell after concluding Acadia Hospital violated the Maine Equal Pay Act, Mundell contended her hourly rate was $50 an hour at Acadia Hospital while several two men made $90 and $95 respectively. She resigned in 2020 and sued in 2021. Northern Light, Acadia’s owner, said there will be an appeal.
RURAL LEGAL COUNSEL
Maine looks to grow access to lawyers in state’s rural areas
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers are considering a proposal to create a legal aid clinic in northern Maine that supporters say is important for rural residents who need representation. Democratic Senate President Troy Jackson introduced the proposal on Wednesday. It would authorize University of Maine School of Law to open the clinic in Fort Kent. Jackson says there aren’t enough attorneys practicing in rural parts of Maine. He says the legal workforce is also aging in those parts of the state.