Stories by Jen Lynds

8 years ago

Police arrest man for ramming statue

HOULTON, Maine — A 56-year-old Hodgdon man was charged with aggravated criminal mischief early Oct. 1 after he allegedly rammed his truck into a statue at St. Mary of the Visitation Church in Houlton.

Brett Currie of Hodgdon was arrested shortly after the 3:24 a.m. incident at the Military Street church after Officer Matt Quint found him sitting in his pickup near the damaged statue, according to Houlton Police Department Interim Chief Daniel Pelletier.

8 years ago

Downtown nearly full despite closing

HOULTON, Maine — Economic development officials in the community said recently that despite the closing of a longtime clothing store in the community, the majority of other storefronts in the downtown remain occupied.

Jon McLaughlin, executive director of the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation, a grassroots organization that works to improve the economic base of the region, said that the closing of Town and Country Clothing and Footwear after 93 years was “sad news for the community.”

8 years ago

Eyes to the sky: weather spotters gather data

BRIDGEWATER, Maine — Even after 37 years as a volunteer observing all kinds of weather in his area and gathering data for the National Weather Service’s’ Caribou office, John Barker of Bridgewater still recalls the day about 15 years ago when the skies suddenly turned black and threatening around his community.

8 years ago

Eyes on the sky

 

NWS honors Bridgewater observer

BRIDGEWATER, Maine — Even after 37 years as a volunteer observing all kinds of weather in his area and gathering data for the National Weather Service’s’ Caribou office, John Barker of Bridgewater still recalls the day about 15 years ago when the skies suddenly turned black and threatening around his community.

8 years ago

Civil War vet receives final salute

Williams laid to rest in Hodgdon after nearly 100 years

HODGDON, Maine — During a solemn, dignified ceremony on Saturday, the remains of a Civil War veteran received one final salute before burial in a local cemetery after being lost for nearly a century.

8 years ago

Retired teacher keeps farming alive

LITTLETON, Maine — Nancy Wright of Littleton still recalls the day that as part of a lesson for her students about where food comes from in her classroom at the former Wellington School in Monticello, she cooked chicken tenders for her students using fresh chicken from the meat department.

When the lesson was over, one of the parents who had observed the process came up to her and asked where in the supermarket she could buy chicken.

8 years ago

Caribou man injured after truck spills load

     CONNOR, Maine — A Caribou man was injured in a midmorning tractor-trailer crash after police say the bulk truck he was operating Monday overturned and spilled its load of potatoes in Connor Township.

8 years ago

LePage puts brakes on MMA contract

Refurbishing Massachusetts public transit fleet costing more than anticipated

     LIMESTONE, Maine — A contract executed by the Maine Military Authority was halted by Gov. Paul LePage Friday after he announced that it had been underbid, a move that he said resulted in unexpected costs to taxpayers while also threatening jobs at the Aroostook County facility.

8 years ago

LePage puts brakes on bus contract

LePage puts brakes on bus contract

LIMESTONE, Maine — A contract executed by the Maine Military Authority was halted by Gov. Paul LePage Friday after he announced that it had been underbid, a move that he said resulted in unexpected costs to taxpayers while also threatening jobs at the Aroostook County facility.

8 years ago

County officials work to reduce inmate cases

HOULTON, Maine — When Aroostook County Sheriff Darrell Crandall first took office in January 2015, he said one of his goals was to reduce the percentage of inmates at the county jail with matters pending before the court.

“The higher that number is, the bigger the drain on resources the figure is for all of us,” Crandall said on Thursday. “That is a drain on not only our staff time, but court time, the district attorney’s time and others time as well. We need to get that number down as far as we can.”