Crime/Public Safety/Drugs
Ellsworth Water Street Shooting Details Updated
(Ellsworth) The man accused of shooting at Ellsworth Police officers while they attempted to serve a warrant at his Water Street home last month is being held on $100,000 bail. The Ellsworth American reports 68 yo Jeff Paine was shot and wounded during the exchange of gunfire that ensued during the December 22nd incident. Officers had reportedly gone to the home on a harassment complaint, but on the way learned Paine had a warrant out for his arrest. Paine answered the door, but then allegedly attempted to close it on the officers. That’s when weapons were discharged and Paine was shot in the arm. He was treated at a hospital and is currently being held at the Hancock County Jail pending a February 19th court date.
(Ellsworth) A judge has set bail for the man who reportedly opened fire on officers at his Water Street home in Ellsworth on December 22nd at $100,000. The officers initially responded to the home of 68 yo Jeff Paine on a harassment complaint, but then learned of a warrant out on Paine. The Ellsworth American reports an affidavit shows Paine initially opened the door, but then tried to close it on the officers. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and Paine was shot in the arm. He was treated at a hospital and is currently being held at the Hancock County Jail pending a February 19th court date.
Courthouses Evacuated Following Bomb Threats
(Portland) On Wednesday it was the Statehouse in Augusta. Thursday, courthouses throughout Maine and New Hampshire received bomb threats and had to be evacuated. A press release sent yesterday said some Maine Judicial Branch employees received an email about 10 Thursday morning stating bombs had been planted in or around courthouses in the state but did not designate specific locations. The Cumberland, York and Kennebec County courthouses were evacuated and searched, along with other judicial locations, but nothing of danger was found. New Hampshire officials confirm similar threats were made against courthouses in that state as well. The FBI said it is aware of the hoax calls and urges the public to report any suspicious activity to 9-1-1 or online at tips dot f b i dot gov.
(Portland) The bomb threats may have been hoaxes; but they felt all too real to government employees this week. Yesterday, the Cumberland, York and Kennebec County Courthouses were evacuated and searched after some judicial branch employees received an email saying bombs had been planted in and around courthouses. The email came across about 10 a.m and did not indicate specific locations. Similar to the incident Wednesday at the Statehouse in Augusta, K9 units were brought in to search but found nothing of danger. New Hampshire officials confirm similar threats were made against courthouses in that state as well on Thursday. The FBI says it is aware of the hoax calls and urges the public to report any suspicious activity to 9-1-1 or online, at tips dot f b i dot gov.
Richmond Man Charged with Arson
(Richmond) A Richmond man is charged with arson after setting fire Thursday to the home of family members. 40 yo Robert Jolly of Richmond reportedly started the fire in the garage about 7 yesterday morning at the home on Arnie Drive. Three people were at home at the time of the fire and were able to escape safely, but a family cat did not survive the blaze. Jolly is being held in the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
(Richmond) A Richmond man is in jail in Wiscasset, charged with setting fire to the home of some family members yesterday. Public Safety Officer Shannon Moss tells Star 97.7, 40 yo Robert Jolly set the fire in the garage about 7 Thursday morning. Three people were in the Arnie Drive home at the time of the fire. They were able to escape safely, but a family cat perished in the blaze. Jolly is charged with arson and is being held at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
Local Politics
Lobstermen Sue Over Tracking Requirement
(Maine) Regulators want to know exactly where lobstermen are setting their lines in federal waters in order to understand more about potential risk to the endangered right whale. But that minute-by-minute tracking is seen by many as invasive and unnecessary. MaineBiz reports five plaintiffs have filed a complaint against Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher and are asking a U.S. District Court to void the tracking requirement that went into effect last month. The plaintiffs include Joel Strout of Harrington, Christopher Smith of Jonesport, Jack Cunningham of Bar Harbor, and two others – all of whom are federally permitted lobster fishermen who each fish 800 traps in federal waters.
