School board members in the Oakland-based school district debated where funding for an advisory position for Superintendent Carl Gartley, who is retiring at the end of the year, should come from.

Some county commissioners think the sheriff should auction off forfeited guns that may still have some value instead of destroying them.

Hospital options for emergency transport services may be limited after the June closure of Waterville's Northern Light Inland.

Front & Main in the Lockwood Hotel at 9 Main St. is kicking off a special 'Flamingos & Mint' tiki-themed culinary dinner experience through Saturday this week.

The City Council voted Tuesday to hire Cornell Knight to fill the gap after City Manager Bryan Kaenrath leaves May 1 to become city manager in Lewiston and before Waterville hires a new city manager.

The two men from Massachusetts were arrested in the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office’s 24th similar bust since January 2024, and the second at the Harmony home.

Residents drinking from highly contaminated wells face a new financial burden as state PFAS funding draws to a close.

Transportation officials said the closure is necessary to remove a tractor trailer truck that rolled over Monday night.

Police responded to the crash at the intersection of U.S. Route 2 and Beans Corner Road shortly after 12 a.m. Tuesday.

Employees at Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville say they are worried for their peers and concerned about patients who will lose their health care when the hospital closes.

The odor was found to have been caused by a furnace malfuction, fire chief said.

When allocating nearly $24 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, the Kennebec County commissioners included affordable housing in Kennebec County, including Manor Gardens.

More than 60 people from around central Maine stood in the snow Saturday at a Tesla charging station off Main Street at Elm Plaza to protest Elon Musk's gutting of the federal government and firing of thousands of workers.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

The crash slowed northbound traffic in the Pittsfield area Friday for more than three hours.

Wade Willette, 46, of Cornville, used the Kik messaging app to upload videos containing child sexual abuse materials in 2021.

Thomas College student Gracie Weymouth of Canaan plans to work in cybersecurity when she graduates from the Waterville college later this year, Amy Calder writes.

Ester Franklin, organizer of the 2nd annual Gas Money Picture Show, knows the importance of travel: she grew up off the grid in Brighton Plantation and has since lived around the globe.

Wintery weather contributed to the crash, which closed the highway between Madison and Norridgewock for hours Monday as a tractor-trailer had rolled over across the road.

The wood fiber insulation manufacturer expects business as usual after filing the prenegotiated reorganization plan Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

Residents have filed a petition to remove Heather Donahue, one of the town's three select board members, from office at a recall election scheduled for April 23.

The Maine Department of Transportation will host an in-person open house April 1 for area residents to get information about the project, which gets underway in mid-April.

Officials said they are investigating an incident Friday night in which a man attempted to rob another man and assaulted him with a knife outside his home on River Road.

The Hinckley school’s sugar shack was one of dozens across the state open during the 42nd Maine Maple Sunday Weekend.

The crash occurred Feb. 10 at the railroad crossing on Main Street in Waterville, when a CSX Transportation train pushed the vehicle about 100 yards down the tracks.

Residents also approved a proposed spending plan for this year that totals about $1.88 million.

The layoffs will occur in mid-April, president and CEO Nathan Howell said.

The vote at Monday’s town meeting was prompted by a proposal from two developers to build a commercial solar farm at a former military radar site in Moscow and Caratunk.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Reporting Aside: Bruce Smith can no longer use the carpentry tools he used to earn a living for many years, and wants to give them away, Amy Calder writes.

Rich Abrahamson captures ice jams and high waters.

Noah Weeks, 40, was arrested Tuesday when police tried to execute a drug search warrant and he fled in his vehicle and then by foot into the woods, according to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

Jesse J. Harvey, 31, to serve 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release as part of a plea deal reached after the victim, an extended family member, made further disclosures to officials recently.

The city applied for the money a year ago and was on track to receive it, but was notified late last week the money will not be coming this year, a city official said.

Southbound traffic to be detoured to Exit 157 in Newport, and then to Pittsfield via Route 100 and Somerset Avenue.

Prosecutors believe that Nicholas J. Worthing, 37, of Pittston sent dozens of threatening, profanity-filled messages over several years to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and directed at Sheriff Ken Mason.

Rien Finch, a Democrat who represented Ward 6, cited recent physical and mental health challenges, worsened by overwork and having a president who says transgender people do not exist.

The remains were seized from Poulin Antiques & Auctions Inc., where an 'Apache scalp' was listed for sale online.

