Maine to receive $45M for road improvement projects
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine is set to receive about $45 million to improve roads around the state, including in its capital city. The money is part of the fiscal year’s transportation bill. Almost $5 million of the funding will be used to improve a section of an Augusta street that has been the subject of more than two dozen collisions over the past decade. Other road projects are slated for Berwick, Camden, Houlton, Newport and elsewhere. There are 12 projects in total.
Conservation groups protect 21,000 western Maine acres
GRAFTON TOWNSHIP, Maine (AP) — Conservation organizations in Maine say they have preserved more than 20,000 acres in the western part of the state. The Forest Society of Maine says it now holds a conservation easement on 15,000 acres of forests, and Northeast Wilderness Trust now owns 6,000 acres of watershed and high elevation habitat. The society said on Tuesday the forestlands are in the area of Grafton Township, Maine. The Forest Society of Maine says the newly conserved lands border the Appalachian Trail and include trails that access it.
LL Bean sales grow 14% during second year of pandemic
FREEPORT, Maine (AP) — Growing interest in the outdoors during the pandemic continues to give a boost to L.L. Bean. The outdoors retailer reported double-digit revenue growth Friday, allowing the board to provide a healthy bonus for workers. CEO Steve Smith says the company had a “fabulous” year with 14% growth in sales in the company’s 2021 fiscal year, the biggest growth since 1993. The family-owned company’s board shared the wealth with workers who received a 20% bonus — 12% in cash and 8% in 401k contributions. All 5,500 full- and part-time employees were eligible for the bonus.
MAINE HUNTING
Latest attempt to allow Sunday hunting in Maine shot down
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — An attempt to open up Sunday hunting in Maine has been shot down in committee. Hunting big game animals such as bears and moose is a popular activity in Maine, but the state is home to a law that bars hunting on Sunday. The Maine Legislature’s Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife voted against a proposal to end the ban on Monday. The full Maine Legislature can still vote on the proposal, but it’s unlikely to pass without the support of the committee.
COUNTY OFFICIAL ARRESTED
Embattled Maine county treasurer misses reelection deadline
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine county treasurer did not meet the deadline to file for reelection after he refused to leave office when he was arrested last year for the alleged stalking and harassment of a woman. The Bangor Daily News reports Wednesday that 39-year-old John Hiatt of Penobscot County was arrested last year on charges of possession of child pornography, aggravated invasion of computer privacy, stalking and two counts of harassment. Hiatt has not been arraigned on the charges and is currently free on bail. Hiatt’s attorney and county commissioners declined the newspaper’s requests to comment.
MAINE STATE HOUSE
Maine State House closed for the rest of the week
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine State House will be shut down for the remainder of the week, forcing the cancelation of Thursday’s legislative session. The building was evacuated Monday when some pipes burst, flooding the first floor and the tunnel to the Cross Office Building. Workers have been repairing the damage and using massive fans and ventilation ducts to dry out the space. The building is expected to reopen next week.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILL
Maine housing bill passes through committee with amendments
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A Maine legislative committee has approved an amended version of an affordable housing bill that aims to allow denser housing developments to fix a growing lack of affordable homes in the state. The Portland Press Herald reports that the committee voted 8-3 on the bill Wednesday, but some lawmakers criticized it as no longer being extensive enough to fix the state’s housing crisis, while others believe it still overreaches local ordinances. If the bill is passed in the legislature with a simple majority, it will go into effect after the legislature closes out its session. It will also cost the state about $3.5 million a year to implement the new programs.
TROOPER COLLISION
Tractor-trailer driver charged after hitting trooper cruiser
KITTERY, Maine (AP) — A tractor-trailer hit a state trooper cruiser and another vehicle on the Maine Turnpike, resulting in charges for the driver. Police said the trooper had his emergency lights on and was in the breakdown lane behind a truck when the crash happened on Wednesday. WMTW-TV reports the tractor-trailer drifted into the lane and hit the cruiser, then veered into travel lanes and hit a Jeep. Police say the family inside the Jeep and the trooper only suffered minor injuries. They say the driver of the tractor-trailer faces charges of failure to move over for an emergency vehicle and distracted driving.