FALMOUTH

Police hunting for burglary suspect who knocks first

Police in four suburban towns are investigating a string of home burglaries they say are being committed by a suspect, who knocks on a homeowner’s door first.

Police Lt. John Kilbride said a team of detectives from Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth and Freeport are investigating nine burglaries that have occurred in the past month. Thousands of dollars in merchandise, from jewelry to cameras, have been stolen, Kilbride said.

“He is not using force to enter a home,” Kilbride said.

Typically, the suspect will approach a home, knock on the door, and if a homeowner answers, the suspect will ask for directions.

“The person can be very friendly,” Kilbride added.

But if no one answers the knock, the burglar enters the home through an unlocked door and fills a gym bag with merchandise.

“Our advice to homeowners is lock your doors, alarm your homes and call us (if anyone suspicious knocks at your door),” Kilbride said.

AUGUSTA

Panel scales back bill aimed at tax zapper fraud programs

Without taking a final vote, a legislative panel has scaled back a bill aimed at so-called tax zapper computer programs that help tax cheats.

The Taxation Committee on Tuesday removed a section that would make the bill take effect immediately after passage. It also removed references to estimated losses tax zappers are costing the state government.

Bowdoinham Democratic Rep. Seth Berry’s bill would ban software programs that falsify electronic sales records so businesses can underreport the totals and lower their sales tax bills.

The tax-evading programs, which can be installed through flash drives, have been detected in other states and countries. Georgia has passed a law barring them, and the National Conference of State Legislatures says six states besides Maine are considering them.

WINDHAM

Man armed with handgun robs Route 302 credit union

Police say a credit union on Route 302 was robbed at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon.

A man armed with a handgun entered the Evergreen Federal Credit Union at 785 Roosevelt Trail around 3:30 p.m. No shots were fired, and no injuries were reported during the robbery.

The suspect reportedly fled in a white Chevrolet Lumina, according to the Cumberland County dispatch center.

ROCKLAND

Police charge tenant with arson in Dec. 1 apartment fire

A tenant of an apartment has been charged with arson in a fire that temporarily displaced other tenants of the building.

Rockland police say they arrested Christie Look, 35, on Tuesday on two counts of arson.

The fire Dec. 1 caused significant damage to Look’s apartment, where the fire started, and moderate damage to the three other apartments.

WATERVILLE

Death of baby at homeless shelter deemed not criminal

Investigators have determined that there was nothing criminal involved in the death a 12-week-old baby boy at a Waterville homeless shelter last year.

The state medical examiner described Trenton Oakes’ death as unexpected death in infancy.

Police say as a result of the report, they are closing their investigation because there was no criminal activity involved.

A spokesman for the medical examiner tells the Morning Sentinel that when the manner of death is undetermined, that generally means the cause was natural as opposed to mechanical, such as from rolling over.

Police responded to the shelter last May for reports of a baby who had stopped breathing.
The baby’s parents were informed of the report on Monday.

OXFORD

Casino criticized for seeking workers from out of state

A casino scheduled to open later this year in western Maine is coming under fire for going out of state in its search for workers.

The Oxford Casino posted 22 openings on casinocareers.com, including security officers, dealers, a human resources clerk and management positions.

Dennis Bailey of CasinosNO says it’s evidence of what anti-casino activists have been saying since before the 2010 referendum that approved the Oxford Casino – that jobs will largely go to people from out of state.

Casino management counters that it is only looking outside of Maine for people who already have extensive casino experience and still plans to train Maine residents to staff the facility. They tell the Sun Journal it’s also an opportunity for Maine natives to return home.

MACHIAS

Substitute teacher pleads no contest in student sex case

A former substitute teacher in eastern Maine faces sentencing after pleading no contest to two counts of gross sexual assault involving an eighth-grade student.

Dianne Leach, 47, of Steuben entered her plea Monday in a Machias courtroom. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

When she was arrested last May, Leach was a substitute teacher at the Ella Lewis School in Steuben, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Police said Leach had sex with the student in December 2010 and March 2011.

School officials told the Bangor Daily News that an investigation was launched after a teacher confiscated a cellphone from the victim and saw a text message from Leach that raised concerns.

DIXFIELD

Heating oil firm owner gets donations to help customers

The owner of a home heating oil delivery company says he has received at least $100,000 in donations since his company was mentioned in a New York Times article about people struggling to keep their homes warm.

Ike Libby of Hometown Energy in Dixfield says he’s spent almost all his time since Saturday’s article opening envelopes with gifts of as much as $5,000 and answering his phones from people across the country pledging to help out.

In the article, he said he’d delivered oil to homes of people he knew could not pay him.
Libby says he will use the donations to set up a trust fund to help people pay for oil.
The federal government made steep cuts this winter to its low-income heating assistance program.