About 50 people gathered to remember Anielka Allen, a 37-year-old student at Beal College who was found dead Jan. 9 at her Newport home.

Officials believe that the driver, Elwood Yeaton III, 47, of Peru, may have navigated a turn too quickly, causing the vehicle to roll over.

David Deas spoke to and performed for more than 100 people who turned out Monday for the 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast at Spectrum Generation Muskie Center.

A California company wants to buy two leases the city has with Verizon and T-Mobile for space on the city's communication tower atop the fire station for 25 years for $420,000.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 20, 2020.

Steven K. Allard, 56, of South Hampton, New Hampshire, was declared dead at the Greenville hospital after his snowmobile fell through the ice.

The certification allows the company to make food packaging containers, keeping it ahead of competitors.

James D. Julia, a former Fairfield auction house owner, denies allegations from a Pennsylvania company that bought his business for $7.2 million that Julia breached the contract by referring business to his sister's auction company in violation of the agreement.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 19, 2020.

A pair of true war stories about two young Americans who served their countries in different ways on cold nights in Waco and Bastogne.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 18, 2020.

Route 2 remained closed Saturday morning while crews worked to reconstruct the accident.

Officers arrested Mayo Anthony Jones, 44, following a two-month, multi-agency investigation.

St. John Catholic School, which once had as many as 350 students enrolled in the 1960s, will close at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, with enrollment at 34 children.

"You can't have a strong economy in Maine without strong child care for the people in it," said Senate President Troy Jackson, a Democrat from Aroostook County.

Resisting changes in technology can leave a person in the dust, Amy Calder writes.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 17, 2020.

Waterville Fire Chief Shawn Esler said he investigated the allegation that a firefighter was making a hand gesture associated with "white power" in Facebook photo.

After 60 years on the job, the longtime deputy chief is hanging up his helmet, but not without the thanks of the community he served all those years.

"It was an old log home ... so it was really hot and dangerous. We went into defense mode all the way," said the Sidney fire chief.

Students in a new Colby College course volunteered with faith-based organizations, developed relationships with pastors and lay people, and wrote profiles about who they met.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 16, 2020.

Beal College in Bangor has encouraged students, faculty and community members to attend a Monday morning vigil to honor former student, Anielka Allen, 37.

Forest Hills Consolidated Schools in Jackman hasn't had a snow day in more than three years, and some students make their commute more fun by riding their snowmobiles to school.

Hector Munoz, 52, of New York City, pleaded guilty to charges relating to his role in a 2016 attempted drug robbery in Rangeley.

Anielka Allen, 37, studied medical assisting at Beal College in Bangor before her death; posts made to the school's Facebook page described her as a "beloved" student.

Forms can be found in town offices in Canaan, Cornville, Mercer, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Smithfield by the end of the week and an online form is also available.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 15, 2020.

I'm relieved that my trepidation about new technology is not necessarily due to my advanced age, writes Liz Soares.

It takes a piece of lead the size of a grain of rice to fatally poison a bald eagle, according to the state's raptor specialist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

The Charter Commission voted Tuesday to form subcommittees to talk to elected officials, former commission members and other towns' officials about their charters.

A public retirement party will be held at the Williams Elementary School cafeteria Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Jared Quirion, 34, faces four criminal charges following the Dec. 5 incident.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 14, 2020.

The thefts began in Oakland when a pickup truck was stolen out of a parking lot.

Four people were injured in the car crash Monday evening, according to Fairfield police.

The Board of Education also elected Patricia Helm to the Ward 1 seat vacated by Sara Sylvester, who resigned last month because she moved out of the ward.

Katherine Prosper, 61, pleaded guilty to federal charges that she concealed the presence of her husband in her household for 13 years so she'd be eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income, a U.S. attorney said.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 13, 2020.

Anielka Allen had submitted a handwritten statement withdrawing the divorce petition a week after filing it, agreeing to marriage counseling, according to court records.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 12, 2020.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 11, 2020.

Ronald Witham, a U.S. Census recruiter, said at the Norridgewock Public Library Saturday that census taker jobs pay $20 an hour, plus 58 cents a mile.

The Waterville Board of Education on Monday also will interview a candidate for the board's Ward 1 seat, which was vacated when Sara Sylvester resigned.

