CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – FairPoint Communications Inc. said Wednesday it posted a second-quarter loss as the provider of local and long-distance phone and Internet services recorded lower sales and hefty debt restructuring costs. For the quarter ended June 30, the Charlotte, N.C.-based company posted a loss of $17.8 million, or a loss of 20 cents […]

SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) – Starting in September, the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel will be printed in South Portland at the same facility that prints the Portland Press Herald. All three newspapers are owned by MaineToday Media Inc., which bought them from the Seattle Times Co. in June. Publisher Richard Connor says having all […]

DENVER (AP) – A Texas man who pleaded guilty to threatening President Barack Obama and the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis was sentenced to four years of probation and home detention Friday. U.S. District CourtJudge Christine Arguello sentenced 21-year-old Timothy Ryan Gutierrez to serve the first 10 months of his probation under house arrest […]

BOSTON (AP) – A federal court has ruled that Massachusetts has the right to prevent incarcerated felons from voting. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed after Massachusetts voters in 2000 approved a measure to disqualify currently jailed felons from voting in certain elections. Lawmakers later extended that to all elections. In 2001, several jailed […]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Next time, Minnesota’s Democratic Party says, it will closely check its Internet links before sending news releases. The party on Thursday recalled a statement criticizing Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty because it mistakenly linked to a profane YouTube video of an elderly Chinese woman repeating obscenities. Andrew O’Leary, executive director of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor […]

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) – An Oregon City man convicted of criminal mistreatment in the faith-healing death of his 15-month-old daughter has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years probation. Judge Steven Maurer said Friday that the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and the duty of society to protect the […]

CAIRO (AP) — An official at Cairo airport says a foot-long baby crocodile wriggled out of a passenger’s hand luggage and caused panic on a flight from the United Arab Emirates. A crew member on the EgyptAir flight from Abu Dhabi rounded up the wayward reptile and calmed passengers. The airport security official says the […]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police in Las Vegas say a tamed tiger that escaped from a magic act has been captured. Police say the residents in the city’s northwest section reported seeing the tiger wandering their streets Thursday night. Police Lt. Les Lane says the cat belongs to Fernando’s Brothers magic act. He says the […]

FORT IRWIN, California (AP) – Federal officials say as many as 100 wild burros will be rounded up in the Mojave Desert next month and put up for adoption because they keep invading the Fort Irwin Army base. The Bureau of Land Management says the donkeys are attracted by natural springs of water in the […]

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos (AP) – A vessel carrying as many as 200 Haitian migrants capsized near the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard said. One survivor said the boat struck a reef as they tried to elude police. About 70 passengers were stranded on a reef and four bodies were […]