The co-chair of a blue ribbon commission charged with reforming the state’s chronic highway funding shortfall pledged that the group will consider all options to reduce the state’s reliance on annual transportation bonds. The 15-member panel is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Augusta on Tuesday. Made up of lawmakers from both parties, private […]

WATERVILLE — Thomas College on Monday named its School of Education for Waterville natives and philanthropists Peter and Paula Lunder, whose gifts totaling more than $5 million helped establish the Center for Innovation in Education. The Peter and Paula Lunder School of Education offers a program that is the first of its kind in the […]

FARMINGTON — A veteran firefighter was killed Monday and seven other people – including six firefighters – were injured when a ferocious propane explosion leveled a recently constructed building after fire crews had arrived to investigate the smell of gas Monday, officials said. The blast was so powerful that it blew a vehicle across an […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will spend $20 million on a public awareness campaign about the dangers of vaping nicotine and cannabis products and step up efforts to halt the sale of illicit products amid a rise in vaping-related illnesses. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the actions Monday as part of an executive order. Many […]

Oil prices surged Monday after an attack on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil processing plant halted output of more than 5.7 million barrels of crude a day. But after an initial spike, crude oil prices moderated as traders analyzed the likely longer-term implications. By late morning in Asia on Monday, U.S. crude oil was up $4.89 […]

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Pete and Geri Riendeau’s 1967 Good Humor ice cream truck stood out among the hundreds of muscle cars, pick-up trucks and other classic vehicles at the 26th annual Old Orchard Beach Car show on Saturday. The gleaming white Ford F-250 truck, built exclusively for the Good Humor Company, not only delighted […]

BIDDEFORD  — The following individuals were arrested or issued a summons by Biddeford Police from Aug. 8 to Aug. 17, 2019: • Steven M. Bailey, 51, of Biddeford, was issued a summons for violating conditions of release. • Jesse R. Coffin, 30, of Saco, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence (drug or […]

Police throughout Maine are preparing for swift, widespread enforcement of a new law that takes effect this week and bans the use of handheld cellphones and other electronic devices while driving. Starting Thursday, police will begin writing tickets for anyone caught holding or otherwise manipulating a cellphone as they drive, or even while they wait […]

This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. AUGUSTA — After years of inaction, Maine’s government is finally tackling the rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine. The Gulf of Maine is the second fastest-warming part of the entire […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Ric Ocasek, The Cars frontman whose deadpan vocal delivery and lanky, sunglassed look defined a rock era with chart-topping hits like “Just What I Needed,” was discovered dead Sunday afternoon in his Manhattan apartment. The New York Police Department said that officers found the 75-year-old Ocasek at about 4 p.m. after […]