Firefighters from Madison and Skowhegan were dispatched to the scene 200 yards off Weston Avenue in Madison where they deployed firefighter Brad Bosworth with Skowhegan's Rescue Alive sled to retrieve the deer.

The Maine State Police Evidence Response Team had taped off the perimeter of the home at 16 North St. in Newport where Newport Police had been called at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 10, 2020.

North Elementary has qualified for the state's Major Capital Construction Program, and School Administrative District 54 has started the process for selecting an architect for a new school.

Amy Calder reminisces about North Elementary School in Skowhegan which she attended from kindergarten through grade four and which is second in priority on the state's list of schools to be replaced.

LGBTQ+ support group expresses dismay at hate speech directed at students at Thursday meeting along with delays in designating gender-neutral bathrooms other than the one in administrative office.

Tensions were high Thursday night as the mascot-selection process and gender-neutral bathroom discussions arose during the public comment section of the SAD 54 board of directors meeting.

The plan, unveiled Dec. 11, is focused on three main goals: Increasing the average annual wage by 10%, boosting the value of products sold per worker by 10% and recruiting 75,000 people to the workforce.

Frederick Allen, 40, was arrested late Thursday afternoon in the death of Anielka Allen, 37, Maine State Police say.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 9, 2020.

Beau, the 13-year-old horse, had gone missing from his nearby pasture hours before Steve Nadeau, 62, of Winslow found him in the early afternoon.

Waterville firefighters to attend funeral and all calls will be dispatched to Winslow.

The 22-year-old Oakland resident was transported by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center on Thursday.

As the investigation continues into Saturday blaze in Troy, an official said at least one prior fire at the property was arson.

Some speakers at the charter commission meeting argued taxpayers — not councilors — should have the final word on budgets, while others favored keeping the ward system as a means of neighborhood representation.

The cost for emergency service dispatch from the Waterville Regional Communications Center will increase from $42,894 to $92,185 next year.

The blue law effort led by a community member was not successful in gathering the required 218 signatures, but the select board will decide if the petition to remove the speed tables will go to voters.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 8, 2020.

I remember reading long ago of 18th century settlers fleeing Maine-ward to escape oppressions in Massachusetts and many of them bouncing back because of “extremely harsh winters," writes Dana Wilde.

Erik Thomas, 44, has served on the council a total of five years and was chairman in 2014.

SPaRC, a group hoping to leverage partnerships between educational institutions in Waterville, held its first public meeting Tuesday evening.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 7, 2020.

The horse was up to its head in the water near the south shore of the pond, where firefighters, some in dry suits, headed to the scene on a snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles.

Peter Vigue was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday to be arraigned on charges after allegedly firing a cannon at a Maine Maritime football game that injured a referee.

The new SPaRC initiative is hoping to leverage partnerships between Waterville's public school system, early childhood and adult education institutions, and three colleges.

Dana S. Dasilva and Michelle N. Luce, of Skowhegan, were arrested by police following multiple instances of gunfire Saturday night in Winslow, Waterville and Clinton.

The council on Tuesday also will consider approving a $181,089 contract with Hight Auto Group of Skowhegan for four parks and recreation vehicles.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 6, 2020.

A roundup of cases closed at courts in Augusta and Waterville.

It was another world, roaming the woods and fields with no cell phones, Amy Calder writes.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 5, 2020.

Workers are installing exterior sheathing on the $26 million Lockwood Hotel building on Main Street in preparation for removing temporary enclosure materials.

Dana S. Dasilva and Michelle N. Luce, both 25, are being held at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta following gunfire in Winslow, Waterville and Clinton.

Ringing in the New Year during the blackout days of World War II didn't stop people from making noise, including J.P. Devine's brother-in-law, who sat locked and loaded opposite a convent.

The Second Baptist Church hosted a well-attended benefit concert Saturday afternoon in honor of Curtis Mueller, an Oakland banjo player who performed there on Sundays.

The pair took a six-month sabbatical to hike one of the world's longest trails.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 4, 2020.

The fire was reported just before midnight at 3 Alley Lane.

Richard Clark Sr., 55, of Canaan, was killed after the car he was driving Thursday on Pinnacle Road struck a tree, according to sheriff's officials.

