Northeast

Historic covered bridge closed after truck falls through, creating gaping hole

Published

2 years ago

August 25, 2024

Historic covered bridge closed after truck falls through, creating gaping hole

A historic covered bridge in Maine is closed after an “overweight dump truck” fell through, creating a gaping hole, officials said.

It happened on Babb’s Bridge between Gorham and Windham on Friday afternoon, the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Facebook. The bridge is expected to be closed for months, a press release states.

The Gorham Police Department shared photos of the crash scene on Facebook to alert the public to find an alternate route.

“The excessive weight of the vehicle caused the wooden floor of the bridge structure to give way,” the Facebook post said.

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Officials said the overweight truck was crossing from Gorham into Windham, Maine, at the time of the crash into the water. (Gorham Police Department)

“The driver should be made to pay for repairing the bridge, it was not designed for large commercial vehicals,” one Facebook user commented on the police department’s post.

MaineDOT says the bridge, which is the state’s oldest – originally built in 1840 – has a posted weight limit of three tons. Police said the dump truck was loaded with crushed gravel, causing MaineDOT to say the truck that caused the damage was likely “several times the posted weight limit.”

It was determined the truck entered the bridge from the Gorham side before falling through the first panel of the bridge deck into the river below.

Babb’s Bridge is a single-lane, state-owned structure that spans the Presumpscot River. MaineDOT says about 360 vehicles cross the bridge daily.

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The truck, which has been identified by local news as a Ford F750, can be seen in the Presumpscot River. (Gorham Police Department)

The bridge has seen its share of troubles. After being burned by vandals in 1973, MaineDOT crews rebuilt an exact replica that opened in 1976. Vandals again struck in 2014, cutting holes in the bridge’s roof. In 2015, the bridge was damaged by a snow plow.

The bridge is inspected by state officials at least every two years. Its last inspection was at the end of last month, MaineDOT said. The three-ton weight limit was posted on the bridge in 1983 and has not changed since then.

Babb’s Bridge was originally built in 1840, but now stands as a replica that was completed in 1976. (Maine Department of Transportation)

The truck driver was identified as Joshua Polewarzyk, 37, of Limington. He was driving a Ford F750, local TV station WMTW reports. He was able to get out of the truck, and suffered minor injuries. When the truck was pulled from the river, the logo of an asphalt contractor named The Driveway Guys was spotted on its side.

“The last time this bridge was damaged, they considered closing it to vehicles and only allowing pedestrian traffic,” a local wrote on the police department’s post. “I hope this doesn’t push that agenda again. This is about a mile from my house and I go this way about 60% of the time.”

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Maine

PACs should ease up on the political propaganda in Maine | Letter

Published

38 minutes ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

PACs should ease up on the political propaganda in Maine | Letter

Maine folks are being harassed with political ads. We are all sick and tired of the mostly mean-spirited rhetoric appearing constantly in ads, mail and by phone from traditional and super PACS, dousing us with propaganda.

Trust me when I say that we are well aware of how our representatives serve Maine. Their actions or inactions speak volumes.

Here is an impressive action that should be implemented. Make it mandatory that all out-of-state campaign spenders, who throw obscene amounts of money on political ads regarding Maine candidates, hence disturbing our peace and privacy, must spend the equal amount directly on the people of Maine, who are literally struggling with various affordability crises (too many to list, but felt daily).

Money is no object during an election year, when they want our full attention. If they invested in Maine folks, instead of bombarding us with ads that we ideally tune out, that might get our attention. We are witness to millions of dollars being thrown at ads, as Maine struggles. And that is all we notice.

Christine Hoyt
Rumford

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Massachusetts

Three share lead as Massachusetts Amateur gets underway at Winchester – The Boston Globe

Published

52 minutes ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

Three share lead as Massachusetts Amateur gets underway at Winchester – The Boston Globe

Carson Erick, Jake Mrva, and Patrick Kilcoyne took a big first step Monday toward reaching match play by sharing the lead at 3-under 68 in the 118th Massachusetts Amateur at Winchester Country Club.

Kilcoyne was the runner-up last year at GreatHorse to Ryan Downes.

Max McColgan posted the only bogey-free round of the day, with a 69. He birdied two of the par 5s, Nos. 2 and 13. He is part of a group of four at 2 under that also includes 2024 champion Matthew Naumec.

Among the six members of the host club in the 144-player field, Joey Monahan led the way with a 70. His cousin, Aidan Monahan, won the club championship on Sunday and turned in a 72. They are nephews of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

Lucas Dascoli recorded a hole-in-one on the 127-yard ninth hole with a 50-degree wedge. The ace had him make the turn at 1 over, but he dropped five shots over the final four holes and settled for a 77 and is in a tie for 71st.

The average score was 76.83, playing 2.67 over par on the front and 3.15 over on the back. Ten players managed to post a red figure while eight turned in a 71.

The top 32 players following Tuesday’s second round of qualifying will reach match play that begins Wednesday. The 36-hole final is scheduled for Friday.

Keith Pearson can be reached at keith.pearson@globe.com.

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New Hampshire

Suspected gunman in Hampton Beach shooting was in U.S. Navy

Published

1 hour ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

Suspected gunman in Hampton Beach shooting was in U.S. Navy

The suspected gunman in a shooting in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, in the hours after July 4 was an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy, officials said Monday.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office had previously identified the man who shot a man and woman, then himself, early Sunday morning as 21-year-old Tyshawn Cooper. Cooper died by suicide in a confrontation with police.

Cooper worked on the USS Hampton as an information systems technician (submarines), second class, according to an update from prosecutors and state and local police on Monday. He was living in New Hampshire for the military assignment — the submarine has been at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

Cooper was not on duty at the time of the shooting, a spokesman for the Navy told NBC10 Boston Monday.

“We are deeply saddened by this event and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families. The Navy is cooperating fully with the New Hampshire State Police, who are leading the investigation into the circumstances of the shooting,” the statement said.

The USS Hampton, an attack submarine, is named for four cities with the name Hampton, including New Hampshire’s.

The man, 23, and woman, 25, remained hospitalized on Monday, officials said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service was reviewing the incident along with state police and prosecutors, according to officials’ update.

Officials haven’t yet said what’s suspected to have led to the shooting, first reported on Ocean Boulevard about 1:19 a.m. Sunday. Officers then encountered Cooper near P Street and Ashworth Avenue, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. During that interaction, the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head. At the same time, an officer fired their weapon.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death was a gunshot wound of head and that the manner of his death was suicide.

Though the officer’s shot was not the cause of death, the Attorney General’s Office will conduct a use of force investigation.

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