SKOWHEGAN

Chief judge sets media limit for trial of 10-year-old girl

News media will not be allowed to use video cameras, take photographs or make audio recordings inside the courtroom during the manslaughter trial of a 10-year-old girl because of her age and the seriousness of the charge, Maine District Court Chief Judge Charles LaVerdiere ruled Monday.

The girl, Kelli Murphy, is charged with killing 3-month-old Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway of Clinton on July 7. The infant was sleeping at the older girl’s house in Fairfield and the older girl was left in charge of the baby. She is one of the youngest in Maine history to be charged with manslaughter.

The girl’s initial court appearance, which may be open to the public, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday.The names of juvenile criminal suspects are typically kept confidential.

PORTLAND

Council backs ‘yes’ vote on same-sex marriage

The Portland City Council on Monday night unanimously endorsed a “yes” vote on Question 1, which would allow the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

City Councilor Nick Mavodones introduced the resolution, according to Mainers United for Marriage, the lead group advancing the question on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Last week, the Bangor City Council also unanimously passed a resolution endorsing Question 1.

Two debates are set for this week on the gay marriage initiative. WABI-TV in Bangor will air a debate live from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, and at 7 p.m. Thursday, the University of Maine School of Law will host a debate in Luther Bonney Hall at the University of Southern Maine.

Possessing counterfeit cash worth four-year sentence

A Fairfield man is going to prison for more than four years for possessing counterfeit currency.

Anthony Almeida III, 29, was sentenced to four years and 3 months in prison Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland.

A jury convicted Almeida in June for being in possession of more than $4,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency when he and a co-defendant were stopped by police in July 2011.

ELLSWORTH

Stolen medical marijuana returned to caregiver

A licensed medical marijuana caregiver says he’s happy his stolen plants have been returned by police, though he says he’ll only be able to save 15 percent of the crop.

Thomas Davis told the Bangor Daily News that once the 17 plants were taken last week, there was very limited time before they were damaged by conditions outside the greenhouse.

Police say Aaron Pert, 32, of Trenton cut two openings in the greenhouse last Wednesday and took the plants, worth an estimated $12,800. They say he later told them where he’d put the plants.

But police didn’t give the plants back until Saturday, due to concerns about violating federal law, under which medical marijuana is illegal.

AUGUSTA

Left-leaning policy group critical of tax changes

A nonpartisan advocacy group says the tax cuts enacted by the Legislature during the past session shift taxes to middle-income earners and property taxpayers.

The Maine Center for Economic Policy on Tuesday addressed an issue that’s prominent in legislative elections, the tax cuts which drop 70,000 low-income Mainers from the tax rolls and lower income tax rates.

The left-leaning economic policy group says its analysis shows that 40 percent of Maine taxpayers will see an increase in their property taxes.

Majority Republicans who led the push for tax cuts say they can see no evidence that the cuts have pushed up property taxes.