State Sen. Richard Bradstreet, R-Kennebec, will present a bill Tuesday seeking $2 million from the state's general fund to help pay down the debt of the Vassalboro Sanitary District.

While Bee's operated for nearly eight decades through natural disasters and economic swings, the owners say the closure of the Ticonic Bridge for repairs and high operating costs have taken their toll.

Prosecutors agreed last year to move the case to Somerset County and drop one stalking charge against Nicholas Worthing, of Pittston, who has gone through a dozen defense lawyers over four years.

One of the home's residents was preparing dinner when cooking oil became too hot and burst into flames, an official said.

Northern Light Inland Hospital is slated to close June 11, putting 309 employees out of work.

Staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is recommending proposals to increase fish passage at four dams in Waterville, Fairfield and Skowhegan, which a coalition of environmental groups pushing for dam removal have criticized.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting will be one of the final opportunities for the public to weigh on the plan, which is expected to be voted on for adoption at town meeting in June.

A small piece of the former fire station on Island Avenue extends on to Brookfield’s neighboring property, which is presenting an issue as town officials consider what to do with the building.

The old landmark awaits the same wrecking ball that took down buildings on either side of it to make way for the construction of modern, multi-story apartment buildings, Amy Calder writes.

Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigators said they seized more than 25 grams of cocaine and fentanyl along with other items while searching an Ingalls Street residence.

The board backed construction of 12 two-story condominiums on Evergreen Drive and 28 apartments on Washington Street.

The Maine State Police say no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

The hospital had diminished its outpatient and maternal care services in recent months.

Spencer Krigbaum, a 5-year-member of the Waterville Board of Education, defeated Travis Moulton in Tuesday's election.

Maine State Police detectives were investigating Wednesday morning at 531 Madawaska Road.

The select board set the usual mid-June date for town meeting but will consider a proposal to move it to May, or earlier, in the coming years.

After being open for almost a year, A Coffeehouse at 252 Main St. is set to end regular hours at the end of the month.

The town in Somerset County is considering leaving Regional School Unit 74 and paying tuition to send students to another school district.

Evergreen Drive residents say they plan to attend a Waterville Planning Board meeting Tuesday where the board is scheduled to consider final approval for 12 two-story condominiums.

After a board member tried to force a vote Thursday about whether the board would explicitly follow the Trump administration’s orders, the board chair said the matter would have to be taken up at the next meeting.

Jared and Mary O'Roak had their first formal date 25 years ago Tuesday at Silver Street Tavern in downtown Waterville, and he surprised her with an anniversary lunch to remember.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from Feb. 28-March 7.

Andrew Carlton is to start in his new position July 1, succeeding Carl Gartley, who is stepping down at the end of the school year.

Jason Servil is appealing his 45-year sentence to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on the grounds that the judge who sentenced him made several mistakes during a tense hearing last year.

Rich Abrahamson captures services that mark the beginning of Lent.

Gartley attended Oakland's budget and advisory meeting Tuesday night to present next year's estimated school budget and answer questions from the town.

The Ticonic Gallery and Greene Block + Studios will show off artwork from more than 450 local students.

The Waterville City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve zoning changes to church property that enable the church to raze two buildings and expand its parking lot, thus leading to an expected dismissal of a church lawsuit against the city.

Waterville has seen an uptick in the number of nonfatal overdoses this winter and while the city of Augusta is not seeing an increase.

No arrests were made during the execution of the search warrant Tuesday morning, according to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

Students were never in danger, Superintendent Jon Moody told parents.

Clancy Trenton Scott, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to 10 counts of possession of sexually explicit materials.

Voters rejected the proposed community event and engagement coordinator position, but the construction of a new gazebo at Oosoola Park narrowly passed.

Daniel V. Markey, 59, of Norridgewock is charged with killing 39-year-old Christopher Nickerson.

Thomas Allen, 18, of Pittsfield was arrested following the incident at a convenience store Sunday.

In an anonymous survey, more than 40 current or former employees in Regional School Unit 18 have raised concerns about working conditions and district leadership.

The parade of planets, when all seven of Earth's solar system neighbors can be seen in the night sky, starts Friday and continues through next week.

The office named Quincy McDonald in an indictment after previously refusing to identify the boy who was killed in Sidney in December.

The four were each charged aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Town Manager Dawn DiBlasi wants to move the annual town meeting from June to May, but some other town officials have doubts.

Reporting Aside: There are great resources available in Maine for those thinking about starting a garden, Amy Calder writes.

J.P. Devine shares childhood memories of the one-cent token.

