AUGUSTA — Student musicians from around the state will perform at 3 p.m. today at Cony High School when the District 3 Honors Music Festival offers a public performance.

The melodies will be offered by 105 musicians and 123 singers — all seventh- and eighth-graders — selected from 44 schools in central Maine, including Augusta, Gardiner and spanning the coast from Camden to Brunswick.

The band’s tunes include a circus march and a medley from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The festival chorus will sing “Body Electric,” along with “Agnus Dei” and “Blue Skies.”

More than 900 people are expected to attend, according to Dwight Tibbetts, an Augusta schools band director.

Tickets are $4 each and the money covers expenses for District 3, Tibbetts said.

Augusta man gets jail time for theft

AUGUSTA — Timothy Ray Bellavance, 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to four years in jail, with all but nine months suspended, and two years of probation after pleading guilty to two theft charges.

Bellavance pleaded guilty Thursday in Kennebec County Superior Court.

The theft by deception occurred between last May 6 and May 17, in Randolph. The theft by unauthorized taking charge occurred May 6 in Gardiner.

Monmouth ballot names are all set

MONMOUTH — Residents at June’s annual town meeting will be confronted by a number of new names when it comes time to fill openings on town boards and committees.

Thursday marked the deadline for turning in nomination papers the June election. The four openings, including two on the Board of Selectmen, and lone vacancies on the Cumston Library Trustees and Regional School Unit 2 Board of Directors, attracted just one candidate each.

Harold Jones, who is seeking another three-years on the Board of Selectmen, is the only incumbent to declare his candidacy for re-election.

Darlene Sanborn is running to fill a one-year opening on the Board of Selectman created when Colleen Fournier resigned in February.

Kristin Sanborn is seeking a three-year term as a Cumston Library Trustee. Nancy Ludewig, whose term is expiring, is not seeking re-election.

Jonathan Hillier is the only candidate for the RSU 2 Board of Directors. Hillier, a 1999 graduate of Monmouth Academy, is seeking the opening being created by the departure of James Grandahl, who is not seeking re-election.

Augusta physician to get USM honor

An Augusta physician will be honored next month at the University of Southern Maine’s commencement reception and dinner.

Dr. Michael LaCombe, a cardiologist at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, is to receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters, according to the university. LaCombe has practiced medicine in Maine for 37 years and has published more than 100 pieces of fiction and written a dozen books.

The commencement is Friday, May 11, at 5:30 p.m. The reception will be held at the Osher Map Library in the Glickman Family Library, Portland Campus, with dinner following at 7 p.m. in the University Events Room, located on the seventh floor of the library.

Also being honored is U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, who is the commencement speaker.