FREEPORT — An unlicensed Brunswick driver faces vehicle theft charges after a joy ride with four minors aboard led to a hit-and-run accident Sunday, according to Freeport Police officials. Alysha M. Spaulding, 18, of Brunswick, also was charged with driving to endanger, operating a vehicle without a license, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle […]

This project began out of desperation. When my three boys — ages 5, 9 and 11 — said it would be sad to see their Navy dad’s empty seat at the dinner table while he is away on a yearlong deployment, I set out to fill the void. I called it “Dinner with the Smileys.” […]

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman has given birth to a boy weighing 13 pounds and 13 ounces — without the aid of surgery. Asher Stewardson was born Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, measuring 23 1/2 inches long. Fifteen months ago, his brother, Judah, arrived weighing 12 pounds and an […]

WEST ORANGE, N. J. — Each year, more than 70,000 individuals seek medical attention for injuries related to snow shoveling, including about 11,000 who are seen in hospital emergency rooms. And while most people agree that snow shoveling can be a “ pain,” it doesn’t have to cause pain — or injury — to the […]

WASHINGTON Global warming is hitting not just home, but garden. The government’s colorful map of planting zones, most often seen on the back of seed packets, is changing, illustrating a hotter 21st century. An update of the official guide for 80 million gardeners reflects a new reality: The coldest day of the year isn’t as […]

New England flower shows begin in Feb. E ach year I rejoice at the coming of the flower shows — they bring a taste of spring. By the time they arrive I’m more than ready for blooming daffodils and tulips; I hunger for leafy trees and shrubs — even indoors. And I like their ambiance: […]

CHICAGO Officials are investigating the events surrounding a power failure at a nuclear reactor in northern Illinois, but believe they may have traced the cause to a piece of equipment at a switchyard. After the shutdown Monday morning at Exelon Nuclear’s Byron Generating Station, operators began releasing steam to cool the reactor from the part […]

TAMPA, Fla. Mitt Romney oozed confidence and a defiant Newt Gingrich seemed to acknowledge his momentum had been checked, at least for now, as Florida Republicans voted today to decide who gets the state’s 50 delegates, the biggest prize yet in the Republican presidential nomination contest. Romney is heavily favored in the winner-take-all primary, the […]

NEW YORK ( AP) — Authorities say a screener at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport spotted a suspiciouslooking item in a carry- on bag, tested it for explosives and determined it did not pose a threat. But the incident caused a security scare hours later. Workers on the next shift saw the item, couldn’t figure […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ian Abercrombie, a veteran British stage and screen actor whose TV roles included Elaine’s boss Mr. Pitt on “Seinfeld” and the voice of Chancellor Palpatine in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” has died. He was 77. A website statement from LucasArts said Abercrombie died Friday. A friend, Cathy Lind Hayes, told […]