Portland Press Herald.:

Telecommunications services provider FairPoint Communications Inc. said Monday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after agreeing on a deal with key lenders that will help lower its debt by $1.7 billion.

Charlotte, N.C. Fairpoint said the restructuring plan with lenders holding more than half of its outstanding secured debt is subject to bankruptcy court approval.The company said it expects to continue operating as normal while awaiting that approval.

Last week, the governors of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont said they want assurances from FairPoint that any debt restructuring by the company won’t further erode customer service. FairPoint owns and operates phone companies in 18 states with a total of 1.65 million lines, but its largest holdings are in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The company, which bought Verizon’s land lines and Internet services for $2.3 billion in 2008, has been plagued with customer service and operational problems in those regions.

Seth Carey, who was suspended earlier in the year for another matter, was again sanctioned for conduct unbecoming a member of the bar.

The latest complaint lodged against Carey came from a woman who alleged he physically abused her German shepherd puppy at her home during an October visit last year. She said he was expressing his anger toward a prosecutor for the board who had been handling complaints brought by Maine lawyers and judges. Carey later refused to leave the woman’s home after being asked to. She described his behavior as “unhinged” and said she was wary about being in his presence.

via Sun Journal.

The state’s six nonprofit legal aid providers are struggling to meet the needs of Maine’s poor and elderly, as the demand for legal services continues to rise and funding for the agencies drops.

Over a two-month period this spring, the six agencies received about 6,400 requests for legal help, ranging from assistance in foreclosure proceedings to help with child custody cases.

They were able to fully meet the needs in only 1,500 of those cases – fewer than one in four. The other 4,900 received either limited help or no help at all, according to figures released Thursday.

“Having it in black and white confronts you with the reality that the folks who come to us for help already know,” said Nan Heald, executive director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Maine’s largest legal aid provider.

via Portland Press Herald.

KITTERY, Maine — Police are working with the Secret Service to determine who’s responsible for the recent use of counterfeit $100 bills spent in New Hampshire and Maine stores.

Police had turned up 19 fake $100 bills as of Wednesday afternoon and expect to get more reports.

via  WMTW Portland.