winter
Doctor: Use common sense in shoveling; regular exercise helps
LEWISTON — Natalie McCarthy is giving up her shovel. The 84-year-old retired insurance worker likes to keep her walks and pathways clear of snow, and she recently did some shoveling. But later that night, her hands went numb. “It frightened me,” she said. She went to Central Maine Medical Center. “They rushed me in, did […]
Plow guys shoulder fatigue and get the job done
AUBURN — With 92 inches of snow as of Wednesday, plow crews are putting in long hours — and racking up a lot of overtime. “It’s been crazy; very, very busy,” said Jim Richardson, one of 46 Auburn Public Services employees who plow. “There’s a lot of snow. We’re running out of room for it on […]
Hey, hey, hey it’s fat biking Maine-style
LEWISTON – Fat is where it’s at – and no, we are not talking about your body mass index. The boom in so-called “fat biking” has hit Maine, and riders and bike shop owners are saying if you go fat you are unlikely to go back. “Once you try it, you can’t wipe the smile […]
White-out conditions mean retail blues around New England
BOSTON (AP) — New England is waist-deep in the white stuff and neck-deep in the red. Historic snowfalls are costing state and local governments millions in plowing and other inclement weather expenses. They’re also exacting a heavy toll on the regional economy. And that’s before yet another storm that could add a foot or more […]
Wood pellet industry strained by cold temps, ordering issues
A frigid winter, increased demand for wood pellets and customers who underestimated how much they would need contributed to a strain on manufacturers and suppliers, according to officials at the Maine Pellet Fuels Association. Mills across the state are working nonstop to produce pellets and get them to distributors, but some stores are running out […]
Some local towns continue to struggle with cost of snow removal
LEWISTON — Five more inches of snow fell in Turner and Bethel on Sunday night and into Monday morning. Lewiston fared slightly better — just 4.5 inches — while Eustis in Franklin County gained 7.3 inches by midday. According to the National Weather Service, Maine has a snowpack of between 20 and 30 inches to […]
Portland reports 3 people died while removing snow
PORTLAND — Public safety officials in Portland say residents should take precautions during snow removal after three people died within the past 10 days. Portland spokeswoman Jessica Grondin says a postal worker found an unresponsive 83-year-old man leaning over the top of his snow blower. The two other residents who died were a 55-year-old man […]
Stuck truck slows traffic in Monmouth
MONMOUTH — Car crash? Fire? No — just the snow causing more problems for weary travelers. A section of Route 202 was closed on Wednesday after a truck driver got his rig stuck at around 3:15 p.m. while attempting to turn around. It took a heavy wrecker to get the tractor-trailer righted again. Police rerouted […]