CUMBERLAND – The Cumberland Fire Department has taken the reins of the town’s reassurance program and looks to broaden it to serve as many residents as possible, its chief said last week. The revamp is also a means of creating a more consistent service for Cumberland’s program subscribers, according to Chief Daniel Small. The program […]

SOUTH PORTLAND — Police are looking for a 33-year-old man who is suspected of committing several commercial burglaries over the past month. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Albert Dadiego, a white male believed to be living in the greater Portland area. Dadiego is being sought for three counts of Class B burglary […]

PORTLAND — Sally and Dan Libby, owners of the Maids Home Cleaning Services, have partnered with a non-profit organization to provide complimentary home cleaning for women undergoing cancer treatments. Sally Libby said she heard about Cleaning for a Reason, a Texas-based non-profit organization, through other franchise owners at a regional meeting earlier this year. “We think […]

PORTLAND — The Cumberland County Commissioners last week unanimously approved a  $40.5 million budget for 2010. The approved budget is not expected to increase the tax rate for municipalities in Cumberland County. The budget maintains a mil rate of 52 cents per $1,000 of valuation. County Manager Peter Crichton said the budget accounts for more […]

PORTLAND — Assistant Police Chief Joe Loughlin had no intention of becoming a police officer when he graduated from St. Joseph’s College in 1975 with a degree in natural science. “I wanted to be a park ranger or naturalist,” Loughlin said, but there was a lack of jobs at the time, and through a federal […]

PORTLAND — The city has used a $1.3 million federal grant to open up a new health care facility in the Parkside neighborhood. The Portland Community Health Center, 180 Parkside Ave., is a full service primary care medical facility serving patients of all ages. The center accepts all private insurance, in addition to MaineCare and […]

PORTLAND — Reward money intended to help catch a killer is now being used to help Africans enter the law enforcement profession. Southern Maine Community College announced last week that a portion of the $20,000 reward being offered to help solve the murder of James Angelo will be used to start a scholarship in his […]

For the last several years, it’s been a tradition at The Forecaster to review the last 365 days with a lengthy satire of local news. This year we’re trading parody for snark. We’ve also scrubbed assigning anthems to the faux news stories. Why? Because we’re in a recession. Snark is cheaper and we don’t feel […]

Willy Bryan, 72, wasn’t bashful when Santa patted him on the head for being a good boy this year during a breakfast visit Sunday, Dec. 20, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bath.

Lobsterman Greg Griffin of Cape Elizabeth fashioned this unusual Christmas Tree at his business on Highland Avenue in Scarborough. The traps are decorated with lobster pot markers. Merry Christmas to all