(Maine) The government sees it as a way to collect data on how lobster fishing may affect the endangered right whale. Some lobstermen say it’s an invasion of privacy. MaineBiz reports five area lobster fishermen have filed a complaint against Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher and are asking a U.S. District Court to void the tracking requirement that went into effect December 15th. The trackers tell regulators exactly where lobstermen are setting their lines in federal waters. Keliher says the group’s argument has no merit, saying, “It’s ironic that a few members of an industry that has voiced a strong opinion that Maine needs to do more to protect the lobster fishery are now resisting efforts to gather the data necessary to help defend their interests in the long run.”
Economy
Area Subways Under New Ownership
(Blue Hill) Some local Subway sandwich shops have reopened under new ownership. The shops in Blue Hill, Bucksport, and Hampden are now open and operated by Michael Fay, bringing the number of Subways he owns to 29 – that’s a lot of subs! The Ellsworth American reports Fay discovered franchising in college when he managed a local subway. Applying what he learned, Fay within two years grew his business from four stores to 25. Fay says he plans to launch a new menu this month that will include a footlong cookie, along with footlong Aunty Anne’s pretzels, and Cinnabon churros.
(Blue Hill) The footlong is back in Blue Hill, Bucksport, and Hampden – and we’re not just talking those famous Subway sandwiches. The Ellsworth American reports the three Subway locations are under the new ownership of Michael Fay, who discovered the profitability of franchising while managing a Subway shop when he was in college. Within two years, Fay reportedly grew his business from four Subway shops to 25. He now owns 29 of the build-your-own sandwich shops. Fay says he plans to launch a new menu this month that will include a footlong cookie, along with footlong Aunty Anne’s pretzels, and Cinnabon churros.
Health
Mediterranean Named Best Diet, Seven Years Running
(CNN) For the seventh year in a row, the Mediterranean style of eating earned the title of best overall diet, according to 2024 ratings announced January 3rd by US News and World Report. The Mediterranean diet also ranked first in the categories of easiest diet to follow, best family-friendly diet, best diet for healthy eating and best diet for diabetes, bone and joint and heart-healthy eating, according to the report. Plant foods are the foundation of the Mediterranean Diet, with meals built around vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and whole grains and moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs … with red meat eaten only once in awhile.
(CNN) While the perfect diet is one that works for you, researchers point to one that for the seventh year in a row has earned the title of Best Overall Diet. The Mediterranean Diet once again this year ranked first in the categories of easiest diet to follow, best family-friendly diet, best diet for healthy eating and best diet for diabetes, bone and joint and heart-healthy eating, according to the report. Plant foods are the foundation of the Mediterranean Diet, with meals built around vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and whole grains and moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs … with red meat eaten only once in awhile. The 2024 diet ratings were announced this week in US News and World Report.
Acetiminophen Use During Pregnancy Linked to Speech Delays
(CBS News) A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has linked acetaminophen use during pregnancy with language delays in children. Susan Schantz, a professor and one of the authors of the study, told CBS News, the study looked at language development in 2 and 3 year olds, and found those whose mothers took acetaminophen, especially during the third trimester of their pregnancy, had smaller vocabularies and shorter sentence lengths.
Wearing Hearing Aids Could Lead to Longer Life for Those with Hearing Issues
(KFF) Listen up! For those with hearing loss, simply putting on hearing aids could be a lifesaver. New research, published this week in The Lancet Healthy Longevity Journal, showed people with hearing loss who regularly wore hearing aids had a 24-percent lower mortality risk than those who never wore them, regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, type of insurance, severity of hearing loss and other medical conditions. The study indicated the worse someone’s hearing loss was, the greater their risk of an earlier death, likely due to concerns about physical safety and being able to hear and understand critical information regarding health and safety.
Malaria Vaccine Leads to Gasp-Worthy Response
(NYTimes) 13% may seem small, but when it comes to childhood mortality, that’s a huge number. The New York Times reports in late October a large-scale pilot rollout of a malaria vaccine in parts of Africa by the World Health Organization was shown to have reduced child mortality by 13 percent over four years. The publication Science reports the result that mortality reduction in one disease could reshape the prospects of all childhood deaths was so astonishing, the epidemiologist who led the program said she expected gasps in the audience when the news was announced.
