Tom Walsh
Washington County bureau
Tom Walsh, who won numerous state, regional and national awards as a reporter for the Ellsworth American weekly newspaper from 2004-08, is based in the BDN's bureau located at 25 Main St. in Machias. Walsh worked as a science reporter for the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette from 2001-04 and also taught journalism at the University of Iowa, where he earned his degree in journalism in 1972. He earned a master’s degree in communication studies from Dublin City University in Ireland in 2002.
Route 1 reopens near Calais after pole failure causes 12½-hour closure
CALAIS, Maine — Electricity was restored to four Down East towns and Route 1 reopened to traffic about eight miles southeast of Calais after a 12½-hour effort to replace four utility poles finished up early Tuesday night. A quarter-mile stretch of the busy highway in eastern Washington County had been ...
Cruise ship visits to Eastport in 2012 considered blind dates with promise
EASTPORT, Maine — Those who have been quietly but persistently matchmaking the cruise ship industry with the lesser-known charms of the Washington County seaside community of Eastport see downtown port activity in 2012 as something of a preview of coming attractions. Herbert Hoover was president the last time Eastport was ...
POLL QUESTION
Milbridge Planning Board to consider regulating strip shows
MILBRIDGE, Maine — Next week’s meeting of the Milbridge Planning Board is expected to include a discussion of the need to regulate public performances by strippers. Concerns were raised after The Pines restaurant and bar on Route 1A hosted a Dec. 7, 2012, strip show that included total nudity. The ...
Dairy cow, pulp exports help Port of Eastport generate $250,000 surplus in 2012
EASTPORT, Maine — Despite fewer metric tons of cargo being shipped in 2012 than during the previous year, the Port of Eastport had another profitable year of sending dairy cows and wood pulp to ports of call as far over the horizon as China. In 2011, the deepwater port at ...
More than 13,000 affected by power outage in Washington County
MACHIAS, Maine — More than 8,000 Bangor Hydro- Electric Co. customers in Washington County were without power at 4 p.m. Monday due to an outage first reported at 2:15 p.m. that originally affected 13,000 households and businesses. Communities affected at 4 p.m. included Eastport, Jonesport, Cutler, Harrington and East Machias. ...
Machias scraps plans to fine Main Street businesses for tardy sidewalk snow removal
MACHIAS, Maine — The on-again, off-again, on-again debate among Machias officials about fining owners and tenants of Main Street commercial buildings for not promptly clearing sidewalks of snow is off-again, apparently for good. A debate on the issue began last fall and has seemed to some as long-winded as last ...
Cherryfield-based after-school program expanding into Machias
MACHIAS, Maine — The Maine Seacoast Mission’s Cherryfield-based EdGE program, which offers after-school activities for students, is expanding to the Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School in Machias, beginning Feb. 25. Since 2002, EdGE has been providing students in Washington and Hancock counties with after-school and summer programs that include visual ...
Owners eager to develop long-abandoned Eastport sardine can factory
EASTPORT, Maine — One of the last remaining empty buildings located along downtown Eastport’s waterfront is a 28,800-square-foot, three-story brick structure that once housed a factory that 100 years ago made “ring key” cans for packing sardines. Those behind the ongoing revitalization of Eastport’s downtown commercial center through historic preservation ...
Milbridge town office, library building nearing completion
MILBRIDGE, Maine — Construction of the building that will soon house the town office and public library is nearing completion on School Street. The roof peak design of the new one-story building mimics the architectural roof peak detail of the circa-1900 building it has replaced. The new building is expected ...
‘Valenswine’ marks February holiday in Gouldsboro
GOULDSBORO, Maine — It’s just not a holiday in the Hancock County community of Gouldsboro until the ceramic pig that overlooks Rick and Beverly Henion’s doorway on West Bay Road is dressed for the event. The couple dresses their porcine ornament throughout the year to match the seasons. Before recently ...
