Mario Moretto
Ellsworth Bureau
Police seek help finding Stonington man wanted on sex charges
STONINGTON, Maine — State police are asking the public to help find a local man wanted in connection with a sex crime against a teen girl. Jamie Cox, 36, of Stonington is wanted on three felony charges of unlawful sexual contact after he was indicted by a Hancock County grand ...
After more than a decade, Bucksport and Bangor Gas reach deal to bring natural gas to town
BUCKSPORT, Maine — After 13 years of on-again, off-again talks, Bucksport is finally getting natural gas. A resolve signed Thursday by the Bucksport Town Council approved a deal between the town and Bangor Gas Co. that will extend the utility from the Verso Paper mill to the school complex in ...
Blue Hill hospital ‘exceeds patient expectations’
BLUE HILL, Maine — Blue Hill Memorial Hospital received two awards this week from an international health care surveying and monitoring firm. Avatar Solutions — headquartered in Chicago and Orlando — gave the hospital its Exemplary Service Award, as well as an award for “exceeding patient expectations,” according to a ...
South Carolina woman pleads guilty after oxycodone bust in Ellsworth
ELLSWORTH, Maine — A South Carolina woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony drug trafficking charge. She was sentenced to three years in prison with all but 91 days suspended. Kelly Berkwitz-Gutierrez, 46, was arrested April 1 after selling more than $3,000 worth of oxycodone to a Maine Drug Enforcement ...
Ellsworth hospital files suit against federal government over Medicare status worth $4 million annually
ELLSWORTH, Maine — Maine Coast Memorial Hospital has asked a U.S. District Court judge to overturn a ruling that denied a Medicare designation that would have resulted in higher payments to the hospital under the federal program. The hospital applied in June 2010 to be designated a “Medicare Sole Community ...
Trenton woman sues Family Dollar, says bosses discriminated, used racial slurs, retaliated for whistleblowing
BANGOR, Maine — A former employee at Family Dollar in Ellsworth claims she suffered such traumatic verbal abuse from her boss that it induced a panic attack at work and she had to be brought to a hospital by ambulance. Evette Forrest, 39, of Trenton filed a lawsuit in U.S. ...
VIDEO, POLL QUESTION
Maine farmers speak out against local food sovereignty movement
ELLSWORTH, Maine — A growing number of farmers are coming out against the “local food sovereignty” movement as the issue leaves town halls and hits Augusta. Proponents of the movement, which aims to wrest authority over local food regulations from the state, have seen initial victories in several Maine towns. ...
With Kickstarter fundraising success, a community brewery for Sedgwick is born
SEDGWICK, Maine — Thanks to the patronage of more than 50 shareholders and donations from 155 backers, Sedgwick is set to become home to the state’s first community supported brewery. It’s been 13 years since Al and Mia Strong moved to Maine with the dream of opening a brewery. Al ...
Bangor businessman submits plan for third Dunkin Donuts in Ellsworth
ELLSWORTH, Maine — After two aborted efforts, Bangor businessman Lou Lima has revived a plan to build a Dunkin Donuts at a busy Ellsworth intersection, 10 years after originally floating the idea. The plan calls for a 4,000 square-foot development on the corner of Kingsland Crossing and Bar Harbor Road. ...
Firefighters from four towns battle house fire in Bucksport
BUCKSPORT, Maine — Fire crews from four towns converged Monday at a small home on River Road, which was reported on fire around 1 p.m. No one was injured during the fire, said Bucksport Fire Chief Craig Bowden. “Nobody was in the house and it doesn’t appear anybody is staying ...
Blue Hill hospital announces plans for expansion of village campus
BLUE HILL, Maine — The Blue Hill Memorial Hospital has approved a long-term plan that calls for an expansion and a new approach to providing health care. The hospital’s plans for the future have been a concern for some residents since it bought two adjacent residential properties last summer, provoking ...
