While some of the girls at Byron are proud of their fish catches, there is not a prouder young lady in that town than Agnes Thomas, who on last Saturday captured, after a hard battle, a 30 pound turtle, a short distance from her home. The turtle is so large that it could easily carry a man on its back. Those who claim to know say that the turtle is at least 100 years old.

50 years ago, 1958

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the State Department lacks authority to deny passports on the basis of an inquiry into an applicant’s beliefs and associations. The court divided 5-4. The majority opinion, by Justice Douglas, dealt a shattering blow to department policy. It has been requiring passport applicants to file Communist affidavits and has been denying passports to suspected Communists and supporters of Red movements.

Justice Clark, who spoke for the dissenters, said he felt the secretary of state “is authorized to deny a passport to an applicant who is going abroad with the purpose of engaging in activities that would advance the Communist cause.”

25 years ago, 1983

AUGUSTA – The Senate on Thursday sent to Gov. Joseph E. Brennan’s desk two of three bills to crack down more severely on people who drink too much and drive on Maine’s highways. The bills were passed with virtually no debate in either house on Thursday and sent to Brennan, whose bill last session to make two-day jail terms mandatory for many drunken-driving offenders has been called one of the nation’s toughest laws against impaired motorists.

One of the measures Brennan is considering is an amended version of his plan to suspend for a year the licenses of drivers less than 20 who have a blood-alcohol content of 0.02 percent, which is one-fifth of the legal intoxication limit for adults.