New Strides in Antibiotics to Fight Germ-Resistant Bacteria Could be Sidelined by Cost
(KFF) Two studies published this week in the journal Nature report a new class of drug candidates for tackling certain drug-resistant infections … but their widespread use could be stymied by production costs. One of the compounds has already made it into clinical trials, but it’s still a long way from being approved for clinical use. The obstacles for developing such compounds are not just scientific: researchers say the economic incentives are insufficient for many companies to take the risk. Experts say as the threat of antibiotic resistance grows, the international community must do more to shepherd promising drugs from bench to bedside.
National Advocacy Group Blames Hospital Consolidation for Maine’s High Costs
(Portland) Maine’s high healthcare costs – a national advocacy group is blaming those pricey rates on hospital consolidation. Maine hospital officials disagree, pointing to the state’s older population and low Medicare reimbursement rates that shift the costs of healthcare to younger people with private insurance. The Portland Press Herald reports MaineHealth and Northern Light Health have both grown over the past 20 years by absorbing formerly independent smaller hospitals, which the center-left group Third Way claims is behind higher costs. A spokesperson for the group reports consolidation in states such as Maine tips the scales heavily in favor of hospital networks when negotiating contracts with insurance companies, in turn affecting premiums and deductibles.
(Portland) Experts disagree on the source of Maine’s high healthcare costs, with a national advocacy group releasing a report Thursday that blames the pricey rates on hospital consolidation. While it’s true MaineHealth and Northern Light Health, the state’s two largest, have both grown over the past two decades by absorbing formerly independent smaller hospitals, officials from the two point to the state’s older population and low Medicare reimbursement rates as the cause. The Portland Press Herald reports a spokesperson from the center-left group Third Way contends consolidation in states such as Maine tip the scales heavily in favor of hospital networks when negotiating contracts with insurance companies, in turn affecting premiums and deductibles.
Infrastructure
Bridge Replacement Could Be State’s Most Expensive Project
(DI/Stonington) Replacing the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge may be the most expensive project in the state’s history. Perhaps one of the reasons local officials this fall were met with silence when they asked the Maine Department of Transportation to begin seeking federal funds for a new bridge. The Ellsworth American reports the 1,088 foot span is Deer Isle’s only connection to the mainland, is past its original lifespan, and is responsible for ferrying $70M worth of seafood to the mainland each year. MDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note insists the bridge is safe for travel, but area select boards and citizens who depend on the bridge aren’t convinced. In the meantime, Deer Isle and Stonington, under the direction of Hancock County Emergency Management Agency Director Andrew Sankey, have been working on emergency plans in case of bridge failure.
(DI/Stonington) The Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation insists it’s safe for now, but citizens and members of the elect boards who travel the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge aren’t convinced. The Ellsworth American reports last fall, local officials asked the Maine Department of Transportation to begin seeking federal funds for a new bridge to no avail. The 1,088 foot span is Deer Isle’s only connection to the mainland, is past its original lifespan, and is responsible for ferrying $70M worth of seafood to the mainland each year. MDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note says further studies will be undertaken, but has so far not gotten behind the project, which could be the most expensive in the state’s history.
Sports
High School Basketball – these girls’ games on tap this evening: Woodland vs. Machias, the George Stevens’ Lady Eagles take on the Sumner Tigers, and the MDI Trojans battle it out with the Old Town Coyotes.
The Celtics home tonight against the Utah Jazz. The Penguins waddled across the ice to a 6-5 win over the Bruins, ending Boston’s 4-game winning streak last night at TD Garden. Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. David Pastrnak has been selected to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. It will be the Bruins’ forward’s fourth NHL All-Star appearance since 2019.
High School Basketball results from Thursday, these schools reporting in – all boys’ games from last night. Old Town beat Ellsworth, Machias over Sumner, Narraguagus defeats GSA, Jonesport-Beals easily defeating Shead, MDI over Bucksport, and the WA boys get the win over Woodland.