Work begins on traffic circle in Blue Hill
BLUE HILL, Maine — Work has begun to build the first roundabout in Hancock County, and officials say everything is on schedule to be finished by August. The roundabout is being constructed at the four-way intersection of state routes 15, 172, 176 and 175 in Blue Hill. The intersection — ...
Ellsworth, Hancock and Lamoine ponder banding together after potential RSU withdrawal
ELLSWORTH, Maine — Each of the three towns attempting to leave Regional School Unit 24 has passed a huge milestone in the withdrawal process: They’ve each come to a tentative secession agreement with the RSU. Lamoine and Hancock last week joined Ellsworth in sending their withdrawal plans to the Department ...
Stonington’s water chief resigns after report shows big problems
STONINGTON, Maine — The town’s longtime water chief has resigned after a consultant’s report showed that in the past five years, the Stonington Water Company has lost more water than it has sold. Roger Stone, who submitted his resignation on April 5, had been the superintendent of the water company ...
Police investigating theft, arson after finding abandoned, burning SUV in Mariaville
MARIAVILLE, Maine — Local authorities are investigating an auto theft and arson after receiving a report of a sport utility vehicle engulfed in flames Sunday night. Hancock County Sheriff’s Office officials are releasing few details because an investigation is ongoing, but Lt. Tim Cote said a caller reported the burning ...
VIDEO
Rosen’s, a family dynasty in Bucksport, to close after more than 100 years
BUCKSPORT, Maine — After serving generations of shoppers for more than 100 years, an integral anchor of downtown Bucksport is closing its doors for good. Rosen’s Department Store on Main Street will be shuttered as soon as it sells off its inventory, said the shops owners, Richard and Kimberly Rosen, ...
Surry man indicted on manslaughter charge in fatal car crash
ELLSWORTH, Maine — A Surry man was indicted Thursday on multiple charges, including manslaughter, stemming from a 2011 accident that claimed the life of a Stonington man. Steven H. Moon, 21, was indicted by a grand jury with manslaughter, aggravated criminal operating under the influence, aggravated assault, reckless conduct and ...
POLL QUESTION
Would safety fences prevent suicide attempts from Maine’s bridges?
VERONA ISLAND, Maine — A young man’s decision to jump off Penobscot Narrows Bridge on Monday raises questions about whether the state has a responsibility to prevent bridge suicides. A 25-year-old Eddington man committed suicide by jumping off the bridge. Counting Monday’s incident, there have been at least three suicides ...
Hundreds of job seekers meet employers at Ellsworth job fair
ELLSWORTH, Maine — If the parking lot was any indication, with job hunters circling the pavement looking for an elusive vacancy, the Spring Job Fair in Ellsworth on Wednesday was a big success. “The lot looked a lot bigger when it was empty,” said Paul Ruggiero, a consultant with the ...
Two Florida suspects arrested in Ellsworth during oxycodone sting
ELLSWORTH, Maine — Maine Drug Enforcement agents arrested two Florida residents on charges stemming from a sting that netted more than 300 oxycodone tablets and a stack of cash. MDEA opened a criminal investigation into John Paul Haddad, 26, and Kelly Berkwitz-Gutierrez, 45, both of Hollywood, Fla., nearly six months ...
Dixfield teen riding atop car roof pinned under it after rollover
Police seeking tips about pickup truck possibly connected to Glenburn teen’s disappearance
Waldo-Hancock Bridge nearly gone after last suspension cables plunge into Penobscot River
A better way to help people escape welfare
A letter to Michelle Obama in light of military sex assault epidemic
Five steps to remedy IRS wrongs
Military sex assault
Manchester 15-year-old off to impressive start for Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports
UMaine field house renovations on schedule for Oct. 15 completion
UMaine baseball seniors Fransoso, Bazdanes set for final home games
Bangor’s Marcus Davis hopes to counter opponent’s height, reach advantage in Lewiston MMA main event
Farmers markets embracing food stamps with the help of USDA
Arguments over gun control and abortion will never be settled
A spot of tea, a spread of treats, at Camden’s Fromviandoux