Little 4.7 pound Camdyn Lynn Fortin was born at 2:05 a.m. Thursday after her mother, Shay-lynn Smith, of Cornville, went into Redington-Fairview General Hospital on Jan. 1.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 3, 2020.

Tanya L. Paradis, 44, of Fairfield, was arrested after a man reported his phone alerted him that someone was in his apartment on Western Avenue and he called police.

Richard Murray-Burns, charged with attempted murder in a gunfight with police, was arraigned in Maine District Court on Thursday in Skowhegan.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 2, 2020.

Richard Murray-Burns, 29, was arrested Wednesday after leaving a Bangor hospital and charged in the Dec. 22 shooting of Waterville police Officer Timothy Hinton.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Jan. 1, 2020.

No other challengers have registered for the race to represent Waterville, Winslow, Albion, Benton, Clinton, Fairfield and Unity Township.

Investigations continue into the Dec. 22 shooting of police Officer Timothy Hinton by the suspect, who later was shot by law enforcement officers in Canaan.

Raymond Ellis, Jr. was stopped by a Waterville police Monday night for driving with his headlights off and was arrested for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 31, 2019.

The sentencing of John Williams to life in prison for the shooting death of a Somerset County sheriff's deputy, the murder of a mother and a fatal propane explosion in Farmington were some of the major Morning Sentinel stories of the year.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 30, 2019.

We've collected our 10 most-read stories of the year and presented them below in order of page views.

In the months since she has opened her shop, Amy Rowbottom cherishes the support of her many customers and local officials.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 29, 2019.

Children grow up and leave home in a blink of an eye, but Christmas keeps them coming to visit every year, J.P. Devine writes.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 28, 2019.

Marg and Fritz Buschmann started Siesta Sanctuary in harmony in 2006 to provide a home for parrots, which can live 80 years or more.

First responders were busy responding to a steady stream of accidents and slide-offs Friday morning.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 27, 2019.

Aaron Hall, 14, of Waterville, is "found and safe," officials said. Rescuers were alerted by a person calling from Winslow and directed by Winslow police to the teen and his friend.

The cause of the fire is being left undetermined, according to Waterville Fire Chief Shawn Esler.

Kerri Everett, a member of the revitalization group, said that the town voted to keep the Prohibition-era laws decades ago. Only through referendum can the town's adherence to the law be changed.

A report of smoke in the attic at the residence prompted Waterville firefighters to rush to the address.

On the day after Christmas, when more than half of all shoppers start to return or exchange items over the course of the next month, Elm Plaza shop employees say that business is normal.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 26, 2019.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., those in attendance enjoyed a hot turkey dinner, followed by dessert and coffee. The event also included raffle drawings, music, stockings for the children, carriage rides and a visit from Santa Claus.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 25, 2019.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 24, 2019.

Richard Murray-Burns, 29, of Hartland allegedly initiated a car chase and shooting after Waterville police pulled him over Sunday after a report of shoplifting at Walmart.

Devon Periard, of Smithfield, remains hospitalized following a two-car accident on River Road in Norridgewock last Thursday.

Even with all the obstacles Amy and Emily Pinkham and Travis Dobson have faced, they said their faith in God was what helped them get back on their feet.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 23, 2019.

In his wildest dreams, central Maine copy editor and sports reporter Dave Dyer never imagined living in — and running — a Christmas tree farm.

A roundup of cases closed Dec. 12-18, 2019, at courts in Augusta and Waterville.

The Waterville Police Department's Operation HOPE program helps people addicted to opioids get into treatment facilities, Amy Calder writes.

The officer pulled over a man in connection with a shoplifting incident at Walmart in Waterville, and seven officers fired on the suspect in the ensuing shootout, Maine State Police say.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 22, 2019.

The two-hour, round-trip adventure is put on by volunteers at the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad and departs Unity Station at 212 Depot St.

The event center at 21 College Ave. is one of the new venues developed by businessman Bill Mitchell as part of downtown revitalization efforts.

The former Hollywood actor recounts a role from the 1960's era show "Twelve O'Clock High," in which he played a pilot who was shot down in a bomber and killed two days before Christmas.

Augusta and Waterville area police logs for Dec. 21, 2019.

