Two Friendship men have been charged with sinking a fellow lobsterman’s boat late last year. Jason T. Weeks, 41, was arrested Monday afternoon July 1 and charged with Class C aggravated criminal mischief and Class B theft. He was taken to the Knox County Jail in Rockland where bail was set at $5,000 cash. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon, July 3 in the Knox County court.
Source: Portland Press Herald
Maine drivers accustomed to taking a call on the road or checking social media at a red light could be in for a rude awakening and a pricey ticket when a ban on holding a cellphone behind the wheel goes into effect this fall. As of Sept. 19, anyone caught holding a cellphone or electronic device while driving can be pulled over and fined at least $50 and up to $250 for repeat offenses.
Source: Portland Press Herald
The owners of Farley’s Cannabis Farm, a local medical marijuana dispensary, are waiting impatiently for Woolwich town officials to figure out what rules they want to set for marijuana sales in town. “We go to every town meeting and try to educate them because they don’t know what they’re doing,” said Kelli Small, co-owner of Farley’s Cannabis Farm. Small and her daughter Sayra have also given the board another town’s ordinance as a guide for writing Woolwich’s.
Source: Portland Press Herald
Officials in Old Orchard Beach say the town has come up with a plan to hold several days of fireworks displays while also protecting several groups of piping plovers nesting on the beach.
Old Orchard Beach Town Manager Larry Mead says the town met Tuesday afternoon with Maine Audubon and state wildlife officials, and will identify where the birds are before the fireworks shows begin.
Source: Maine Public
Officials on Vinalhaven say that a communitywide composting program will not only help deliver nutrients to the island’s poor soil, but it will actually save the town money by reducing the amount of solid waste shipped off the island.
The town was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in June to turn a small composting project started last fall into an islandwide composting service located at the town’s transfer station.
Source: BDN Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine legalized medically assisted suicide on Wednesday, becoming the eighth state to allow terminally ill people to end their lives with prescribed medication. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who had previously said she was unsure about the bill, signed it in her office. “It is my hope that this law, while respecting the right to personal liberty, will be used sparingly,” said Mills.
Source: AP
A bill that would limit Central Maine Power’s ability to seize land for its proposed 145-mile transmission project has failed following a veto by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
The House voted 79-64 to override the governor’s veto, well short of the two-thirds support needed to keep the bill alive.
The proposal would have changed state law that allows utilities to seize private land and bypass municipal governments for infrastructure projects.
Source: Maine Public
Maine’s tentative rules about legalized recreational marijuana are up for a key hearing that could represent one of the proposal’s final hurdles before approval.
The proposal is scheduled for a public hearing before the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs on Monday at 1:30 p.m. The proposal covers important subjects such as retail and licensure rules.
Source: AP
Portland’s growing craft beer scene has a new title to add to its portfolio of national recognition.
Portland ranks No. 1 with the most breweries per 50,000 people in the United States, according to C+R Research, an analytical firm based in Chicago. The city claimed the top spot with 18 breweries per 50,000 people and narrowly surpassed second-ranked Asheville, North Carolina – host to 17 breweries per 50,000 people. For craft brew experts, the ranking is exciting, yet unsurprising in the wake of the growing beer presence in Maine.
Source: Portland Press Herald
The Planning Board on Tuesday heard from a dozen residents opposed to a 70-foot, T-shaped dock proposed by Sabbathday Lake Shores developer Alan Hamilton of Gray.
To get a sense of what it would look like, a group of lakeside property owners recently delineated the area using styrofoam noodles and other items to create a mock 70-foot dock that stretched from the shore and attached to a 35-foot wide dock sitting perpendicular to it.
When the Planning Board arrived to inspect the site last week, Chairman Don Libby canceled the visit because he wanted “an unbiased” look at the site without the mock-up.
Source: Lewiston Sun Journal