FREEPORT — A Town Council workshop Monday night gave Brunswick police and communications officers a chance to show residents what a merger of dispatch services would look like for the two towns. A council meeting Tuesday night gave the nearly 50 residents in attendance an opportunity to voice their opinions. While they continue to gather information […]

YARMOUTH — Police arrested a 22-year-old Yarmouth man Wednesday in connection with an attempted robbery at Norway Savings Bank Tuesday afternoon. Police said Rodrick J. MacLean, 22, of Old County Road, is being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $200,000 cash bail.  The incident was the town’s first attempted bank robbery in nearly 40 […]

BRUNSWICK — Last summer, when The Forecaster began examining Oxford Aviation’s bid to expand at Brunswick Naval Air Station, Steve Levesque, the executive director of the agency redeveloping the base, warned a reporter that negative press could kill the deal. Perhaps Levesque is blessed with the gift of prescience. After all, it’s hard to imagine […]

Portland’s indoor winter farmers market opened for a 10-week run at 85 Free St. on Saturday, Feb. 20, with a crowd of shoppers looking for fresh produce, cheese and meats.

PORTLAND — The Deering High School junior class will sponsor an American Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, March 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the school gym. The drive is open to community members as well as staff and students. For more information, call 874-8260.

YARMOUTH — The Town Council voted 6-1 on Feb. 18 to support a merger of emergency dispatch services with Falmouth rather than the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center in Windham. No final decision had been made. A public hearing is set for March 1. About two years ago the Town Council voted to contract for dispatch […]

CUMBERLAND — Next year’s draft municipal budget shows a 0.34 percent increase, from $8.01 million in fiscal 2010 to $8.04 million in fiscal 2011. Taking into account a 1.24 percent drop in revenues, the next budget could add 8 cents to the current property tax rate of $14.55 per $1,000 of property valuation, not including the […]

AUGUSTA — Three Portland-area residents were nominated by Gov. John Baldacci this week to serve on the boards of trustees for the University of Maine and Maine Community College systems. Portland resident Victoria Murphy was nominated to the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. Murphy is co-owner of Portland-based Pan Atlantic Consultants and has […]

CUMBERLAND — Whether the town should borrow up to $4.5 million to improve Route 88 will be decided by voters on Tuesday, March 2. Monday’s Town Council meeting was packed with residents who heard representatives of Gorrill-Palmer Consulting Engineers describe the drainage and paved shoulder work planned to address water quality and safety issues on the […]

FREEPORT — When Kathleen Harlow lost her job at L.L. Bean after 13 years, she decided to go back to school and improve her life. As a single mother living in Pownal, she wanted to further her education, but found paying for books and classes while providing for her two daughters to be difficult. When Sue […]