This year's Eastern Cup Opener was held in memory of Roy Varney, a state champion Nordic skier from Turner who passed away in a farming accident in July at the age of 19.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 20, 2019.

Jackman-Moose River Fire and Rescue Chief Bill Jarvis said that no one was injured, but the home owned by the restaurant's owner is a total loss.

LifeFlight was called to fly the victims of the crash from Redington-Fairview Hospital in Skowhegan to Portland and Bangor hospitals for treatment of multiple serious injuries.

The Kennebec County town will go from having six firefighter/basic EMTs to five paramedics and four Advanced EMTs in 2020.

Mark W. Hubbert, a 1979 graduate of Colby, has donated the money to build The Hub, the lobby of the Paul J. Schupf Art Center that will occupy The Center in downtown Waterville.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 19, 2019.

Waterville officials expect the city will save $250,000 annually, or about 75% of its annual energy cost, with the new lights.

After an extensive debate at Tuesday's meeting, the council decided to fund the theater in its 2020 municipal budget, spending $73,106 in order to provide the theater committee time to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 18, 2019.

Harmony Dillaway, 40, hit a parked car and a streetlight Tuesday night and then attempted to flee the scene, police said.

Search warrants executed at Indian Ridge Apartments in response to complaints about drug trafficking led to the arrest of five people and the recovery of cocaine, heroin and cash, police say.

The art of living in the real, bricks-and-mortar world is not coming naturally to our young people, writes Liz Soares.

City councilors also voted Tuesday to approve a zoning ordinance amendment that allows churches in the commercial zone, enabling a church to rent space at the former Boys & Girls Club building at 6 Main Place.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 17, 2019.

The location at the Colby College-owned 173 Main St. building will include seating areas for customers to enjoy Bixby & Co.'s chocolate confections, including drinks, pastries, espresso and gelato.

The Planning Board voted to recommend the city's zoning ordinance to allow churches in commercial zones so the First Congregational United Church of Christ can move to the former Boys & Girls Club building.

Frank Curtis, 41, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to conspiring to make false statements to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and to committing mail fraud.

The council on Tuesday also will consider appointing Robert Neal Patterson to the Planning Board and amending the lease with Airlink Academy at the city-owned Robert A. LaFleur Municipal Airport.

Ayla Bell Reynolds was reported missing by her father, Justin DiPietro, from their Waterville home on Dec. 17, 2011, and her mother, Trista Reynolds, continues to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against DiPietro.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 16, 2019.

Robert M. Trudeau, 55, of Winslow, and Brenda M. Clark, 61, of Skowhegan, were killed following the Friday evening crash on Route 201, according to Kennebec County Sheriff Ken Mason.  

Douglas Whitney, 50, of Waterville, corrals and fixes stray bicycles, then sells or donates them to people who don't have one, writes Amy Calder.

The Planning Board on Monday will consider whether to recommend to the City Council that it rezone 6 Main Place to allow a church to lease space in the building.

Nelson's Candies continues to thrive after two decades of providing sweets to local communities through the Cornville shop and their booth at fairs.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 15, 2019.

A theory about a holy star really being a meteor has J.P. Devine worrying about a large rock now hurtling toward Earth.

Nine passenger vehicles, a wrecker and tractor trailer truck were involved in the crash Friday after motorists were caught by surprise by freezing rain, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

Dana Banister, of Augusta, was hit by a vehicle at 7:16 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Western Avenue and Sewall Street, according to police.

A similar situation unfolded last January when a council meeting lasting more than six hours resulted in the decision to cut the theater's budget by $45,000.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 13, 2019.

Wrex, a 3-year-old yellow lab, was donated to the department by a state trooper two weeks ago and has started training with the All Points Maine Police Canines training group.

Gregory Baylis, 36, of Winslow, stole an assault rifle from a house he had been hired to do work in as a contractor, sold it, then attempted to return it, said Fairfield police.

Joseph W. Reynolds, 42, allegedly attacked a 35-weeks pregnant woman by punching her in the stomach and was driven out of a house and locked out by the woman's children, police said.

State police and drug enforcement agents charged three people in a vehicle stopped on Interstate 95 after a detection dog indicated drugs were in the vehicle.

Joan Phillips-Sandy was elected the new chairperson of the Waterville Board of Education after former Chairperson Sara Sylvester announced her resignation because she moved out of her ward.

