Macy’s Closing
(Bangor) – 65-workers at Macy’s in Bangor will have to search for new jobs as the store will shut down in March. Macy’s says the closing is one of 68-chain wide that will eliminate 10-thousand jobs. The closing means more empty space in and around the Bangor Mall. K-Mart announced it’s shutting the store off Hogan Road. In recent months Radio Shack, Ruby Tuesday, and the Gap have closed inside the mall.
West Street Cafe
(Bar Harbor) – Something’s missing in Downtown Bar Harbor. The Mt. Desert Islander reports construction crews tore down the West Street cafe and work has begun on a new restaurant with an apartment. The new building will remain at the corner of West and Rodick Streets and should be ready for business for next summer’s tourist season. Owner Kevin DesVeaux said the demolished building dated back to the early 1900s and had deteriorated beyond his ability to maintain it.
Belfast – Marijuana Moratorium
(Belfast) – City councilors in Belfast have imposed a 6-month moratorium on businesses that might seek to produce or sell recreational marijuana. Village Soup dot-com reports the city will have that time to produce an ordinance to regulate recreational marijuana sales. Voters in November approved the use of recreational marijuana without state penalty. The 30-pages of rules associated with the question sets up state regulation for pot sales, but towns and cities are free to make their own rules. Ellsworth recently approved an ordinance that bans recreational marijuana retail sales for two years.
Project Hope Remains
(Ellsworth) The Ellsworth Police Department continues to run Project Hope every Tuesday, helping anyone with opioid addiction get into a recovery program. Detective Dotty Small says Project Hope is strictly funded by donations and grants, and it requires community volunteers to help the program operate. Small says a training will be held later this month for those interested in becoming Angel Volunteers. She says the training details have yet to be sewn up, that information will be available later this month on Star 97-7.
Drug Treatment
(Augusta) The Maine Health Access Foundation is awarding up to $800,000 in grants in an attempt to increase access to addiction care for underserved people. The foundation says the main focus of the grants will be to increase medication-assisted therapies. It says it wants to link more people with treatment with Suboxone in conjunction with counseling.
Delayed Murder Sentencing
(Bangor) – A Garland man awaiting sentencing for killing his ex-girlfriend and her two children will have to wait a little longer to find out his fate. Keith Coleman will serve at least 25-years and possibly up to life in prison for the December 2014 murders. He was supposed to be sentenced yesterday in Bangor, but WABI-TV reports that sentencing is delayed for two more weeks.
Knife Threat
(Belfast) A Belfast man faces a slew of charges for allegedly holding a machete to a woman’s throat and threatening to kill her and her 3 children. WABI-TV reports 40-year-old Shawn Kivlin is charged with elevated aggravated assault, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, and 2 counts of domestic violence assault for allegedly choking the woman as well. Belfast police report the incident occurred the day after Christmas.
Jax Lab Update
(Ellsworth) Officials with Jackson Laboratory say the opening date for the renovated Lowe’s building in Ellsworth has been pushed back to March 3rd, 2018. Jackson Lab’s initial goal was to open the mouse vivarium by January 1st of next year. Lab officials went before the Ellsworth Planning Board last night seeking final approval on the current phase of the project, estimated to cost 73-point-5-million-dollars. The Ellsworth American reports the renovation work will eventually include all of the building’s roughly 1-hundred-48-thousand-square-foot floor area. The lab’s current application at City Hall says nearly 17-thousand mouse boxes will be installed at first, with the eventual goal of installing 68-thousand mouse boxes.
Chainsaw Safety
(Trenton) A local logging sports athlete will conduct a chainsaw safety seminar for women this spring. “Timber Tina” from the Great Maine Lumberjack Show is teaming up with arborist Michelle Braley to teach women how to operate a chainsaw safely, from starting it to trouble shooting, cutting down and delimbing a small tree, and even cutting your own firewood. Chainsaws and safety equipment will be provided if students don’t have their own. The hands-on seminar is one day only – Saturday, April 29th from 9 to 3. Contact Adult Ed in Sullivan for details.
Mom – Plea Change
(Bangor) A Fairfield woman accused of killing her newborn son has changed her plea. 21-year-old Kayla Stewart pled guilty manslaughter. Prosecutors say Stewart gave birth to a healthy boy on New Year’s Eve in 2015, but that she either suffocated the baby or left it to die in her garage. Stewart’s attorney says she had a miscarriage and panicked. A judge sentenced her to 9-years in prison yesterday.
Father Pleads Guilty
(Standish) A Standish man pleaded guilty Wednesday to manslaughter in the death of his 3-month-old son. The Bangor Daily News reports the defense attorney for Eugene “Charlie” Martineau made an agreement with prosecutors to drop the murder charge and recommended Martineau spend 10 to 15 years in prison followed by probation. Police say Martineau was watching his son Leo when the baby went limp in October 2015. Leo was hospitalized with multiple injuries and died 3 days later. Leo and his twin sister were born prematurely, however his sister had not been released from the hospital yet when Leo died. The sister is in state custody.
Sex Offender
(Augusta) A Bowdoinham man accused of crawling into a 6-year-old boy’s tent in Wayne and touching him inappropriately admits he did it. The Kennebec Journal reports 23-year-old Scott Lathan pled guilty Tuesday. He was sentenced to five years in prison but will serve nine months; the balance suspended with two years of probation. Lathan must register as a sex offender for 25 years.
Truck Drivers Wanted
(Augusta) State transportation officials in Maine are seeking plow truck drivers to remove snow and ice from interstates and highways. WGME-TV reports the state Department of Transportation has more than 90 openings for plow truck drivers. State plow truck drivers begin making about $13.50 an hour. They can receive raises and bonuses. The department will train those interested to become certified.
Sports
Girls Basketball
Mount Desert Island 33, Ellsworth 21
Narraguagus 74, Sumner 27
Calais 56, Bucksport 51
George Stevens 52, Searsport 27
Hampden Academy 67, Camden Hills Regional 45
John Bapst Memorial 42, Orono 33
Woodland 50, Machias 26
Boys
Cheverus 58, Bangor 44
Hampden Academy 61, Camden Hills Regional 33
Jonesport-Beals 54, Shead 49
College Men’s
S. Maine 71, Maine Maritime 57
College – Women’s
Vermont 55, Maine 52
NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Boston Bruins tonight