STANDISH

Local woman dies at scene of single-vehicle accident

Police are investigating a car crash that killed a 47-year-old Standish woman Sunday morning.

Cherie Ann Haskell was killed around 7 a.m. when her 1991 Buick Century struck a tree and landed upside down in a culvert.

No other vehicle was involved in the accident, which occurred near 663 Saco Road, said Capt. Don Goulet of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

He said that Haskell, who was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene and that the cause of accident remains under investigation.

Fire officials investigate blaze that destroyed home

Investigators are looking into what caused a three-alarm fire that destroyed a home in Standish on Saturday.

Two firefighters injured by a collapsing chimney were treated at a hospital and released, said Standish Fire Chief Brent Libby.

A pregnant woman who was in the house when the fire began was taken to a hospital as a precaution and released, he said.

Libby said the fire began around 4:40 p.m. and is believed to have started on the rear porch, where someone was cooking on a grill.

It took firefighters more than four hours to bring the fire at 9 Angelwood Drive under control. Because the home was in a rural part of town, water had to be brought in by truck, Libby said. He said 10 communities dispatched tank trucks to bring water to the scene.

“It was a very difficult fire to bring under control,” Libby said. “The house was a total loss. They will have to rebuild.”

SHAPLEIGH

Springvale man injured when ATV tips over on pond

A 24-year-old Springvale man was seriously hurt Sunday when the ATV he was riding tipped over on Square Pond in Shapleigh, according to the Maine Warden Sevice.

Gregory Horr was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland and treated for head injuries. He was listed in critical condition Sunday night.

A crack had opened up in the ice during the day, and Horr’s ATV fell into the crack, causing the vehicle to flip over, Warden Seth Powers said. The accident occurred about 12:30 p.m.

AUGUSTA

Motorcycles must display inspection stickers in March

Motorcycles in Maine will soon have to display vehicle inspection stickers for all to see.

Come March, a new state law goes into effect requiring motorcycle owners to place their inspection stickers on the upper left corner of their license plates. Previously, inspection stickers didn’t have to be displayed.

The new rule will be phased in over the coming year.

To accommodate the change, all motorcycle registrations will be changed to a fixed March expiration. Starting in April, when a motorcycle is registered, the expiration date will be changed to the following March.

Registration fees will be prorated for the correct number of months.

PORTLAND

Man arrested in Windham after reported hit-and-run

A 27-year-old man was arrested in Windham on Saturday after an alleged hit-and-run ended an apparent altercation in the North Deering Gardens apartment complex on Auburn Street.

Police said Mohamed F. Abdulkarim was arrested after the crash in Portland sent a woman to the hospital with serious injuries.

Police said the incident occurred shortly after noon. They didn’t identify the woman, provide information on what led to the altercation or say whether the woman and Abdulkarim knew each other.

Abdulkarim was charged with elevated aggravated asssault, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and operating after suspension. Police said the investigation is continuing.

Two federal grants heading to agencies fighting hunger

Two Maine organizations are getting $325,000 in federal grants to help fight hunger.

The two grants in Maine are among 27 grants totaling $4.8 million awarded nationwide by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Cultivating Community, a nonprofit agency in Portland that promotes community development through agriculture training programs, will receive $300,000, while the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn is getting $25,000.

GARDINER

State agency offers guide for Mainers buying vehicles

In time for Presidents Day weekend car sales, a state agency is promoting its guide giving tips on how Maine consumers can evaluate financing options for buying a vehicle and protect their rights.

The “Downeaster Guide to Consumer Credit” is put out by the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection.

The bureau says the guide gives pointers on things such as how to get the best price for a trade-in, compare credit options and learn about a vehicle’s reliability before making a purchase.

The guide is available by calling the agency or by visiting www.credit.maine.gov and clicking on “consumer guides.”

— From staff and news services