Fire crews responded to reports of smoke coming from the second story of a home at 308 Hartland Ave. and quickly extinguished the blaze.

Crews on Thursday installed the final length of a 30-inch force sewer pipe on Water Street as part of a two-week project to fix a broken pipe that dumped 34 million gallons of sewage into the Kennebec River.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 12, 2019.

The 10-member Charter Commission will review and make any needed changes to the City Charter, which is like a local constitution that governs how the city operates.

In November, the department completed the move from Unity's main campus to Pineland Farms, a 5,000-acre farm in New Gloucester just 30 minutes north of Portland.

The Somerset County Grand Jury handed up indictments Friday, including drug and domestic violence charges.

Authorities suspected intoxicated driving was involved in the crash that sent John Tompkins, 46, to a Lewiston hospital via LifeFlight.

Scott McIntire, who also owns The Old Goat Pub in downtown Richmond, plans to open the Two Cent Pub at 82 Clinton Ave. in Winslow by April.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 11, 2019.

Of Farmington resident Phil Poirier's thoughtful camping stories, the story about a Canadian expedition was one to share with readers, writes Dana Wilde.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 10, 2019.

Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District Superintendent Timothy LeVasseur said Tuesday that 34 million, not 15 million, gallons of sewage flowed into the Kennebec River when a sewer main broke.

Anthony Pranses says that he plans to push for the removal of Superintendent Mike Tracy once his administrative leave ends on Jan. 1, 2020.

The five-function vehicle will be financed through a 10-year lease-purchase agreement and comes amid a slew of spending for the Winslow Fire Department.

The Nov. 29 break was sparked by the unusual placement of a sewer pipe inside a stormwater pipe on Water Street in the 1970s and then encasing it in concrete.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 9, 2019.

Starting out with a juniors fire training program, the Fairfield and Benton department has partnered with Mid Maine Technical Center in Waterville to offer hands-on experience to high school students in the hope they will join a department in the area or carry on elsewhere.

Travis Conway, 40, got a new heart when he was 13 and now has a new kidney, thanks to a former classmate who donated one to a kidney bank so he could receive one that was a match.

The Waterville recreation area hosted cross-country ski races Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., drawing approximately 100 participants from across the state.

The surfaces are safe to drive on, though, according to a Maine Department of Transportation official.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 8, 2019.

The company's hardware store and showroom is almost completely restocked at a new temporary location at 10 China Road in Winslow.

Augusta and Waterville area police reports for Dec. 14, 2019.

When our time to die comes, J.P. Devine wonders, will others remember you and what photos will they see?

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 7, 2019.

Vassalboro Police Chief Mark Brown was first to the scene just after 11 a.m. Saturday on Nelson Road.

The event, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the DeBe River Walk Trail in Skowhegan, was a revamped version of the annual holiday stroll that has taken place in the town for 27 years.

Anthony Pranses resigns, effective immediately, but feels he let down his supporters and intends to join those who would remove Superintendent Mike Tracy from office.

Anthony Pranses resigns, effective immediately, but feels he let down his supporters and intends to join those who would remove Superintendent Mike Tracy from office.

Michael Adams, whose long road to recovery from a motorcycle accident took seven months in hospitals, enters a new phase in his life on a note of optimism as he and his wife return to her mother's home in Norridgewock.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 6, 2019.

A woman making a deposit at Kennebec Savings Bank on Main Street at 7:48 p.m. Thursday reported being grabbed from behind by a white male who took the money bag and ran, according to Waterville Deputy police Chief Bill Bonney.

Board members differed on when the process should start with some advocating to start now and others wanting to delay the process until spring or even summer, a difference that continues from earlier meetings.

A teenage girl driving a 2010 GMC Sierra truck struck an Anson-Madison-Starks ambulance on its way to a call in Skowhegan on Thursday morning.

Derek Levasseur, 45, of Fairfield, briefly ran for the U.S. Senate earlier this year and was convicted of domestic violence assault in 2012 while also working as a local police reserve officer.

Central Maine area police reports for Dec. 5, 2019.

Parking issues on The Concourse prompted the council Tuesday to extend for 90 days special permits for people who take knitting classes at Yardgoods Center.