Drug arrest
(Vassalboro) – A police dog helped drug agents nab a suspected drug dealer from Vassalboro after he fled from a vehicle that officers disabled on Interstate 295 Wednesday night. Agents had kept an eye on a home in Vassalboro for the past 8-months and tried to pull over 24-year-old Edwin Lawrence this week. He sped off, but police deployed a spike strip and Lawrence fled on foot until the K-9 caught him. A search of the vehicle turned up 2-thousand grams of cocaine and cash. A judge set bail for Lawrence at $92-thouand dollars.
Murder Verdict
(Bangor) – Jurors have found a 71-year-old Bangor man guilty of murdering a drinking buddy. Gary Brinson faces a minimum of 25-years in prison for beating 64-year-old Lee Ruona to death in December of 2024. The Bangor Daily News reports it took jurors only 40-minutes to return the guilty verdict. Prosecutors said the two friends had consumed a lot of alcohol. Brinson said he didn’t remember killing Ruona but claimed that he had slapped him earlier in the day when Ruona tried to steal from him.
Ellsworth City Hall Security
(Ellsworth) – Intimidating behavior directed toward staff at Ellsworth City Hall has led to increased security measures. The Ellsworth American reports the City Council approved funding for security improvements suggested by the police department after what Deputy City Manager Sara Devlin called threatening interactions with members of the public. The lone dissenting councilor Steve O’Halloran said the proposal lacked specifics. Among the planned upgrades are video intercoms and controls to office doors on the 2nd floor and elevator.
Mt. Desert Revaluation
(Mt. Desert) – Property sale prices across the state have skyrocketed well above tax assessed values in many cases The Town of Mt. Desert is no exception with homes in the posh neighborhoods fetching prices well above what the town values. Assessor Kyle Avila told the Select Board this week he plans to conduct an interim revaluation which will boost assessed values to keep the town’s values above 70-percent of reality. A full revaluation is likely in a couple of years. Bar Harbor Story reports the last full revaluation was in 2007.
Voter List Lawsuit
(Portland) – A lawsuit to obtain personal voting information on Maine voters is an improper fishing expedition according to more than a dozen former Department of Justice employees. Maine Public reports those former workers filed a 27-page brief in federal court, saying the lawsuit against Secretary of State Shenna Bellow is an attempt to build a federal voter database to prove undocumented immigrants are voting illegally. The Trump Administration’s Justice Department requested unredacted access to the state’s voting list and is suing Maine and Oregon which have refused to turn over the data.
Waste Report
(Augusta) – A Legislative Committee has agreed to put together a bill to look at how main throws out its trash. A report showed that in 2023 and 24 the state generated more waste than there is room for. Currently a pair of landfills take in waste for 2-thirds of the state. Plants like the former PERC plant in Orrington and the Maine Wate Hub in Hampden have yet to come on line fully. WVII-TV reports Bureau of Waste Management director Susanne Miller says the waste facility licensing process needs to be quicker, and the state needs to invest in new technologies.
Bangor Historian Paper Launch
(Bangor) – Don’t look for breaking news in a soon to launch newspaper in the Greater Bangor Area. And folks who live in the area will get it in their mailbox for free. The Ellsworth American is launching what it calls the Bangor Historian in April, and it’ll focus on the history of the Bangor region. The plan is to distribute the paper for free via direct mail to households in the Bangor area. It’ll also be available online. Publisher Chris Crockett says the paper will feature articles about people and places that have made the region what it is today.
Bar Harbor Fireworks
(Bar Harbor) – Traditionally the biggest fireworks event on July 4th in Hancock County is in Bar Harbor. The Chamber of Commerce puts it on, but the town has funded it since 2008. That might change as the warrant committee has voted 9-to-3 to recommend not supporting the community events line in the town budget which includes fireworks. It was noted the Chamber of Commerce is part of a group that has sued the town over limits placed on cruise ship passengers. Town Manager James Smith says the chamber would have to invoice the town for direct costs associated with the events.
