Voters at the Town Meeting also approved paying for maintenance of privately owned cemeteries.

With miles of major pipeline backbone in place, the two local companies that supply natural gas to the Kennebec Valley say they are ready to reach more homes.

Lawmakers take public testimony on a bill that would change where utilities pay excise taxes, a move that could cost the city of Augusta about $200,000 a year.

The so-called ‘Red Barn bill’ earned unanimous support from the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee and now heads to the full Legislature.

An increasingly nasty spat between the city of Augusta and Central Maine Power over the possible loss of $200,000-plus in revenue will now involve the Public Utilities Commission.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lori Fowle, D-Vassalboro, would no longer require small businesses that host fundraisers for charities to register with the state.

A new borrowing plan could pay for the improvements, but it still is subject to voters’ approval at the ballot box.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the thickness of the river ice Tuesday just above the Richmond-Dresden bridge and found it to be no thicker than normal for this time of year.