News

Appropriations Committee questions Mayhew about letter

Submitted by Sarah Delage on Monday, May 20th, 9:43 am

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The commissioner of the Department of Health and Human services went before the Appropriations Committee Sunday to discuss a letter she sent to Governor LePage.

The letter states that the department will run out of money on June 10th if a budget is not passed by May 28th.

Governor LePage sent a letter that same day to democratic leaders in the legislature, accusing the party of using strong-arm tactics that have delayed the budget process.

The Appropriations Committee questioned Commissioner Mayhew about the letters to try to come to some kind of resolution and ensure DHHS can fund its programs. Republicans on the committee expressed their gratitude to Mayhew for making the fast-approaching deadline clear.

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Construction begins for EMS Memorial in Augusta

Submitted by Around Town Web... on Saturday, May 18th, 7:51 pm

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- By the end of this summer, there will be a new memorial between the law enforcement and firefighters memorials in Augusta -- this one, to honor Maine's EMS professionals.

The Maine Emergency Medical Services board held its annual Awards Ceremony Saturday, and broke ground for the new EMS Memorial and Education Site on State Street.

The memorial includes a "Star of Life" in the center, which is the EMS symbol, illuminated granite posts to recnogize current and fallen EMS professionals, and audio component with information on fallen Maine EMS workers, and benches for reflection.

There will also be educational information about Maine's EMS system.

The Maine EMS Board has raised $100 thousand for the first phase of construction, which will be complete by the end of the summer.

They need an additional $200 thousand to complete the second phase.

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Reservists struggle with sexual assaults

Submitted by Kathleen Shannon on Friday, May 17th, 6:30 pm

AUGUSTA, Maine -- (NEWS CENTER) Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has ordered retraining, recredentialing and rescreening of all sexual assault prevention coordinators for the military, as well as for military recruiters after two recent cases where men in charge of prevention programs were charged with sexual assault. But Hagel's orders will do little to help the nation's 1-million Reservists.

Newscenter talked with one former Army Reservist who asked that her identity be concealed since two of her alleged rapists live within and hour of her home. "Ann" told us how she was serving in Iraq from February 2004 to February 2005 and loved her job as a convoy truck driver and combat first aid specialist in large part because of the conraderie she felt with her fellow soldiers.

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Investigators using technology to search for digital clues to find missing teen

Submitted by Tim Goff on Thursday, May 16th, 7:05 pm

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The family of Nichole Cable, a 15 year old Glenburn girl missing since Sunday, believes someone created a fake Facebook account to contact their daughter before she disappeared.

The account, created using the name Bryan Butterfield, has since been deactivated, but that does not mean investigators searching for the teen cannot use technology to help find clues to her whereabouts.

"Just because the account is no longer accessible publicly, whether it has been truly deleted or simply disabled by the user, that's not to say law enforcement can't access that information, just not as quickly," explained Mike Webber, a former police officer who served on Maine's Computer Crimes Task Force.

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Debate continues on whether Maine should release more moose permits

Submitted by Around Town Web... on Tuesday, May 14th, 6:29 pm

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- Lawmakers took up a hot button issue among sportsmen on Tuesday: should the state allow more moose hunting permits to be available to the public.

Hunters around Maine will be vying for those permits at the annual moose permit lottery in June. This year 4,110 permits will be up for grabs for hunters looking to bag a moose.

The state department of inland fisheries and wildlife rations the permits out each year. Officials say the number they give out is based on the amount and health of moose in Maine.

If passed, this new bill would increase the permit limit. Supporters say they feel the moose population could support an increase in hunters and that it would be good for the state's economy.

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Emotions run high as Waterville's first Catholic Church is torn down

Submitted by Tim Goff on Tuesday, May 14th, 5:20 pm

WATERVILLE, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- For more than 140 years the land around St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church was sacred, now it is littered with demolition debris.

The last mass was celebrated here roughly five years ago, and the massive brick building has sat vacant ever since.

"My mother made her first Holy Communion here and was baptized here and so forth," stated Raymond LaPointe, as he stared through the chainlink fence surrounding the church, parish hall and rectory.

"It is kind of a sad thing to see a church go like that," he lamented. "It was beautiful inside, the woodwork and whatnot."

Dwindling attendance lead parishioners to shutter the church, which was built in 1872.

"It was home to us. We both grew up in that parish," explained Mike Hebert.

"It had a homey feeling," his wife Debbie chimed in. "I mean, you could go in there and you knew everybody that you met in there."

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Three-month closure begins at Augusta I-95 exit

Submitted by Mike Kmack on Monday, May 13th, 12:11 pm

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - A well-traveled Interstate 95 interchange bridge in Augusta is shutting down for about three months.

The Department of Transportation says the bridge leading from the Exit 113 ramp from the southbound lanes of I-95 to Route 3 eastbound will close starting Monday as part of comprehensive $13 million project. The project will improve the interchange and nearby roads and intersections to ease congestion and improve traffic flow with construction of the new regional hospital known as the Alfond Center for Health.

Officials say signs will direct traffic to an alternate route.

The department also says the interchange ramp leading from Route 3 to the northbound lanes of I-95 is slated to re-open on May 31. It closed to traffic in April as part of the project.