A Maine family of four earning $50,000 a year would save about $647 on its state income taxes under a sweeping tax reform proposal to be aired in a public hearing today before the Legislature’s Taxation Committee.

Augusta city councilors voted unanimously to spend up to $40,000 to hire a consultant to help pick which of two natural gas proposals would benefit both the city and the largest number of residents.

The following recent incidents have been reported by local law enforcement.

Maine legislative leaders unanimously approved a request Thursday for $30,000 from their operating account to help people who lost their homes in three devastating apartment building fires find new housing.

Fairfield’s voters will be asked to approve a proposed $5.4 million budget that is slightly less than the current one, during Fairfield’s annual Town Meeting.