It would seem nigh impossible that Lewiston’s downtown hot dog king could ever come up short on its main product.

But earlier this week, Simones’, the iconic hot dog stand near Kennedy Park in Lewiston, actually ran out of hot dogs.

A fast-thinking employee, who happened to see a food distributor’s truck heading down a nearby street, ran to the rescue.

She flagged down the truck and got some hot dogs. The stand’s owner, Jimmy Simones, said their regular delivery was a little late and they had an extra busy day. Simones was on his way to get more dogs at the time the truck was spotted.

“It was only for about 20 seconds and nobody left or anything,” Simones said Friday. “Everybody was really calm about it.”

-Scott Thistle
Watch out for highway turkey strikes!

Ahh, spring.

Shrinking snowbanks, mud, emerging crocuses, and turkey mating season. That can mean trouble if you’re an unlucky motorist. Just ask Raymond Crabtree and Jeffrey Russell.

On Thursday, a turkey damaged a delivery truck on the Maine Turnpike in Sabattus, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said.

The truck driver, Raymond Crabtree of Standish, escaped injury. But he was showered with glass, Maine State Trooper Tim Marks said.

Crabtree didn’t see the bird until it hit. “The turkey was seen as it hit the windshield, and then was never seen again,” McCausland said. “It’s a safe bet he is not going to be around for breeding season.”

There have been numerous reports of turkey strikes on highways in recent weeks. The weather is warming. Turkey mating season is heating up.

Recently, a turkey knocked Jeffrey Russell off his motorcycle as he rode along Route 117 in Buckfield. As of Friday Russell, of Hartford, was recovering at home from his injuries. Russell is a Department of Public Safety dispatcher at the communications center in Gray, McCausland said.

– Bonnie Washuk
Cleaning the mud in Mexico

Spring mud season has arrived in all its glory.

For those who refuse to drive around any longer in their very dirty, unable-to-determine-what-color car or truck, help is on the way.

The Mexico Police Explorers, a group of teenage boys and girls from local towns, are holding a car wash from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the rear of the town office.

Donations are accepted.

The teens have been holding fundraisers in the past few months, including a successful Christmas tree and Christmas wreath sale in December, to help pay tuition for the police explorers summer academy.

The group is sponsored and advised by members of the Mexico Police Department and supporters.

– Eileen Adams