AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday used his authority to veto a trio of Democratic-sponsored bills that passed during the Legislature’s first session last year. The bills were: — LD 205, a bill that exempted nonprofit performing arts organizations from sales taxes, sponsored by Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, DBrunswick. — LD 1264, an energy efficiency bill […]

TOPSHAM — Despite a rumor that a Trader Joe’s store is coming to the Topsham Fair Mall, it would be news to one of the mall owners, as well as the town’s economic and community development director. With brothers Kevin and Paul Kelly, John Larson owns the former Village Candle building where Renys is located on […]

FREEPORT — A chance encounter in 2009 landed Freeport Boat Outlet owner George “Do Do” Brockman in Pebble Beach, Calif., last August to dine with design executives from the Japanese car maker, Infiniti. The question before them: How might an 8-cylinder sport utility vehicle engine fit into a classic wooden boat? The project, Brockman said, is […]

BRUNSWICK — Dan Nicholson of Lisbon, the former command master chief of Brunswick Naval Air Station who lowered the flag at the base decommissioning ceremony in May, will receive the 2011 Joshua L. Chamberlain Award on Thursday evening at the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber’s annual dinner at Bowdoin College. Nicholson, 48, served in the highest enlisted […]

AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Charlie Summers announced Thursday that voters in state Senate District 20 will go to the polls Feb. 14 to elect a new senator to complete the term of Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, whose resignation took effect at the end of 2011. District 20 covers 22 towns, including Alna, Westport Island and […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Many retailers are reporting solid sales gains for December, capping a decent holiday season, but shoppers bent on discounts exacted a high price. Merchants had to mark down coats and other gifts to get shoppers to buy in a challenging economy. That resulted in a string of retailers, including Target Corp., […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell further last week, ending the year on a three-month run of declines that point to stronger hiring in 2012. Weekly applications dropped by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 last week, the Labor Department said. That’s 11 percent lower than the same time last […]

BANGOR (AP) — Police say a Bangor man has been charged after falsely accusing an undercover officer of stealing $500 from him. Officials say Bangor police Lt. Tim Reid approached two men who were acting suspiciously on a street corner at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday before being joined by a uniformed officer. The two men […]