LIMERICK — Richard “Rocky” D’Andrea was Theresa’s beloved husband. He died March 22 of cancer. Four days later, the Maine Legislature passed a bill that, with a few exceptions, eliminates lifetime and annual caps from health insurance plans. It is expected to be signed by Gov. John Baldacci soon and will go into effect Jan. […]

Theresa D’Andrea of Limerick cradles a photo of she and her late husband Richard “Rocky” D’Andrea, in happier days. The couple recently championed a legislative bill that removes insurance caps on policies for most Mainers beginning in 2011. Rocky D’Andrea died four days before the bill’s enactment by the Legislature. Passage of the bill would […]

U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, discusses health care reform at the Journal Tribune office in Biddeford, Tuesday. (JEFF LAGASSE/Journal Tribune)

BIDDEFORD — As President Barack Obama prepares to celebrate passing health care reform at a rally Thursday in Portland, Sen. Olympia Snowe is spreading a different message this week in her home state. “It’s disappointing the way in which it unfolded,” Snowe said Tuesday of the recent votes to approve health care legislation. “Process does […]

BIDDEFORD — A move to decrease the amount of time the public has to address the City Council regarding orders, amendments or resolves failed when the motion failed to garner a two-third vote of the council on March 16. Although the majority of the council voted to decrease the time limit from five minutes to […]

Plan for Maine train: Pain or plain? Much has been made of the $30 million coming to Maine to provide passenger rail service from Portland to Brunswick. Politicians and civic leaders are grabbing the microphone from each other to extol the benefits of slow rail, a third-world infrastructure. I could understand if the train were […]

Ryan McCaffrey, right, watches over son, Zachary, with girlfriend Lindsey Shannon, center, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark. this week. Shannon gave birth to Zachary more than three months before his due date while heading home to Maine after a road trip in January. Thanks to a new program […]

WELLS — For Donna O’Brien, Jan. 8 was a day for miracles. Her grandson, Zachary Shannon, was born that day. He was three months premature, weighing just 1 pound, 7 ounces. “He’s our little miracle,” she said. “It’s amazing how far he’s come.” Another blessing, she said, has been the Web cam set up in […]

Donna O’Brien watches her grandson, Zachary Shannon, via a live Web cam feed on her home computer in Wells Wednesday. O’Brien has been able to watch Shannon for the past few weeks thanks to a new program called ANGEL Eye at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark., where Shannon was […]

SACO — More than 2,000 people ran or walked a 5k loop from Thornton Academy to the Kerrymen Pub on Sunday during the 12th annual Mary’s Walk & Kerrymen Pub 5K. The fundraiser for cancer research was started in 1999 as a way to bring something positive out of one family’s grief. In the summer […]