PERU — Selectmen on Monday night approved closing Concord Pond Road for the New England Performance Rally in July. The race was changed from evening to afternoon to address the control of people who arrive early and party. The race is from Woodstock to Peru. The road will be closed from 11 a.m. to 2 […]
River Valley
News and information about the River Valley area from the Sun Journal.
Posted inRiver Valley
Mexico, Rumford police arrest Blanchards
MEXICO — Two men were arrested Wednesday night with efforts by Rumford and Mexico police departments. Kenneth Blanchard, 37, 64 Osgood Ave., Mexico, was arrested on a charge of violating a protection from abuse order and stalking, by the Rumford Police Department at his Osgood Avenue home . Rumford Police Chief Stacey Carter said the […]
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Posted inRiver Valley
Canton woman, 63, rescued from riverbank in Mexico
MEXICO — A Canton woman who tumbled 80 to 100 feet down an embankment to the edge of the Androscoggin River behind Walmart Tuesday was airlifted to a Lewiston hospital. Barbara Cormier, 63, suffered a fractured leg and hip, rescue officials said. Strapped into a litter basket by a rope rescue team, Cormier was pulled […]
Posted inOxford Hills, River Valley, The Franklin Journal
Community gardeners learn ways to eliminate pests
RUMFORD — Destroying insect eggs regularly is the best way to ensure that plants won’t be devoured, particularly with the increasingly warm winters. That was a major message given by University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator Barbara Murphy at last week’s class on growing community and school gardens at Mountain Valley High School. Attending were […]
Posted inRiver Valley, The Franklin Journal
Rumford board OKs $7.4 million municipal budget recommendation
RUMFORD — Selectmen approved a $7.4 million municipal budget Thursday night in 5.5 hours as their recommendation for town meeting in June. Now it’s the Finance Committee’s turn to draft its recommendations. The $7,423,500 is $574,292 more than last year’s budget of $6,849,208. It doesn’t include the county and school assessment, just endorsements for 49 […]
Posted inRiver Valley
MDOT seeking comment to replace Martin Memorial Bridge in Rumford
RUMFORD — Maine Department of Transportation representatives will convene a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, on replacement of the Martin Memorial Bridge. The meeting will be held in Rumford Falls Auditorium. The bridge is on Route 232, just south of U.S. Route 2 over the Androscoggin River in Rumford. Representatives will listen […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Tepid winter hurt traditional industries and pastimes, but Mainers are quickly buying into spring
RUMFORD — This winter had all the makings of a mean snow season, starting with the rare Halloween nor’easter that dumped 20 inches on Maine and record-breaking snow for October across New England. Meteorologists got out their record books then, and again last week as unprecedented record-breaking heat prompted runs on lawn and garden supplies […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Record heat stops maple sap flows for many Western Maine syrup farmers
DIXFIELD — Unprecedented heat last week dashed the hopes of many a maple syrup farmer across Western Maine by turning off sap flows. Typically, the sap season runs four to six weeks. It lasted only two weeks for Jim Harvell of Mystic Valley Maples and Hall Farms Maple Products in East Dixfield. That means they […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Solution to Maine’s heating crisis offered to lawmakers at Peru open house
PERU — Josh Wojcik believes the solution to Maine’s heating crisis is simple: Cut consumption of oil by buttoning up the housing stock. As proof, Wojcik, owner of Upright Frameworks, a Wilton weatherization company, organized an open house Saturday at the home of Bob and Wilma Hartford of Peru. The Hartfords, a disabled couple who […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Canton dam gates closed to raise lake level
CANTON — Two gates on the Whitney Brook dam were closed last weekend to bring the water level up in Lake Anasagunticook, engineer Malcolm Ray told selectmen Thursday night. Ray said the level was lower than desired, now that the dam construction is finished, so he closed two gates. Ray monitors the lake level now, […]