S.W. Cole Exploration buys out Great Works’ drilling equipment

S.W. Cole Explorations, LLC has acquired the equipment and materials of Great Works Test Boring, Inc., according to a joint news release from the companies.

In the deal, the drilling company — which has an office in Augusta — obtained three drill rigs and associated equipment, increasing the number of rigs owned by the company to five.

The acquisition is key to the company’s continued success, general manager Kevin Hanscom said.

“New England currently has a very high demand for drilling services,” Hanscom in a news release, “and this acquisition will allow us to grow our business and further meet the demands of the region.”

With the acquisition of Great Works’ three rigs, S.W. Cole Explorations has significantly increased its availability to perform exploratory drilling across New England. As the company expands, it is looking for experienced drillers and drillers’ helpers. Information about the open positions can be found at www.swcole.com.

S.W. Cole Engineering Inc., the parent company for S.W. Cole Explorations, is a 37-year-old geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and geoenvironmental services firm with 90 employees and eight offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Great Works Test Boring, Inc., based in Rollinsford, New Hampshire, is owned by Dave and Cheryl Dionne. Established in 1989, Great Works will continue to provide other services, including wood pellet sales and feed, at Great Works Feed Supply in Berwick.

Thomas College’s peer mentorship program recertified

WATERVILLE — Thomas College’s peer mentoring program, which was the first CRLA-certified program in Maine, was recently recertified by College Reading and Learning Association’s International Mentor Training Program Certification for the next five years.

This program, which began in 2008, assigns each incoming first-year Thomas student a peer mentor. Peer mentors maintain one-on-one communication with their mentees throughout their first year of college and contribute to peer education efforts by emphasizing personal and academic development, responsible and healthy choices, and making the most of the Thomas College experience.

“Every entering student at Thomas College gets to have a ‘guide on the side,’ an experienced student who remembers what it’s like to be in their first year at Thomas,” said Peer Mentoring Coordinator Reanna Burns, in a news release. “These peer mentors are passionate about helping their students acclimate, understand and thrive in the Thomas community and beyond.”

In the 2015-16 academic year, 10 mentors worked with more than 250 mentees and provided nearly 500 hours of one-on-one face-to-face contact, in addition to small group, phone and email contact.

“First year students have reported that having a non-judgmental peer to answer questions makes asking for help less intimidating, aids in familiarization to our campus, serves as an ‘instant resource’ of information, provides insight and guidance on rising to different leadership roles around campus, all while promoting other campus activities and involvement,” said Burns.

The program also provides peer mentors leadership skills and experience while working with their mentees.

Two physicians join Maine Medical Partners — MaineHealth Cardiology

PORTLAND — Maine Medical Partners — MaineHealth Cardiology has announced that two physicians have joined the practice, located in Augusta and Waterville.

Dr. Laura E. J. Sullivan specializes in all aspects of non-invasive imaging, including cardiac MRI, CT angiography and transesophageal echocardiography. Dr. Sullivan earned her medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Tennessee and a cardiology fellowship at St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she was a clinical instructor for internal medicine residents and medical students. Sullivan has special interest in women’s health and congestive heart failure.

Dr. Róisín B. Morgan, sees the full range of general cardiology patients with specialization in non-invasive cardiac imaging and stress testing. Morgan earned her medical degree from University College Dublin and her master’s degree from Trinity College in Dublin. She completed her residency and a general cardiology fellowship in Ireland, and a clinical fellowship in advanced cardiovascular imaging at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, where she was chief fellow. Morgan’s clinical research interests include advanced multimodality cardiovascular imaging, as well as pharmacoeconomics, in particular in the field of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Firm rates Verizon as top wireless carrier in Maine

RootMetrics has named Verizon as the No. 1 wireless network in Maine, as rated by the new RootScore Report, according to a news release from the company.

RootMetrics is an independent mobile analytics firm that uses off-the-shelf consumer smartphones to test the network capabilities of all four major U.S. wireless carriers in six network performance categories across various geographies.

Additionally, for the sixth consecutive time, Verizon’s wireless U.S. network has been acknowledged by RootMetrics as the leader in overall performance among national wireless service providers across the country.

New arts therapy practice to open in Manchester

Maryam Mermey, a registered expressive arts therapist, plans to open the Morning Glory Arts Therapy Practice on Sept. 12 at 28 West St. in Manchester, according to a news release from Mermey.

The practice specializes in integrating a spiritual and psychological perspective in the healing of grief, whether it be the loss of a loved one, a relationship, an ability, one’s home, and/or the loss of one’s sense of self, according to the release.

The philosophy behind Morning Glory Arts Therapy is that each art form has its own medicine to offer the body, heart and soul. Clients are guided in choosing from the following art forms: the visual arts, fusing glass, movement, dance, music, theatre, creative writing, poetry and the film arts to help transform suffering into the empowerment of joy. Therapy is available for children, adolescents, single adults, couples, families and groups.

Expressive arts therapy sessions may be made by appointment only for an hour and a half from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Evening appointments are available upon request. Appointments may be made by calling 458-3357. A sliding scale is available for those requiring financial assistance. For more information, visit www.thetransformativearts.com/.

Gorman joins Franklin Memorial staff as sleep center medical director

FARMINGTON — Effective Aug. 1, Dr. Stephen R. Gorman began serving as the medical director of the sleep center at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

As medical director, Gorman is responsible for the ongoing operation and quality assurance of the program, which has been in place since 2007. Gorman also interprets sleep study findings and makes treatment recommendations.

Colleagues Dr. George Bokinsky and Dr. Rachel Higginbotham from Chest Medicine Associates also will interpret sleep study findings on an as-needed basis.

Gorman is board-certified in pulmonary disease, critical care, and sleep medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by a residency at Maine Medical Center and a fellowship at Lahey Clinic Medical Center.

Gorman is director the Maine Sleep Center at Chest Medicine Associates, based in South Portland, serving patients from throughout Maine and southern New Hampshire. The medical practice is devoted to specialty care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.

Gorman also serves as medical director for the Maine General Medical Center Sleep Disorders Clinic and Sleep Diagnostics Center in Waterville and Augusta.

Appointments at the Farmington sleep center can be made by calling the FMH Diagnostic Scheduling Department at 779-2375. A referral from a physician is required.

Winthrop attorney Meader promoted at Skelton Taintor & Abbott

Skelton Taintor & Abbott is proud to announce that attorney Amanda A. Meader, of Winthrop, has become of counsel to the firm, according to a news release from the law firm.

Meader was a staff attorney for the last five years with the Maine Municipal Association, where she provided legal advisory services to several hundred municipalities on all aspects of local governance.

Before her work there, Meader co-managed one of the largest general municipal law practices in the state and served as town attorney on general municipal matters and special projects. Meader has more than 12 years of experience in the areas of municipal, zoning, land use and real estate. At Skelton Taintor & Abbott she will provide legal counsel to municipalities and counties across the state, as well as to water, sewer and other special districts. She will also advise private clients on land use, zoning and real estate matters.

She is a member of the Maine State Bar Association and the International Municipal Lawyers Association. Meader received her law degree from Cornell Law School with honors for excellence in public interest law, and her Bacelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Bates College.

Active in the community, Meader is chairwoman of the State of Maine Animal Welfare Advisory Council, and as a member of the board of directors of the Annabessacook Lake Improvement Association.

Compiled from contributed releases