We’re not sure if it’s a surge in stupidity or an outbreak in spinelessness, but the recent spate of serious hit-and-run motor vehicle accident stories in the Sun Journal— three in a week — merits mention. A South Berwick man was arrested Friday and charged with the Jan. 30 hit-and-run death in Orono of Jordyn […]

“The Good Old Days: They were terrible.” That’s the contradictory title of symposium scheduled for April 24th in Bethel, examining the period between the end of the Civil war and the early years of the 20th century. While there are very few people alive today who have actual memories of that period — either good […]

British Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly once asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel what accounted for the success of the German economy. “We still make things, Mr. Blair,” she replied. While the details of the encounter vary on the Web, the validity of her observation is indisputable. Germany is the world’s largest exportor, and it regularly […]

If they can draft hockey players when they are 15, why not a “mathalete” at 13? Local engineering firms should keep an eye Ben Lowit, an eighth-grader at Lewiston Middle School, who recently earned the top score in the American Mathematics Competition for all of Maine. And it wasn’t even close. Ben got 21 out […]

There’s something a little strange about normalizing something by doing something completely abnormal. Take University of Maine at Farmington senior Andrea Simoneau who plans to stage the town’s First Topless March for Gender Equity after attending a similar rally last week in Portland. Simoneau strolled bare-chested in downtown Farmington Wednesday handing out fliers promoting her […]

Our hearts tell us that we should do what we can to help unemployed people hold onto their homes.  But our heads tell us that strong-arming banks into writing down every troubled mortgage is wrong and unfair. On Tuesday, bankers came before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee to explain why they are not embracing […]

While Maine may be near the top of the list for high taxes, we can take consolation in another ranking: Our average auto insurance rates are the lowest in the land. And buckle up for this — the differences among the states are significant. The average annual auto insurance bill in Maine was $903 in […]

With hugs, tears and family at his side, Phil Mickelson received the adulation of the crowds Sunday at The Masters Tournament. It was an inspiring moment as the winner embraced his wife, who has battled cancer over the past year, and the camera zoomed in on the single tear streaming down his cheek. Well, disregard […]

President Barack Obama is, as he told a TV baseball audience recently, a big fan of the Chicago White Sox.  Yet, when asked by an announcer to name a few of his favorite players, the president drew a complete blank.  Geez. Harold Baines? Frank Thomas? Carlton Fisk? He couldn’t come up with a single name, […]

We hope Republicans in the Maine Legislature have used the past four days to reconsider their opposition to an $85 million bond package that represents an important investment in the state’s future. Negotiations broke down last Wednesday when it became clear no Republicans in the Senate were willing to pass the proposal, which left it […]