Nikeshia Knight, 25, of Waterville was sentenced Thursday to serve more than three years in federal prison.

More than 50 people gathered Thursday morning on the sidewalk in downtown Waterville to protest President Trump and Elon Musk.

Elijah Seth Yeaton of Waterville is alleged to have started a fire on or about May 3, 2024, in an attempt to cause the death of another human being, the indictment says.

The store at 180 JFK Plaza off Kennedy Memorial Drive is one of hundreds of Joann stores slated to close.

Selectmen developed the policy after rejecting a proposal to name a field after a longtime coach.

The pair led activities Feb. 15 at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's Winter Extravaganza at Range Pond State Park in Poland.

During a long career in Maine journalism, Judy Meyer championed open records and open meetings in Maine.

The town’s municipal elections and town meeting are scheduled for Monday, March 3.

Tian Tao, 54, was arrested Thursday as part of an investigation into a business, Asian Massage, in Rockland, police said.

The homeowner died of injuries from the Halloween fire on Waterville Road.

The town and school district had asked the attorney general’s office for an opinion about whether a school board member can be employed by a contractor that provides services for the school district.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos for Feb. 14-21, 2025.

Reporting Aside: The duo fled Venezuela and entered the U.S. legally, now they fear being deported as they wait for a court hearing, Amy Calder writes.

Firefighters responded to a fully involved fire, believed to be started by a woodstove, early Thursday morning, a fire official said.

Church leaders say the city has stymied its religious land use by failing to let it remove two buildings from its property.

Redington-Fairview General Hospital is planning to expand with a 24,000-square-foot medical office building and two new parking areas.

The 90 mph chase through Winthrop and Monmouth on Tuesday ended with a crash that totaled two vehicles.

City councilors were set to take a final vote Tuesday night to allow demolition of two buildings, but instead decided to send the proposal back to the Planning Board.

Giovanni Sinclair, whose work-issued firearm was taken away when he was served a protection from abuse order, was later charged with misdemeanor domestic violence assault.

Faced with cold temperatures and icy wind gusts, the protesters outside the Maine State House shielded their faces with homemade signs whose messages included "SAVE DEMOCRACY," "JUSTICE NOW" or "ARREST MUSK."

The fire reported at 6:51 a.m. Saturday on Depot Street drew firefighters from 12 towns, according to a fire official.

The new store in China Village celebrated its grand opening this weekend.

Officials said a wiring malfunction caused the blaze at 24 Rowell St., where a couple and six children were living.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

The Board of Selectmen has signed off on a transportation study that also recommends changes to the rotary and adding sidewalks and bicycle lanes.

Cianbro and Patriot Renewables are proposing a 60-megawatt solar farm at an old military radar site in Moscow and Caratunk.

The new store at Elm Plaza on upper Main Street is at the space that housed JCPenney until late last year.

There are hundreds of 'problem roads' in Maine, one expert says, pitting landowners against the general public.

The services are to be relocated over the next several months to the Inland Hospital campus on Kennedy Memorial Drive, officials said.

Reporting Aside: Feb. 15 is National Gumdrop Day. But where are the celebrated candies?, Amy Calder writes.

Slippery conditions are expected Friday, and snow and sleet are expected over the weekend.

A building at 60 Front St. is the first of several to be demolished as part of Head of Falls Village.

Voters on Tuesday chose Whitney Cunliffe to serve the remainder of a term that runs through June 2026.

Ryan Ansart, 22, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, is expected to serve three years in federal prison for crimes in April 2022.

The Office of State Fire Marshal continues to investigate the cause of a fire early Sunday that destroyed Morrissette Inc. at 223 College Avenue.

The driver failed to stop at railroad safety gates that had been lowered on Main Street, police said.

Volunteers harvested more than 3 tons of ice Sunday in Freeman Township for a mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath used in rites of renewal and purification, at Beth Israel Synagogue.

Three men and a woman were arrested at the apartment on Kennedy Memorial Drive, where police seized illegal drugs and a handgun, officials said.

Kendall Purnell, 38, of Norridgewock is accused of killing Harold Burgess, 71, and seriously injuring Shawn Haggan, 45.

Andre Jones, 36, of Bronx, New York, was arrested after Waterville police and agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency's South Central District Task Force intercepted drugs being trafficked into Maine, police said.

Activities are scheduled to begin Saturday at Lake George Regional Park and run until the flagship event, Skijor Skowhegan, at the fairgrounds Feb. 22.

