PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Residents of hurricane-ravaged communities in Florida’s Panhandle turned to volunteers and each other for help Monday, the fifth day without cell service, electricity or, in many cases, shelter. Trevor Lewis, a member of a six-person search-and-rescue unit, said he watched storm victims “cry out in joy” when his team let them […]

Before there was Amazon — or, for that matter, Home Depot or Walmart or Kmart — there was Sears. From its beginnings as a mail-order watch business in Minneapolis 132 years ago, the company grew to become America’s everything-under-one-roof store and the biggest retailer in the world. For generations of Americans, the brick-like Sears, Roebuck […]

A Portland man who helped run what authorities are calling Maine’s largest illegal gambling operation will not go to prison. William Flynn, 77, pleaded guilty in June in U.S. District Court in Portland. The crime – one federal charge of unlawful gambling – could have resulted in a prison sentence of up to five years. He was […]

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife the Duchess of Sussex are expecting a child in the spring, Kensington Palace said Monday. The announcement came as Harry and the former Meghan Markle arrived in Sydney at the start of a 16-day visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. Hundreds of people gathered to […]

AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is warning the public of a phone scam in which a prerecorded message indicates that the caller is from DHHS and solicits personal information, specifically Social Security numbers and birth dates. These calls have been occurring in the southern Maine region. Should any member of […]

ALFRED — Her stare is intense, and so it is no wonder that Ruby and other red tailed hawks can see up to about a mile away. “Their eyesight is impeccable, “ said Katie Brodeur, a resident environmental educator with the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick. Ruby, who came to the wildlife rehabilitation center […]

MECHANIC FALLS — A large, old mill building on Lewiston Street was destroyed Sunday by a huge fire that sent up a cloud of thick, black smoke that could be seen for miles. The building served several businesses, including as a warehouse for Maine Cycle, and was filled with motorcycles and parts. Corcoran Environmental Services, […]

Got a traffic ticket or need to deal with some other aspect of a motor vehicle violation? Soon, depending on the matter involved, people may be able to resolve these online. On Oct. 29, the Maine Judicial Branch will roll out the first phase of the court system’s new case management and e-filing system, called […]

NEW YORK (AP) — The country’s hottest book isn’t a hit because of Oprah Winfrey or Donald Trump. It’s all because of a laughing Scottish grandmother. Thanks to a viral video of Janice Clark reading Craig Smith’s “The Wonky Donkey” to her baby grandson, and her breathless amusement over lines such as “He was a honky-tonky winky […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is heading toward a postelection showdown over President Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, as GOP leaders signal they’re willing to engage in hardball tactics that could spark a partial government shutdown and the president revs up midterm crowds for the wall, a centerpiece of his 2016 campaign and a […]