LEWISTON – Police stopped 48 vehicles and issued 25 summonses for speeding Tuesday in the first of a series of crackdowns planned for specific parts of the city over coming weeks.

Police said several drivers were traveling more than 50 mph in the 25-mph zone on Route 196, the Bleachery Hill section of Lisbon Street, between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. One motorist was arrested.

Although the high number of speeders caught in one morning was unusual, police warned that they will continue to crack down.

“Basically, the biggest complaints we have are speeding and noise,” said Lewiston Police Lt. Mike McGonagle.

Speeding fines run between $109 and $247, although they can soar to $489 for those caught in construction or school zones.

Auburn: Man, 26, facing prison for rape

AUBURN – A 26-year-old Auburn man was sent to prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl he had met on the Internet.

Justice Ellen Gorman sentenced Joshua Whitlock to nine months and one day, which is the minimum length needed to send someone to state prison as opposed to county jail.

According to court documents, Whitlock met his victim last year in an Internet chat room. At some point, they agreed to meet in person at a local home where the victim was staying at the time, and they had sex.

The sex was consensual. However, it is still considered rape under Maine law because the girl was under 14.

Initially, Whitlock was charged with three counts of gross sexual assault stemming from incidents on July 2, Aug. 1 and Aug. 13 of last year.

Two of the charges were dropped in May when he agreed to plead guilty to the first count.

“I am sorry,” Whitlock said in court. “But I know that sorry doesn’t cut it. It’s only words.”

Minot: School computers get funding boost

MINOT – School Committee members from School Union 29 towns received lessons in technology as they approved plans and contracts to modernize their schools and central office.

School Union 29, which consists of Minot, Mechanic Falls and Poland, now has a three-year technology plan for improvements in administration, student instruction and parent access to information.

Desktop computers in the Union 29 administrative offices will receive a thorough cleaning, along with regular monthly maintenance, which previously had been neglected.

And the administrative office, which according to staff is one of four in the state still on an obsolete computer system, will convert to Windows and be compatible with the State Department of Education’s system.

To pay for these moves, elected officials agreed to use money left from the 2003-04 budget, to reallocate money budgeted for 2004-2005, and to borrow money in the form of a lease-purchase agreement against the 2006 budget.

Greene: Software details town spending

GREENE – The town has purchased software that will provide the Budget Committee and the town a more detailed picture of spending.

In the past, the town has lumped most of its spending into general accounts providing only a final dollar amount. Town Manager Steve Eldridge said although it was an effective process it did not give a clear perspective of what it costs to run each department.

The software TRIO will do just that.

“For instance, utilities,” he explained. “We had one budget area that covered all utility expenses in the town, instead of what it costs to run each office.”

With the new system, town officials will be able to see how much it costs to run, for example, the fire department and town office.

“It lays everything out better,” he said. “And will reduce the number of articles voted on during (town) meetings.”

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