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office responded to 40 Walnut Drive just before midnight Friday for a reported assault.

Skowhegan Area High School’s team also won the Maine Principals' Association Sportsmanship Award.

Jack Clukey was the town manager of Dover-Foxcroft, his hometown, for the past two decades, and spent 10 years before that as a town manager in Washington County.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Reporting Aside: Jean Theriault is retiring after 50 years of catering everything from weddings and funerals to gun shows and birthday parties, Amy Calder writes.

The City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to hire Eaton Peabody Consulting Group of Augusta for $8,000 to search for a new city manager following Bryan Kaenrath's resignation.

Michael R. Mooney, now 53, of Waterville was hired in 2019 as the administrator at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House of Pittsfield.

One city councilor who voted against the proposal said it sets a bad precedent on housing. Another vote is needed.

'It's completely illegal and it removes Congress from having the financial control that is constitutionally theirs,' one protester said of the billionaire's access to government payment systems.

Damiean Marcial-Alexander stole firearms from J.R.'s Trading & Pawn in downtown Waterville in 2022.

Plans for the site at 201 Waterville Road include 36 mobile home lots and six recreational vehicle lots.

Paul Dunphy drove into a man who was reporting his erratic driving in a store parking lot and then fled the scene, according to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

Waterville first responders rushed Tuesday afternoon to Walmart, which was cleared of shoppers.

Alexander Wyman and Sarah Wyman of Solon are facing charges in connection with the incident that took Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigators days to unravel.

Company officials said the contractor was working last month at the Skowhegan mill when he was seriously injured.

"I don't think I've ever seen one quite this old," said the lawyer representing the estate of Edward E. Spaulding Sr., who officials say paid his taxes every year for decades.

The town’s waste management and recycling supervisor recommended the town stop paying for commercial trash disposal and encourage businesses to recycle more.

Lovers of Model T snowmobiles were showing off their antique vehicles during the Model T Ford Snowmobile Club’s 25th annual meet.

City Manager Bryan Kaenrath sent an email to councilors just before midnight Thursday notifying them he is leaving his job May 1.

MaineGeneral Health and Redington-Fairview General Hospital expect more demand once birthing services in Waterville close March 1.

Reporting Aside: Nick Cyr landed his first full-time job about two months ago at the Goodwill store in downtown Waterville, Amy Calder writes.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Jamie Rooney, 52, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, died Thursday when his snowmobile struck a box truck driving on Hastings Road in Jackman.

With engineering costs also increasing, town officials are taking a hard look at the project’s budget.

Selectman Steven Govoni said his company, Wentworth Partners & Associates, has been losing money on the project.

Frank Foss Jr., 28, of Dresden fatally shot himself in the head July 23, 2023, after being shot in the stomach by a Maine State Police detective, the panel said.

While Wednesday's snow added to the snowfall totals this winter, the region is still lagging behind last year's totals by the end of January by about 7 inches.

Selectmen said the town needs a policy detailing the process for dedicating public spaces.

The crash occurred near mile marker 117 southbound in Sidney during this morning's snowstorm, state police said.

The Planning Board voted 4-1 on Tuesday night to recommend that the City Council approve revisions to the zoning contract for 3, 5 and 7 Park St.

The restoration of the endangered historic building is expected to finish this year.

Police say they found 37.3 grams of fentanyl in the vehicle, which officers had stopped outside George’s Banana Stand.

Todd Bouchard, 62, of Madison was northbound in a Ford F-150 pickup truck when he crossed the centerline and collided with a southbound tractor-trailer, officials said.

After a former board member questioned why his replacement was not given his seat on a committee, district officials determined they were violating bylaws defining town representation on committees.

Reporting Aside: Dropping everything digital may be a way to find respite in a world spinning out of control, Amy Calder writes.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

The fire apparently started in a gearbox of a conveyor belt that moves wood chips to be processed, Skowhegan fire Chief Ronnie Rodriguez said.

Birthing services will not be available starting March 1 at Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Women's Health.

A jury on Thursday convicted Christopher C. Cates, a lifetime registrant on the state's sex offender registry, after a three-day trial.

"I have many friends in the city. I know many people. I feel it's like my village," Hasan Sif Eddin, who came to Waterville from Syria, said at an event Wednesday night.

Regional School Unit 18 Superintendent Carl Gartley has announced he will retire at the current school year, but some educators are raising concerns over his return as a temporary interim assistant superintendent.

Two fires were reported an hour apart Tuesday, prompting a broad response from area firefighters.

