The week that ends today was National Teen Driver Safety week, and sadly, two of the four highway deaths in Maine during the week were teenage drivers, Maine Department Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said.

Danielle Ranger, 16, of Dixfield, died Oct. 16 after her car crashed into a tree Oct. 15. She was a junior at Dirigo High School. Jordan Cole, 18, of Greenwood, was killed Oct. 18 when his Jeep left the road, traveled into a steep ravine and rolled over. He graduated from Telstar High School in June. Speed was cited in both crashes, McCausland said.

Highway Safety Director Lauren Steward urged parents to set ground rules and to closely monitor and supervise their teenage drivers. Parents and teens should agree on limits and develop backup plans for when teens find themselves in uncomfortable situations, Steward said.

— Bonnie Washuk

Cutting down the competition

Oxford native Sam Heffner, a state forest ranger and Maine champ in the Game of Logging competition, placed fifth in the Ohio nationals on Oct. 8, according to supervisor Kent Nelson.

The event was all about chain saw safety, skill and accuracy.

Heffner, 29, is a ranger out of Greenville who uses a chain saw frequently on the job to knock down potential forest fires. He’s also an instructor at the Maine State Wildlife Training Academy.

“Ranger Heffner learned a lot about the event and is looking forward to competing in next year’s Game of Logging,” Nelson wrote in an email. “Needless to say, the Maine Forest Service is very proud of his achievements.”

— Kathryn Skelton

That’s a lot of potatoes

Like other schools around the state, Lewiston schools participated in the annual Maine Harvest Lunch — which focuses on local food — earlier this month.

It was the first time Lewiston schools participated in the annual event, providing harvest lunches on Oct. 6 and 12, Nutrition Director Kim Austin said. The menu included roast beef and ham with a lot of local fruits and vegetables.

Nutrition staff at nine schools collectively prepared 650 pounds of potatoes, 48 pounds of broccoli, 65 pounds of carrots, 55 pounds of tomatoes, 98 pounds of cucumbers, 56 pounds of tossed salad and 400 pounds of Maine blueberries.

Farms where the food came from included Green Thumb in Fryeburg, Blackie’s Farm Stand Gardens in Auburn and Oakhurst Dairy of Portland.

Participation was the highest of the year, so far, with 3,758 students and 174 staff buying lunch, Austin said.

— Bonnie Washuk.

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