PORTLAND — Shrimp fishermen are casting their nets with the start of New England’s shrimp-fishing season. The season got under way Wednesday, but isn’t expected to last long with a quota of only 1.4 million pounds, down sharply from last year’s catch of 5.3 million pounds. Net fishermen this winter have a quota of 1.2 […]
Maine
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Fitch cuts Maine credit rating to ‘AA’
Slipping state revenues, persistent budget gaps and “an increasingly contentious decision-making environment” have led one of the nation’s three main credit rating agencies to downgrade Maine’s general obligation bond debt a notch, to “AA” from “AA-plus.” The downgrade by Fitch Ratings reflects the agency’s assessment of the state’s $472 million in general obligation bond debt. […]
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Bills seek to reduce or remove ethanol from Maine gas
AUGUSTA — A pair of bills introduced Thursday by state Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, could have a significant impact on what goes into the gas tank of your car, lawnmower or snowblower. One of Timberlake’s bills would cut the percentage of corn-derived ethanol in Maine gasoline from 10 percent to 5 percent. The other measure […]
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Two new downtown hotels approved for Portland
PORTLAND (AP) — Portland’s planning board has approved the construction of two new hotels in the city. The hotels approved Tuesday will add more than 230 rooms and two restaurants to the Old Port area over the next few years. A 131-room Courtyard by Marriott with 14 penthouse apartments was approved near the Portland Fish […]
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Poll: LePage unpopular, but would win 2nd term in 3-way contest
Public Policy Polling calls Gov. Paul LePage one of the most unpopular governors in the country. But a new survey from the North Carolina pollster shows LePage has a good shot at winning re-election next year in a three-way match-up. Just 39 percent of voters surveyed approve of LePage’s job performance and 55 percent disapprove, […]
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Augusta CVS robbed for 3rd time in past year
AUGUSTA (AP) — An Augusta pharmacy has been robbed for third time within the past year. Police say the CVS on Stone Street was robbed at about 4 p.m. Tuesday by a man who fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of prescription medications. The robber was described as a white man wearing faded jeans, […]
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Teen missing from Casco youth center found
CASCO (AP) — Authorities say a 16-year-old boy who left the Spurwink Home in Casco has been found and returned to the home for youth with emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office says Michael Pendexter, who left the Spurwink House in Casco on Tuesday afternoon, was located Wednesday morning. Authorities were […]
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Bangor medevac unit back stateside after Kuwait deployment
BANGOR — Members of the 126th Aviation Medevac unit, who left Maine a year ago for a deployment to Kuwait, stepped back onto U.S. soil on Friday, Maj. Michael Steinbuchel, spokesman for the Maine Army National Guard, said Tuesday. The 120 or so citizen soldiers of the Bangor-based unit, nicknamed the “Black Bears,” are at […]
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Maine lawmaker proposes arming teachers
AUGUSTA (AP) — A Maine state lawmaker has proposed a bill that would allow teachers and other school employees to carry concealed firearms at school, but the bill raised questions Wednesday among legislative leaders. Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, said he’s been thinking of similar legislation for about a year, but decided to advance his proposal […]