SCARBOROUGH

Amateur dog show raises over $5,000 for Guiding Eyes

Woofminster, the fifth annual Planet Dog Foundation Amateur Dog Show, raised more than $5,000 to support the Maine puppy-raising team for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

The event, held recently at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough, drew 250 dog enthusiasts, with more than 100 dogs watching or competing.   “It was wonderful to see the dog community come together for a fun event to help raise money to support the Maine puppy-raisers of Guiding Eyes for the Blind,” said Planet Dog Foundation Executive Director Kristen Smith.

The Cover Dog Challenge was won by Laura O’Hanlon’s 9-year-old tricolored English Setter, Jake, who will have a professional photo shoot and the chance to be on the cover of the next Planet Dog catalogue.

The foundation has given away more than $750,000 in support of various organizations nationwide that offer training, placement and support of dogs helping people. In addition to the proceeds of various fundraising events, the foundation receives 2 percent of every Planet Dog purchase.

HARPSWELL

New affordable housing subdivision sets open house

The public is invited to an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hamilton Place, Harpswell’s new affordable housing subdivision on 22 Benaquist Way.

John Hodge, executive director of The Greater Brunswick Housing Corp., said his agency is offering 15 new, energy-efficient homes for first-time home buyers.

The homes are targeted toward working families. Prices will be based on a family’s household income, and will range from $150,000 to $199,000.

Hamilton Place is located on 22 acres, with 11 acres reserved as permanent open space. The subdivision is off Shore Acres Road.

AUGUSTA

AG rules Indian nation’s new bingo machine illegal

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills said a new type of electronic bingo machine the Penobscot Indian Nation wants to use is illegal.

In an opinion issued last month, Mills said the machines violate state law because they determine the outcome of the game.

But Penobscot Tribal Rep. Wayne Mitchell said he believes Mills’ opinion is based on federal law, rather than Maine statutes.

For two years the Penobscot have tried to develop new electronic games that could be added to the tribe’s high-stakes bingo parlor on Indian Island. The system being developed works much like a slot machine, but Mills’ said the machine determines the winner.

The Bangor Daily News reported that the tribe has a number of machines that are unused because the state hasn’t issued a license.

BANGOR

Woman who miscarried awarded $200,000 in suit

A jury has awarded a Millinocket woman $200,000 in damages for suffering a miscarriage after being discharged against her wishes from Eastern Maine Medical Center.

The jury returned its decision Wednesday following a three-day civil trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

Lorraine Morin said the Bangor hospital violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act by sending her home on July 1, 2007, after determining her 16-week-old fetus didn’t have a heartbeat. Morin was having contractions and begged hospital officials to let her stay. She delivered her dead son later that day at home.

The Bangor Daily New reported that the hospital’s attorney told jurors that doctors did what they could for Morin and told her to return to the hospital if her condition worsened.

HERMON

Student kicked out of school over rap lyrics wants back in

A high school senior said his First Amendment right to free speech was violated when he was kicked out of school because of rap lyrics he wrote about the school.

Trevor Moore, 17, was expelled this week because he wrote a song titled “Hermon High School” and posted it on a social networking site. The expletive-filled rant, sung to the tune of an Eminem song, refers to school officials by name and contains lyrics that some see as threatening.

Moore told the Bangor Daily News that he meant no harm and wants to return to school so he can graduate.

While not discussing the specifics of Moore’s case, Principal Brian Walsh said his top priority is ensuring the safety of the school.

PORTLAND

Republicans making strong showing in ballot returns

Republicans are making a solid showing in absentee balloting in Maine, potentially giving a lift to the GOP’s Paul LePage in the governor’s race.

So far, Republicans are neck-and-neck with Democrats in ballots that have been returned, even though Democrats outnumber Republicans in Maine. As of Monday, Republicans had returned 11,381 absentee ballots while Democrats had returned 11,252 ballots. Two years ago, Democrats had a large advantage in absentee voting.

University of Maine political science professor Mark Brewer said the absentee ballot numbers give Maine’s GOP a reason to be happy and “Democrats to be a bit nervous.”

 

Otto Pizza owners planning restaurant on Munjoy Hill

The owners of Otto Pizza on Congress Street in Portland will be opening a new 100-seat pizza restaurant in the former North Star Music Cafe location on Munjoy Hill, said Silas Pollitt, an employee of the pizzeria.

Pollitt said the new restaurant has not yet been named and no opening date has been selected.

PORTSMOUTH

Man indicted in attempt to swindle funds for transplant

A New Hampshire man has been indicted on a charge of attempting to swindle an elderly Kittery widow out of $35,000 by telling her he needed a liver transplant.

Foster’s Daily Democrat reported Thursday that a Rockingham Grand jury handed up an attempted theft by deception charge on 24-year-old Nathan Hughes. Police said he lived in a fraternity house in Durham while attending classes at the University of New Hampshire.

Police said Hughes befriended the woman after waiting on her several times at a Portsmouth restaurant and told her he needed the money for an emergency transplant to save his life. Police said he told the woman the transplant would happen in the Virgin Islands. They were made aware of the situation by a financial institution.

FAIRFIELD

Police identify crash victims as residents of Sidney

Maine police on Thursday identified a man and wife, both 90, who died in a car accident in Fairfield.

The couple, Henry Bacon and his wife, Priscilla, of Sidney, were killed around 5:20 p.m. Wednesday when their car was struck as they tried to make a left turn from Route 139 into a gas station. The other car was driven by 27-year-old Anthony Silvestri of Madison.

WCSH-TV said the Bacons died at the scene and Silvestri was not injured.

The accident remains under investigation.