The two alleged victims in the case are expected to testify, prosecutors said.

Jonathan Petgrave, 37, was arrested Thursday and charged with Class A trafficking in crack cocaine and fentanyl.

Town officials say the maintenance is necessary to protect historic gravestones.

The town's Memorial Hall Committee hired a Portland architectural firm to go over the building to determine what would be needed to preserve it, how much it would cost and how long the work would take, with a report expected in about a month.

About two dozen people trudged along sidewalks laden with 5 inches of unshoveled snow to deliver hats, gloves and scarves to those who need them.

The Fairfield Police Department said Sunday it was investigating the alleged hit-and-run crash, which occurred at about 5:45 p.m. Saturday on a dark stretch of Oakland Road.

The warming center at the Augusta Civic Center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this coming Monday through Wednesday so people may stay warm during the cold snap.

Two adults and a 5-year-old lost their home and all their belongings in the early morning fire Saturday at 10 Birchwood St., Detroit fire Chief Don Chute said.

A contractor working at the Sappi Somerset Mill in Skowhegan fell through a roof opening Friday and suffered serious injuries, according to a Sappi official.

Fair wages and work-life balance are among the topics of negotiations IAM Local 2740 members and the company plan to revisit Tuesday, a union representative said.

The Somerset County grand jury indicted 52 defendants on various charges when it met in December, according to the district attorney’s office.

The state's medical cannabis market does not require testing for chemicals or mold. Industry groups are pushing back against the bill.

Winter sports, Gerard's Pizza and the Northeast Motorsports Expo and Trade Show also were among some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

The Fairfield Police Department said Sunday it was investigating the alleged hit-and-run crash, which occurred at about 5:45 p.m. Saturday on a dark stretch of Oakland Road.

Elm City Music Community School will offer private and group classes to people of all ages and abilities in areas including strings, woodwinds and brass instruments, piano, vocals and percussion.

The driver, Philip Marson, 69, died early Thursday after his pickup truck veered into the median strip, according to officials.

An employee of the Main Street store called police around 3 a.m. to report a robbery.

Colby College plans a community breakfast and day of service, while resident Elizabeth Leonard is set to lead an event scheduled to start at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Planning Board voted 5-2 Tuesday to postpone making a recommendation to the City Council on whether to approve a plan for First Church of Waterville on Park Street.

Central Maine Eats: Kasha Gray preserves family tradition as Gerard's Pizza celebrates six decades in business.

Without public input, Winslow councilors took the first vote to dismantle the department less than two years after it was formed.

The Skowhegan Police Department had expressed interest in bidding against the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, which has had contracts with the town since 2015.

The state fire marshal is investigating after a fire was set late Monday at a mobile home in Winslow.

McDermott, 49, who lives in Ward 3, has served on the Board of Education for two years.

The student's family has sought a temporary protection from harassment order against Patrick Engleright following the alleged incident at practice Dec. 19 at Messalonskee High School.

Organizers had hoped to have permits by the end of 2024, but construction could start this year.

The class, taught by local artist Misha Oraa Ali, introduced some art students to 3D technology for the first time.

Amanda Bisol, Whitney Cunliffe, Ester Franklin and John Grohs are set to appear on the ballot.

Bruesewitz will become the Colby provost July 1, succeeding Margaret McFadden, who has been in the position since 2017.

We should take what steps we can, no matter how small, to help make the world a better place in 2025, Amy Calder writes.

The number of youth players in Maine is down 15% over the last 20 years.

The Andwell Hospice Thrift Store will open next month in downtown Waterville, with the proceeds to benefit Andwell hospice clients who are uninsured or underinsured.

Wayne Wofford, 47, an outspoken critic of rules about masking at schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been appointed to fill the seat held previously by Julian Payne on the Maine School Administrative District 54 board of directors.

Two dogs and a cat died, but no injuries to residents or firefighters were reported, a fire official said.

Three councilors, including newly elected Timothy Martin and Matthew Tulley, joined forces Wednesday to oust incumbents.

Rebecca Green, D-Ward 4, was reelected Tuesday after she and Councilor Rien Finch, D-Ward 6, were nominated for the leadership position.

The City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to override Mayor Mike Morris' veto of a Dec. 17 council vote to create a task force that would recommend ways the city can support homeless and vulnerable people.

In Central Maine Eats, Home Town Cafe, a new breakfast and lunch eatery, opened Thursday at 72 Armory Road in Waterville.