Wal-Mart this week pulled guns from some of its U.S. stores, citing poor demand and “poor customer relevancy.”

Rumors are flying that Auburn and Oxford stores are among them. The stores say they’re still carrying firearms.

But corporate types aren’t talking about the future.

“We strive to be a Store of the Community by providing products that are relevant to the customer needs in a particular market,” wrote spokeswoman Jolanda Stewart in an e-mail.

So do western Maine customers need low-cost guns?

Only Wal-Mart knows.

– Lindsay Tice
106 mph on the turnpike

In the Department of Public Safety’s weekly report Friday about what Maine State Police are up to, spokesman Steve McCausland gave an “outrageous speed award” to a 16-year-old girl.

Troopers clocked the unnamed young driver going 106 miles per hour on the Maine Turnpike in West Gardiner. The girl-who-couldn’t-drive-65 had two passengers with her.

Police called the girl’s parents under the “Safeguard” program. The 16-year-old now has a court date, will probably have higher insurance costs, and likely won’t be driving for a while.

– Bonnie Washuk

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