WILTON - Jews living in Maine's western mountains will be lacking a religious leader no more.

FARMINGTON - A New Sharon woman accused of cruelty to animals after the state seized more than 70 from her home last March, will have her case heard before a Franklin County jury Monday.

Carol Murphy, 60, is charged with one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals and four misdemeanor counts of failing to have a license or permit for a Quaker parrot, peacock, pygmy hedgehogs and Russian tortoises.

The trial is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m.

FARMINGTON - Clyde I. Barrows was remembered Friday as a natural leader who was a successful businessman and founder of an organization that helps thousands of Mainers suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Barrows died Jan. 30 at his home in Spring Hill, Fla., at the age of 87.

WILTON - Maine State Police investigators have put a lot of work into the search for Raymond "Butch" Weed's killer over the last four to six weeks, Sgt. Walter Grzyb said this week.

"There is nothing new to report in terms of what can be publicly disclosed," Grzyb said. "We are committed to this investigation and are determined to find out what happened to Mr. Weed."

Weed was found shot to death Dec. 23, 2003, at his Wilton home.

WILTON - The Wilton Police Department once again has authority to investigate criminal complaints involving juvenile victims, new Police Chief Wayne Gallant said Thursday.

Gallant, who took over leadership of the department Monday, said he received a letter dated Feb. 9 from District Attorney Norm Croteau. It rescinds a Dec.

FARMINGTON - Fourteen teen voices blended seamlessly to bring the classic harmonies of the Beach Boys and the Beatles to life during a rehearsal of the Mt. Blue Voices at Mt.

FARMINGTON - A local woman is offering $1,600 so Deputy David Rackliffe's dog, Rugar, can ride in a county cruiser more safely, Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike said Thursday.

The money would be used to purchase an insert for the cruiser that will be safer for the dog than the carpeted wooden platform currently in the cruiser's back seat. This is the donor's second offer in recent months.

WILTON - The Maine Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports, Health and Wellness has awarded its Community Award to the Healthy Community Coalition for its "STRIDES Walk Around the World."

It will be presented at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the State House in the Hall of Flags during Legislative Fitness Day. During the day, free health-risk assessments will be available to legislators.

KINGFIELD - The University of Maine at Farmington's girls' mentoring program will hold a fund-raising, snow-sliding event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Gilmore Hill.

The girls and their college-student mentors have pledge sheets and are seeking pledges for the four-hour block of sliding.

All proceeds will go to AmeriCares or UNICEF.

FARMINGTON - The weather seems primed for this weekend's winter festivities.

LIVERMORE FALLS - Rita M. Porter, a care support nurse for Franklin Memorial Hospital's new Martha B. Webber Breast Care Center, is now seeing patients at FMH Outpatient Services in Livermore Falls from 9 a.m.

FARMINGTON - Selectmen voted to approve applying for a Community Gateways matching grant for $10,000 Tuesday.

The state's Department of Transportation has funding available to enhance towns' entrances, and the triangular island between Water and Bridge streets and Wilton Road in Farmington has been identified as an area in need of beautification.

Representing the town's conservation commission, Bobbie Hanstein presented selectmen a plan for the small plot that includes

EUSTIS - The Eustis Fire Department will receive $37,080 from the U.S.

FARMINGTON - Police have charged four people in a criminal mischief spree that began Dec. 21 and ended Feb.

FARMINGTON - The Sandy River Valley chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, in the computer room at Mantor Library at the University of Maine at Farmington. Kathy Lynch will explain and demonstrate useful Internet research techniques, which could help with genealogy research. Anyone with an interest in genealogy is welcome to attend.

KINGFIELD - Selectmen signed an agreement Tuesday with the state Department of Transportation to allow overweight trucks to travel on municipal roads during construction of a new bridge over the Carrabassett River this summer.

Notification was posted last week requesting bids for the project budgeted for more than $2 million, said Wayne Frankhauser, project manager for the Department of Transportation. Bids will be opened for consideration at 11 a.m. on Feb.

JAY - Selectmen are asking residents to use their creativity to develop a new logo and slogan to represent the town.

They've launched a town logo/slogan contest open to the whole town, in hopes that local residents could create something that's "distinctly Jay."

The creator of the winning entry will get a $100 gift certificate, savings bond or savings account. The gift certificate would be for the Jay business of his or her choice.

JAY - Lyle LaPlante has been hanging out at the Jay fire stations for more than 30 years.

FARMINGTON - Award-winning fiction writer Merrill Feitell will read from her work at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, in Thomas Auditorium, located in Preble/Ricker Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The reading, hosted by the UMF bachelor of fine arts program in creative writing, is free and open to the public.

Feitell received the 2004 Iowa prize for short fiction for her "Here Beneath Low-Flying Planes," and she has been selected as one of "Fiction's New Luminaries" by the Virginia Quarterly Review.

FARMINGTON - Selectmen on Tuesday questioned parts of the proposed ambulance contract they have been negotiating with Franklin Memorial Hospital.

Chairwoman Mary Wright read portions of a letter written to selectmen by hospital President Richard Batt after meeting with him late January.

"There will be at least two ambulances and two paramedics on duty during the day. There will be at least one ambulance on duty evenings staffed with a paramedic," Batt wrote in the Jan.

LIVERMORE FALLS - Selectmen agreed Monday night to support several changes at the town's transfer station, including a written policy on no dump-picking.

Station attendant Fred Nadeau discussed new regulations on universal wastes with the board.

WILTON - Friendship Squares will hold a Valentine dance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Cushing School. The club caller, Lee Kennedy, will be the caller for the evening, and rounds will be cued by Carol Stewart. The public is welcome to attend.

FARMINGTON - Northeast Wood Turning Inc.'s petition for federal Trade Adjustment Assistance for its laid-off workers has been certified by the federal government.

FARMINGTON - SAD 9 directors Tuesday night elected Raymond Glass chairman and Neil Stinneford as vice chairman.

Glass succeeds Greg Webber, who resigned for personal reasons. Stinneford replaces Glass.

Superintendent Michael Cormier reported that the Mallet School parking project is scheduled to go before the Planning Board in March.