AG’s office takes on Washington County jail fund investigation
MACHIAS, Maine — Termination. Resignation. Now, investigation. The investigative division of the office of the Maine attorney general has agreed to undertake an independent probe of the use and alleged abuse of an inmate benefit fund at the Washington County Jail. The jail’s longtime clerk, Karina Richardson, and administrator Robert ...
Maine cranberry industry enjoyed record harvest in 2012
MACHIAS, Maine — Down East Maine cranberry farmers had their best year ever in 2012 in terms of fall harvest yields. Harvest numbers recently crunched by University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s cranberry specialist Charles Armstrong show that the 37,729 barrels of berries harvested last fall — with one barrel being ...
Baileyville fire damages duplex, kills dog
BAILEYVILLE, Maine — Fire heavily damaged a duplex at 109 Main St. in Baileyville overnight. Baileyville Fire Chief John McPhee said that the fire originated in a second-story bathroom and heavily damaged the residence of Donna Dereszeuski, who was at home when the fire was reported at 10:15 p.m. Thursday. ...
Kerosene heater ignites rural Harrington house fire
HARRINGTON, Maine — A kerosene heater sparked a fire Wednesday night at a home in rural Harrington, heavily damaging the residence on Willey District Road owned by Seth and Tracey Hatt. Harrington Fire Chief David Baldwin said Thursday morning the fire was reported at 8:27 p.m. His department responded, as ...
Machias public library going “Bananas” in unveiling new children’s mural
MACHIAS, Maine — A whimsical mural showcasing a monkey named Bananas will be unveiled officially on Saturday, Feb. 2, in the children’s room of the Porter Memorial Library at 92 Court St. The work by Machias artist Becky Lee was inspired by Bananas, a monkey puppet owned by the public ...
Pembroke man charged in logging site fuel theft
PEMBROKE, Maine — A local man accused of stealing diesel fuel from logging vehicles has been charged with theft by unlawful taking following a weeklong investigation by state forest rangers. Daniel F. Trott, 30, of Pembroke will be arraigned in Calais District Court on March 5 after being charged on ...
Early morning collision kills Jonesport man
JONESPORT, Maine — An early morning two-vehicle collision on Main Street in Jonesport on Sunday killed one driver and hospitalized the other. Randy Thistlewood, 56, of Jonesport was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and his body was later extricated from the vehicle using the Jaws of Life. ...
Renovation, expansion of Washington County’s courthouse again under discussion
MACHIAS, Maine — An on-again, off-again proposal to renovate and expand the Washington County Courthouse is on again. “The state of Maine first had this on their radar screen about 25 years ago,” County Manager Betsy Fitzgerald said last week. “There have been meetings over the years and several committees ...
Down East salmon hatchery expansion under way in East Machias
EAST MACHIAS, Maine — The Downeast Salmon Federation took delivery this week on 53,000 North Atlantic salmon eggs that will be among 125,000 to be incubated and reared to “parr” stage over the next nine months for release into the East Machias River watershed in Washington County. The eggs are ...
Machias drug forum focuses on Down East drug abuse trends, concerns
MACHIAS, Maine — Those who weren’t there spoke volumes Friday night at a community forum in Machias on illicit drug use and overdose deaths. Four rows of largely empty wooden chairs greeted Tim Shaw, a substance abuse prevention specialist with the Bangor Region Overdose Prevention Project. A former addict, Shaw ...
Police find remains believed to be Nichole Cable, 15, in Old Town woods
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UMaine narrows candidate list, hopes to name men’s hockey coach next week
Eastport teen notches first ‘Bandolero’ racing victory
Houlton makes plans for new hockey boards at Millar Civic Center
Former Dexter, Nokomis coach Pratt takes Mount View football post
UMaine’s Fransoso overcomes injuries, turns passion for baseball into stellar career
Basketball season never ends for Worcesters of Washburn, a family of 1,000-point scorers
Fun, informative or just plain strange: 8 museums in Maine worth a road trip
Keyboardist Ray Manzarek of The Doors dies at age 74
Microsoft unveils new Xbox One game console