Rainy weekend could help with drought

PORTLAND (…..AP) — Mainers are going to get the first big dose of rain in a long time.

The National Weather Service says a tropical disturbance and a low pressure system will combine to create moderate to heavy rain across the entire state.

Meteorologist Tom Hawley says the heaviest rain will run from Friday night into Saturday morning. He says the entire state should see 1 to 2.5 inches of rain before it ends early Sunday.

The rain is needed. The federal government says more than 1.2 million residents – nearly all of Maine’s population – are currently dealing with moderate to extreme drought conditions.

Oxford PD dealing with more calls from casino

OXFORD (AP) — The Oxford Police Department is experiencing a nearly 80 percent increase in calls from the Oxford Casino so far this year.

Police Chief Jon Tibbetts tells the Sun Journal that the department has answered 198 calls between January and October. Police were called for intoxication, drugs and trespassing, along with child abuse and removal of unwanted people.

Phil Everett from the Oxford Casino said in a statement that there’s a strict protocol for dealing with intoxicated patrons. Town Manager Derik Goodine said he wants casino security to deal with more problems to reduce the number of police calls.

More than 4,500 TV ads for 4 state referendums

PORTLAND (AP) — Supporters and opponents of referendum questions on the November ballot in Maine have spent more than $2 million so far on television ads.

Data released Thursday by the Center for Public Integrity show indicates more than 4,000 ads have aired on four proposals.