Stories by Jen Lynds

8 years ago

Man hospitalized after rollover

LITTLETON, Maine — An 83-year-old Houlton man was listed in stable condition at a local hospital over the weekend after a Saturday afternoon crash in Littleton.

Thomas Vasco, 83, was southbound in his 2006 Kia Spectra on U.S. Route 1 when he apparently drifted toward the right off the roadway into the ditch and struck a culvert just before 2:30 p.m., according to a statement released by Aroostook County Sheriff Darrell Crandall.

The car vaulted into the air, rolled over once and came to rest on its roof, the sheriff reported.

8 years ago

Councilor charged with assault

HOULTON, Maine — A Houlton town councilor has been arrested and charged with domestic violence assault, according to police.

Houlton Police Department Acting Chief Daniel Pelletier confirmed Friday that John White Jr., 40, of Houlton was taken into custody on the charge.

Pelletier, however, would not release any details about the alleged incident that led to the charge. He said the case was in the hands of the district attorney’s office. No one in that office could be reached late Friday afternoon.

8 years ago

County sees better summer weather

HOULTON, Maine — For the first time in several years, Houlton resident Heather McMann said residents in the state experienced a “near perfect” Maine summer.

“It felt like we just had a number of days each week where the sun was always shining, and we got just enough rain to keep the wells full and the flowers blooming,” McMann said in a Sept. 12 interview. “We also had great weather over the Fourth of July, so that was nice, too.”

McMann’s assessment is in line with the summer climate narrative from the National Weather Service in Caribou, which reported that northern and eastern Maine saw above-normal temperatures from June 1 through Aug. 31. The region also received above-normal rainfall across the north and significantly below-average rainfall over Down East portions of the region.

8 years ago

Florida man, 80, indicted in PI resident’s death

Florida man, 80, indicted in PI resident’s death

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — An 80-year-old Florida man accused of strangling to death his 86-year-old Presque Isle neighbor has been indicted on a murder charge by the Aroostook County grand jury.

8 years ago

Officials trim inmate cases

Officials trim 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.

8 years ago

Pair allegedly tied to state’s largest seizure

Pair allegedly tied to state’s largest seizure

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Two Presque Isle residents indicted on drug charges in Aroostook last month are allegedly connected to one of the state’s largest heroin seizures.

8 years ago

Residents recall home project attempts, failures

Residents recall home project attempts, failures

HOULTON, Maine — Janice Masterson of Houlton still recalls her friend emailing her a picture a few years ago of a “pretty end table” that she had built herself using instructions she had found on the internet.

8 years ago

County residents recall home improvement project attempts, failures

HOULTON, Maine — Janice Masterson of Houlton still recalls her friend emailing her a picture a few years ago of a “pretty end table” that she had built herself using instructions she had found on the internet.

“It didn’t really look that hard,” she recalled. “It was almost no bigger than a coffee table, but I really liked the unique shape of it, and my friend had no construction experience at all and had whipped it out in under two hours, so I thought I could do the same thing.”

8 years ago

Residents recall attempts, failures

 

     HOULTON, Maine — Janice Masterson of Houlton still recalls her friend emailing her a picture a few years ago of a “pretty end table” that she had built herself using instructions she had found on the internet.

8 years ago

Temple Cinema owner to close lot

HOULTON, Maine — A local entrepreneur said last Wednesday that he will be changing the rules at a parking lot that he owns next to his movie theater after it has become apparent he must do so to keep his business running smoothly and to make the lot self-sustaining.

Charles Fortier, a Houlton native, businessman and writer who returned from New Jersey to purchase the Temple Cinema in April, said that he made the decision to go back to requiring permits to park in the lot beside the movie house to ensure that it pays for itself.

He said that the prior owners, Michael Hurley and Therese Bagnardi of Belfast, had been attempting to do the same thing for the last 14 years.