WASHINGTON In recasting his defense strategy, President Barack Obama is looking beyond the wars he inherited to focus on Asian security risks — mainly China and North Korea — that took a back seat to Iraq and Afghanistan. This marks a turning point not only for the U.S. military but also for Obama, entering the […]

ROCKLAND (AP) — Police say a Rockland man lied and forged documents in an attempt to get welfare benefits they say he needed to pay a delinquent $1,000 electric bill. Police said Thursday that 26- year- old Jeremy Wadsworth went to the general assistance office at Rockland City Hall in an attempt to get money, […]

PORTLAND (AP) — A Portland man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for a series of robberies, including one in which he and his girlfriend drove to the robbery site with their 4-year-old son in the car. John Libby III pleaded guilty Thursday in Cumberland County Superior Court to five counts of robbery […]

BETHEL (AP) — Police say a registered sex offender living in Bethel has been charged with sexually abusing a teenager. Rumford Detective Sgt. James Bernard says 27-yearold Christopher Lee Sheldon was charged Thursday with two felony counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Sheldon was held overnight and is expected to be arraigned today.

WATERVILLE (AP) — The father whose 20- month- old daughter went missing before Christmas in Waterville has some words for TV talk show host Nancy Grace. Justin DiPietro says he feels like Grace from HLN has kept attention focused on Ayla Reynolds, his missing daughter. But he says her speculation has often focused on him. […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Central Maine Power Co. says it has reached a milestone in its project to build a 440- mile transmission line through the southern half of Maine. CMP workers this week set the project’s 1,000th utility pole along a corridor in the town of Leeds. In all, the entire project will require about […]

MIAMI ( AP) — A Mainebased Coast Guard cutter has returned 125 Haitians to their island country. A Coast Guard air crew spotted the overloaded sail freighter this week and directed the Reliance to intercept the vessel. The Coast Guard crew distributed lifejackets to the Haitians, took them aboard and provided them with food, water, […]

WATERVILLE ( AP) — A key witness in the trial of a man convicted of burning down a Vassalboro coffee shop that employed topless servers has attempted suicide while in jail. Police say 26- year- old Thomas Mulkern of Gardiner was arrested Tuesday and charged with stealing money from a home. He was arrested wearing […]

GOULDSBORO (AP) — A search pilot looking for an eastern Maine man who went missing more than a month ago has found a body on the shore of an island. Officials say they are waiting to hear back from the medical examiner’s office on the identity of a man’s body that was found Wednesday on […]

PORTLAND (AP) — A total of 19 people from seven states have become sick from salmonella linked to ground beef sold by Hannaford. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday most of the victims indicated they bought the beef between Oct. 12 and Dec. 10. The Scarborough- based Hannaford supermarket chain announced on […]