PORTLAND

Woman charged after police seize 998 oxycodone pills

A Portland woman has been arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking in oxycodone.

Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agents and Portland police arrested 23-year-old Brianna Roberts on Friday night, according to a news release issued Monday by Kevin Cashman, supervisor for the MDEA.

Cashman said authorities began an investigation after receiving complaints of suspected drug activity at 36 Pine St. During a search, police say, they found and seized 998 oxycodone pills that Roberts had stashed in baggies and concealed on her body.

Agents also seized 19 grams of suspected cocaine, with an estimated street value of $1,900.

Roberts was being held Monday evening in the Cumberland County Jail on $20,000 property bail or $5,000 cash bail.

KITTERY

N.H. inmate faces charge of robbing store in Kittery

An inmate at a New Hampshire prison will be extradited to Maine soon in connection with a robbery in November at the Osh-Kosh outlet store on Route 1.

Kittery Police Chief Paul Callaghan said an arrest warrant issued Monday charges Bernie Subocz, 43, of Manchester, N.H., with the robbery Nov. 15.

Subocz allegedly entered the outlet store wearing a black ski mask and told the store clerk he had a knife. He then ordered the clerk to open all the cash registers before fleeing with an undetermined amount of cash.

Callaghan said his department’s investigation led to Subocz, who is incarcerated in New Hampshire on unrelated charges.

The arrest warrant charges Subocz with robbery, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Bail has been set at $25,000 cash.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.

Memorial Bridge closed to all as demolition nears

The nearly 90-year-old bridge connecting Portsmouth, N.H., and Kittery, Maine, has closed to pedestrian traffic, the final step before demolition begins.

The bridge was closed to motor vehicle traffic in July, but pedestrian and bicycle traffic continued through Sunday.

With the bridge’s closing, hourly shuttle service began Monday to give pedestrians and cyclists a way to get back and forth between the communities.

Memorial Bridge carried traffic along Route 1 over the Piscataqua River.

Demolition of the existing bridge begins later this month. The bridge was closed because of safety problems, and officials hope the replacement will open by July 2013.

New Hampshire and Maine, which jointly own the Memorial Bridge, will share the cost of the replacement project.

BANGOR

Airlines seek to serve Presque Isle, Bar Harbor

Four airlines have submitted proposals to maintain service to airports in Presque Isle and Bar Harbor.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, announced Sunday that three airlines have submitted bids with the U.S. Transportation Department to operate service to and from Northern Maine Regional Airport in Presque Isle and the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.

They are Air Choice One, Peninsula Airways and Sovereign Air.

One airline – Cape Air – has submitted a bid to operate service to and from Bar Harbor only.

Collins, R-Maine, said it is important to maintain safe and reliable service to both locations for the economic well-being of the communities.

Colgan Air announced last year that it would seek to end service to and from both airports.

LEWISTON

Boy, 14, charged in theft of 11-year-old girl’s purse

Police say they have arrested a 14-year-old boy they accuse of stealing an 11-year-old girl’s purse.

Sgt. Brian O’Malley said the boy robbed the girl shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday on Walnut Street.

Police told the Sun Journal the boy took the girl’s purse, which contained a small amount of cash.

The boy was found a short time later in the downtown Lewiston area.

He was charged with robbery and taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland.

No names were released.

FREEPORT

Events will call attention to municipal wind energy

The Greater Portland Council of Governments and the Windependence group that supports wind energy are holding events this week to promote the idea of municipally owned wind power.

The council’s Jennifer Puser said the technology and ownership model represent a “perfect match for municipalities.” She said she looks forward to seeing projects get off the ground.

Experts from as far away as California and British Columbia will be participating in events Wednesday and Thursday in Freeport and Augusta.

Freeport’s event on Wednesday will be aimed at wind turbine installers, engineers, architects and others.

Separate events Wednesday and Thursday in Augusta are being held in conjunction with the Maine Agricultural Trade Show. They’re aimed at farmers and others who are interested in community wind projects.

FREEMAN TOWNSHIP

Wilton woman killed when her car hits a pole

A Wilton woman was killed in a car crash Sunday night in Freeman Township, police said.

The woman, Rebecca Maiuri, 20, was driving alone and died at the scene of the crash, according to a statement by Franklin County Sheriff’s Cpl. Kenneth Charles.

Maiuri was driving south on Route 145 when she crashed a 2000 Buick sedan into a utility pole beside the road around 10:30 p.m., the news release said.

Charles said excessive speed is the likely cause of the crash. Maiuri lost control of the car, which veered across the center line and off the road, the news release said.

AUGUSTA

Heating oil price climbs 11 cents from previous week

The average price for home heating oil in Maine has jumped 11 cents in a week, after holding steady or dropping over the last month.

A weekly survey shows an average price of $3.68 per gallon.

Ken Fletcher, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security, said Monday that it’s unclear exactly why prices appear to be following recent escalations in crude oil prices and have jumped across the nation.

Around the state, prices ranged from a low of $3.45 in southwestern Maine to a high of $4.05 in the central part of the state.