Crime/Public Safety/Drugs
Lewiston Woman Charged in Death of 90 yo Litchfield Man
(Litchfield) A Lewiston woman is in custody, charged with the murder of a 90 yo Litchfield man. Authorities say police were called to a home on Hallowell Road last week on request of a family member. When they arrived, they found the body of Gerald Marin and began investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. Evidence led them to 55 yo Shari Allimah. She’s being held in the Androscoggin County Jail on unrelated charges.
(Litchfield) Authorities in Litchfield have ruled the death of a 90 year old man a homicide and have arrested a 55 yo Lewiston woman in connection with his death. Police say a family member asked them to check on Gerald Marin at his Hallowell Road home last week. They say when they arrived, Marin was deceased. An investigation led to the arrest of Shari Allimah. Allimah is being held in the Androscoggin County Jail on unrelated charges.
Chelsea Fire
(Chelsea) At least eight departments were on the scene of a large fire in Chelsea Sunday. The Morning Sentinel reports when firefighters arrived around 1 p.m., The New England Rent to Own storage facility on River Road was fully engulfed. Multiple residents reported hearing sounds of an explosion at the site, but the facility’s co-owners say they weren’t aware of anything exploding. Access to Route 9 was limited, and a shutdown was in place for several hours between Augusta and Chelsea. The fire destroyed a warehouse and several prebuilt sheds. Investigators are looking for a cause.
(Chelsea) A large fire in Chelsea yesterday afternoon destroyed a warehouse and several prebuilt sheds at the New England Rent to Own storage facility on River Road. The Morning Sentinel reports at least eight departments responded to the blaze, which was reported about 1 p.m. yesterday. A co-owner of the facility said the warehouse that burned was used primarily to store wood and other materials used to manufacture sheds, mobile homes, and other structures. Route 9 in the vicinity was shut down until about 4 p.m. Sunday. No word yet on a cause of that fire.
Motorcyclist Killed in Collision with Teen Driver
(Auburn) A motorcyclist from Lewiston was killed Friday night in a collision with a teenage driver. WABI-TV reports a 15 yo girl with her learner’s permit was driving with her mother when she attempted to pull onto South Main Street from Witham Road in Auburn. The motorcyclist, identified as Jessica Carter, swerved, came up on the vehicle and attempted to avoid a collision but ended up striking the driver’s side of the car. Police say Carter was wearing a helmet but sustained fatal injuries. Neither the driver of the car nor her mother was injured. The crash remains under investigation.
(Auburn) A motorcycle crash in Auburn Friday night claimed the life of a 40 yo Lewiston woman. WABI-TV reports a 15 yo girl with her learner’s permit was driving with her mother when she attempted to pull onto South Main Street from Witham Road. The motorcyclist, identified as Jessica Carter, swerved and attempted to avoid a collision but ended up striking the driver’s side of the car. Police say Carter was wearing a helmet but sustained fatal injuries. Neither the driver of the car nor her mother was injured. The crash remains under investigation.
Aurora Firefighters Mourning One of Their Own
(Aurora) Firefighters from the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department were hit extra hard by the death of a woman whose body was found in the charred remains of her Great Pond home last Monday. They say 35 yo Marie Robbins was one of the department’s newest and most enthusiastic members. Robbins’s body was found along with that of 38 yo Ryan Devisme in the Old Dam Way home. Authorities have not yet released a definitive cause of the deaths, but say they are considered suspicious.
(Aurora) Members of the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department were especially stunned and saddened last week upon learning one of the bodies found in a burned out home in Great Pond was one of their own. They say 35 yo Marie Robbins was one of the department’s newest and most enthusiastic members. Robbins’s body was found along with that of 38 yo Ryan Devisme in the Old Dam Way home. Authorities have not yet released a definitive cause of the deaths, but say they are considered suspicious.
MDMR Updates Waterfront Resiliency Grant Program FAQs
(Augusta) Many folks attended MDMR’s first Waterfront Resiliency Grant Program Informational Webinar. Based on feedback, updates have been made to the program’s Frequently Asked Questions document. In addition, both the Island Institutes and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association have dedicated resources to helping people complete and submit their applications, and they welcome people to reach out to them via the means we’ve posted with this story on our Star 97.7 website. Applications for the program must be submitted and received no later than Monday, June 10th. If submitted as a hard copy, it must be postmarked by that date. A second informational webinar will be held tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. We’ve posted the link to join that meeting on our website, as well.
(Augusta) The Maine Department of Marine Resources says it has updated the Frequently Asked Questions document, based on feedback from the first Waterfront Resiliency Grant Program Informational Meeting. A second meeting is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 4. We’ve posted information and a link to join the webinar along with this story on our Star 97.7 website. Applications for the program must be submitted and received by Monday, June 10th – hard copy applications must be postmarked by that date. Help in applying is available through both the Island Institute and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. We’ve posted contact information for both organizations with this news story on our website as well.
Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association – contact Monique Coombs, [email protected] or 207-956-0752
Island Institute – contact Olivia Richards, [email protected], 207-535-9298
To join the Tuesday night webinar:
Meeting ID: 263 425 640 47
Passcode: LicXzg
Dial-in by phone
+1 207-209-4724,,757933386# United States, Portland
Phone conference ID: 757 933 386#
Local Politics
Deputy Commissioner to Serve as Interim DHHS Commissioner
(Augusta) Deputy Commissioner Sara Gagne-Holmes will serve as acting Commissioner of the embattled Department of Health and Human Services, effective June 1st. Current Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew will step down May 31st. The Office of Governor Janet Mills said Friday she expects to name a permanent nominee to the position in the next few weeks. DHHS has been plagued the past few years with concerns over multiple child deaths, allegedly at the hands of parents, with Maine being recognized with the highest rate of child abuse cases in the country. In a study of all 50 states, NYRequirements dot com reports more than 1900 children out of every 100,000 people under the age of 18 in Maine are victims of child abuse.
Education
MMA President Stepping Down
(Castine) Maine Maritime Academy’s President is stepping down. WABI-TV reports Jerry Paul says he’s retiring due to “extenuating family circumstances prior to the upcoming academic year.” Paul, an MMA alumnus, became the 15th President of the school in April 2022. The Board plans to accept his resignation on June 2nd. Craig Johnson, previously the chief operating officer, will be appointed interim president.
(Castine) Maine Maritime Academy President Jerry Paul is stepping down. WABI-TV reports Paul is retiring due to “extenuating family circumstances prior to the upcoming academic year.” Paul, MMA’s 15th President, is an alumnus of the Academy who stepped into the leadership role in April 2022. The Board plans to accept his resignation on June 2nd. Craig Johnson, previously chief operating officer, will serve as interim president.
Environment
Maine Forest Service Awarded Community Wildfire Defense Grants
(Augusta) Recent grant funding received by the Maine Forest Service will be used to help safeguard homes, businesses, forestland and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfires. MFS was awarded two Community Wildfire Defense Grants totaling $258K, to protect areas in Northern and Downeast Maine. Last Fall, the USDA Forest Service received over 500 applications, awarding grants to only 158 communities nationwide. Maine is New England’s first and only state to receive the highly competitive awards.
(Augusta) Two Community Wildfire Defense Grants totaling $258,000 will allow the Maine Forest Service to coordinate data collection and work with the public to evaluate wildfire risks, inventory access routes and utility corridors, and will be used to help foster collaboration between local governments, fire departments, state agencies and others in an effort to prevent wildfires in Northern and Downeast Maine. The Northern Maine/Katahdin region encompasses Millinocket, East Millinocket, Medway, and several adjacent unorganized territories. The Downeast Maine grant includes the towns of Whitney and Dennysville and four unorganized territories in Southeast Washington County.
Infrastructure
Planned Electrical System Maintenance in Ellsworth
(Ellsworth) Residents who live on Nicolin Road in Ellsworth will want to have that breakfast muffin in the microwave no later than 8:45 tomorrow morning. Residents on that road may experience temporary service interruptions Tuesday. Versant Power will be working on equipment for about two hours, beginning at 9 a.m. They say the work will help improve reliability and better prevent outages.
(Ellsworth) If you live on Nicolin Drive in Ellsworth, make sure you have that coffee brewed, your hair dried, and your electric garage door up by 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Versant Power plans to work in the area. They say that work may result in temporary service interruptions. The work is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and take about two hours.
Human Interest/Entertainment
City of Ellsworth Memorial Day Celebration
(Ellsworth) A reminder the City of Ellsworth and VFW Post 109 will hold a small Memorial Day ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. this morning at City Hall. There will be a wreath laying and a few words spoken to honor the fallen. If you’d like to participate, there will also be a short “walking parade” to the Union River Bridge and back following the ceremony, in order to remember those lost.
(Ellsworth) Although the City of Ellsworth Memorial Day Parade was canceled, the City of Ellsworth and VFW Post 109 will hold a small Memorial Day ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. this morning at City Hall. There will be a wreath laying and a few words spoken to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. If you’d like to participate, there will also be a short “walking parade” to the Union River Bridge and back following the ceremony, in order to remember those lost. All are invited and welcome to attend.
Julia Gagnon to Perform at Moxie Festival
(Lisbon) Maine’s own American Idol, Julie Gagnon, will perform at this year’s Moxie Festival in Lisbon. The Cumberland native will be on stage on the second day of the July 12-14 event. Gagnon’s powerful performance catapulted her to the Top 24 following her audition, though she didn’t make the final five. The judges and her fans all agree she still has a star-studded future.
Sports
The Red Sox have an afternoon game today against the Orioles in Baltimore. Teams back on the field Tuesday evening.
Celtics up 3 games to none going into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight in Indianapolis. It’s all on the line for the Pacers tonight.
After strong storms cleared the stands at the Indy 500, Josef Newgarden won the crash-filled race on Sunday. He’s the first driver in 22 years to win back-to-back races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A lightning delay and heavy rainstorm preceded a win for Christopher Bell in Sunday’s Coca-cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race was called after 249 of 400 laps due to the weather.