A runner heads north on the Kennebec River Rail Trail around 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 30 in Farmingdale. There weren't many people on the trail early on the cold morning, with temperature around 10 below zero.

As the sun sets Tuesday on Messalonskee Lake in Sidney, Travis Cheneyert begins to haul his traps after a day of fishing.

Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, stands in the well of the House chamber reading a message that the Senate also has convened on the first day of second session Wednesday in the State House in Augusta.

Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, left, chats with Army Staff Sgt. Ryan McCarthy before the start of the legislative session Wednesday in the State House in Augusta. McCarthy, along with his family and friends, was there so that he could receive joint legislative sentiment congratulating him for recently winning the Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award. McCarthy grew up in Belgrade.

Waterville Tire Warehouse Manager Mike Savage, right, speaks with customer Dan Bernier Tuesday at the busy store in Waterville. Savage said the cold weather has caused a spike in business for tire repairs.

As snow begins to accumulate during blizzard on Thursday, Waterville city employee Bob LaPlante clears sidewalks in front of the police department. "I'd rather be in Florida right now," LaPlante said.

As flames burn above a chimney Wednesday at the residence of Susan MacKenzie and Michael Donihue on Trafton Road in Waterville, Sean Still exits the home after seeing if anyone was inside after the fire rekindled. Several area departments went to the residence a second time to extinguish the flames.

Maine Adjutant General Douglas Farnham, center, smiles as his sons Scott Farnham, left, and Carl Farnham pin another star on his shoulders during his promotion ceremony from brigadier general to major general on Wednesday in Hall of Flags of the State House in Augusta. "I am pleased to recognize General Farnham during this promotion ceremony," Gov. Paul LePage said. "Having earned his well-deserved second star as major general, he is Maine's highest-ranking reserve component officer, leading 3,000 of Maine's National Guard airmen and soldiers."

Winthrop sophomore guard Jillian Schmelzer defends Carrabec's MacKenzie Baker during a Mountain Valley Conference game Wednesday night in Winthrop.

A woman walks by frosted windows Tuesday at Lisa's Legit Burritos in Gardiner. Temperature in the single digits was forecast to double on Wednesday ahead of a snowstorm forecast for Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Carl Johanson drives his team of Bay Belgians as they pull a sleigh across produce fields at his family's farm in Dresden on Tuesday. Johanson offers guests at the Goranson Farm sleigh rides "whenever there is snow," his brother, Goran, said.

Augusta Natural Gas employee Dwayne DuMais replaces a frozen baseboard pipe Sunday in Hallowell.

During the storm Thursday, city worker Tucker Fitzmaurice runs a snowblower through the Johnson Hall Mini Park on Water Street in Gardiner. He and another worker using a snowblower mounted on a small tractor were clearing the sidewalks and parks.

West Gardiner Fire Chief Gary Hickey, right, and Gardiner firefighter Eric Davis extinguish a chimney fire Thursday in Litchfield as a snowstorm moved through the region. The fire was put out quickly, Litchfield Fire Chief Stan Labbe said, with no injuries reported.

Police respond to a report of a two-vehicle crash Thursday morning on Northern Avenue in Augusta, in which one person reportedly was injured and taken to the hospital. A car slid down the road and crashed into an Augusta Fire Department firetruck, police said.