Leroy Smith Jr., a local musician with an infectious laugh, was murdered in May in his Gardiner home. His son stands accused of the murder, but the case has not yet gone to trial.

Former Chelsea Selectwoman Carole Swan was sentenced in June to more than seven years in federal prison for extortion and workers’ compensation and tax fraud. Her husband, Marshall Swan, got nearly three years in federal prison for falsifying tax returns and failing to report income.

Rollins

Betsy Pohl, director at Lithgow Public Library, hugs former Augusta Mayor William Stokes in June after they learned voters approved renovations for the library during a gathering in Augusta.

Attorney Pam Ames stands with Leroy H. Smith III in May during his initial appearance in Kennebec County Superior Court. Smith is accused of murdering his father, Leroy Smith Jr., and is being held at Riverview Psychiatric Center.

Problems continued in 2014 at the Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta with renewed allegations of patient abuse.

Firefighters at the scene of an 18-unit apartment building fire in December on Northern Avenue in Augusta that left 27 people homeless.

The old green metal bridge spanning the Kennebec River between Richmond and Dresden was replaced in December by the new taller bridge with concrete supports.

Courtney Shea fights back tears after pleading guilty in July at Kennebec County Superior Court for the stabbing murder of Thomas Namer in Vassalboro in November 2013. He was later sentenced to 32 years in prison.

Gary Raub, the Seattle transient convicted of the 1976 murder of Blanche Kimball, of Augusta, was sentenced this year to 20 years in prison for the murder.

Hallowell Police Chief Eric Nason was reprimanded by the city manager earlier this year following allegations that he sexually assaulted one of his female officers and took a sexually explicit photo of another woman in the 1990s.

Voters in June approved a plan to renovate and expand Lithgow Library in Augusta.