ELIOT — A group of residents in the southern Maine town of Eliot have created a website to fight a proposal to bring a strip club to town. A half dozen residents created www.keepeliotsafe.com in opposition to a businessman’s plans to open a club with nude dancing on Route 236. More than 100 people showed […]
Maine
Posted inOp-Eds
Common-sense sign bill unfairly portrayed
LD 1405 would help businesses and would create jobs without adverse effect on the environment. Recent news coverage has unfairly depicted a regulatory reform bill, LD 1405, to be virtually the same as another bill, LD 1367, which proposes to use billboards as a revenue source. The corrections proposed by LD 1405 have been getting […]
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Posted inOur View
Cracking down on welfare cheats is everyone’s job
It is impossible to know exactly how much welfare fraud costs taxpayers, but the toll is easily in the billions. The Los Angeles Times reported in October that 24 percent of new applications for government benefits in San Diego County contained fraudulent information. The county prosecutor later softened that a bit, explaining that “discrepancies” would […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Legislature hearing packed for abortion bill
AUGUSTA — Parents have more of a say before a child gets wisdom teeth removed than when a child seeks an abortion, lawmakers were told Tuesday at a packed hearing on bills that would add new restrictions on abortion in Maine. But the Judiciary Committee also heard that Maine’s current policies work well and that […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Man convicted in Dirigo case
BANGOR — Sentencing is pending for a Maine man convicted of falsely stating his income in order to receive subsidized health insurance. The Bangor Daily News says a federal jury found 47-year-old Rodney Russell of South Thomaston guilty on four counts of lying about his cash income in 2008 and 2009 so he could receive […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Fireworks bill gets approval from committee
AUGUSTA — A bill to allow the sale of fireworks in Maine is still alive in the Legislature. Members of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 8-5 Monday on a bill that would allow people 21 and older to buy fireworks from authorized stand-alone fireworks stores in Maine. The bill now heads to […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Bishop condemns mosque graffiti
PORTLAND — Maine’s Roman Catholic bishop is speaking out against inflammatory graffiti that was painted on Portland’s largest mosque following the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Bishop Richard Malone said Tuesday he condemns the anti-Islam graffiti that was painted on the Maine Muslim Community Center on Monday morning. The slogans included “Osama today, […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Wardens find body of missing elderly man
SMITHFIELD — Maine game wardens say a missing 87-year-old Smithfield man has been found dead near his home. Phillip Golding of East Pond Road was last seen by a neighbor at about 8:30 a.m. Monday. Wardens found his body around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday after a Forest Service helicopter spotted something from the air. Golding did […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine air agent who checked in terrorists on Sept. 11 joyful
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — An airline agent who received an icy stare from the ringleader of the 9/11 terrorist attacks while checking him in at Portland’s airport the morning of the attacks says he’s feeling “great joy” upon hearing of the death of Osama bin Laden. Michael Tuohey checked in Mohamed Atta and accomplice Abdulaziz […]
Posted inOur View
Newspapers carving out a new tomorrow
We rarely write about ourselves in this column, but people keep asking — what’s happening to the newspaper industry? A lot, thank you, and most of it good. We do appreciate that readers are concerned about the challenges our business has faced over the past three years. Many have heard about the handful of metro […]