Maine
Maine State Police Briefs from Troop F – Sept. 12-18
Listed here are a number of the incidents responded to by Troop F of the Maine State Police throughout the week of September twelfth by means of the 18th. Summaries could also be minimally edited.
ATV driver issued felony summons in Frenchville
On September twelfth, Trooper Desrosier was conducting site visitors enforcement in Frenchville when he observed an ATV driving in the midst of the roadway. He acknowledged the driving force and when the ATV operator noticed Trooper Desrosier, he turned down a discipline street and disappeared. Trooper Desrosier and two native Sport Wardens tried to find the ATV however had been unsuccessful. On 9/18/2022, Trooper Desrosier situated the person and issued him a felony summons for Working After Revocation and for Violating his Circumstances of Launch. The person signed each summonses with out incident.
Man arrested in Oakfield for intercourse offender violation
On September 14th, whereas investigating a sperate incident, Trooper Rider was talking with a person and found he had a warrant for his arrest as a result of a intercourse offender registry violation. The person admitted to figuring out concerning the warrant. He was arrested with out incident and transported to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.
Two males charged with theft of golf cart from Limestone residence
On September 14th, Trooper Roy started investigating the theft of a golf cart from a campground in Limestone. A witness discovered the golf cart at a house in Limestone. The golf cart was painted, altered, and destroyed as a method of fixing its look. Via interviews, Trooper Roy discovered {that a} Limestone man lied about proudly owning the golf cart to his confederate, a Fort Fairfield man. The Limestone male requested the Fort Fairfield man to take the golf cart from the sufferer’s camp and drive it to the place it was recovered. The Limestone man instructed his confederate to spray paint the golf cart after they stole it. The Fort Fairfield man finally painted and destroyed the golf cart. Each males had a number of prior felony convictions for thefts associated expenses, which aggravated the fees on this case. The Fort Fairfield man was additionally out on bail and violated his bail circumstances by committing one other crime. Trooper Roy summonsed and charged the Fort Fairfield man with felony Theft by Unauthorized Use, Felony Mischief and Violation of his Circumstances of Launch. Trooper Roy arrested the Limestone man on expenses of Felony Conspiracy, felony Theft by Unauthorized Taking or Switch, and Falsification of Proof. Each males are scheduled to look in Caribou District Courtroom in December.
Man arrested in Mars Hill/Blaine space for driving with suspended license
On September seventeenth, Trooper Roy was driving by means of a car parking zone in Mars Hill and observed a truck that had an expired registration. Trooper Roy waited for the driving force of the truck to come back out of the shop. He noticed a person drive the truck by means of the car parking zone and cease on the native gasoline station. Whereas conducting an unrelated site visitors cease, Trooper Roy noticed the truck he was watching depart the gasoline station and gave the impression to be taking facet streets to keep away from him. Trooper Roy tried to cease the truck, however it pulled into a non-public driveway. The driving force refused to establish himself at first however later gave his identify and date of start. Trooper Roy carried out a pc question and found the person had a suspended driver’s license. The person was arrested for OAS and delivered to Presque Isle PD the place he posted bail. He was additionally issued a site visitors summons for the expired registration.
Visitors cease in Oakfield leads to felony summons
On September nineteenth, Trooper Castonguay was conducting site visitors enforcement in Oakfield when he noticed a car with blue-colored headlights and unlawful window tint. After conducting a site visitors cease and investigation, it was discovered the driving force didn’t have a driver’s license. The person was issued a felony summons for working with no license. He was issued a number of warnings for a number of site visitors offenses. The passenger within the car had a legitimate license and agreed to drive the car.
Troop F specialty staff educated in new digital camera programs
Corporal Kilcollins and Trooper Martin attended a weeklong ERT class in Bangor. The category was about learn how to use the newly upgraded digital camera programs the staff has obtained.
Misplaced purse discovered alongside Route 1 in Littleton
On September 14th, a employee from Maine DOT discovered a handbag on the facet of Route 1 in Littleton. The DOT employee suggested they regarded within the purse to see if they may discover the proprietor. In line with the license within the pockets it was not removed from the proprietor’s home. The DOT employee suggested they tried to contact the feminine however was not in a position to. Later the evening Trooper Barnard went to the tackle and contacted the feminine. The purse was given again to its rightful proprietor.
Pickup truck stolen in Limestone
On September fifteenth, Cpl. Casavant obtained a name reference to a stolen motorcar in Limestone. The caller suggested the car had been taken a while previously week. The caller was within the technique of restoring the pickup truck and had discovered a purchaser. When he went to the place the car was being saved, it was gone. The investigation is ongoing.
Oakfield man summonsed after being stopped at checkpoint on I-95
On September sixteenth, US Border Patrol was doing an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 95 in Sherman once they got here involved with a driver who was below suspension and had falsely hooked up license plates. Trooper Saucier responded to the checkpoint and issued the Oakfield man a summons for OAS in addition to Unlawful Attachment of Plates. The car was towed from the scene.
Houlton Girl charged with OUI of medication, arrested on 2 warrants
On September sixteenth, Trooper Saucier responded to the US Border Patrol checkpoint in Sherman after a lady virtually struck one of many brokers as she was approaching the realm. The girl was performing irrationally throughout their investigation. Trooper Saucier carried out discipline sobriety exams on the girl which she failed. She was positioned below arrest on two warrants and transported to East Millinocket PD. On account of Trooper Saucier’s investigation, the Houlton girl was additionally charged with OUI Medication.
State Police examine housebreaking at vacant house in Hamlin
On September sixteenth, Cpl. Casavant responded to a vacant Hamlin residence after a neighbor referred to as to report he believed somebody was inside. Cpl. Casavant checked, and no person was nonetheless inside. Nonetheless, it appeared there have been no less than two suspects who had been inside and had been within the technique of chopping copper when the neighbor had pulled into the driveway and checked the outside of the home with a flashlight. After the neighbor left, it’s believed the suspects fled the house. Bodily proof was collected on the scene and the investigation is ongoing.
Stacyville man issued a number of warnings for harassing prospects at native companies
On September seventeenth, Trooper Saucier obtained a name direct from a restaurant in Oakfield advising a person was harassing prospects inside. Trooper Saucier responded and issued the Stacyville man a Felony Trespass discover to not return to the institution. The person has been issued trespass warnings for a number of companies as a result of his conduct.
Troop F is answerable for Maine State Police protection for all of Aroostook County and the northern elements of Penobscot, Piscataquis and Somerset Counties. The Commanding Officer is Lt. Brian L. Harris, who supplied the data above.
Cruise this Aroostook County Scenic Byway for Countless Foliage Views
One in every of Maine’s northernmost scenic byways is an ideal foliage cruise this fall. The Fish River Scenic Byway observe’s a 38 mile stretch of Route 11 in northern Aroostook county. The byway begins in Portage Lake and winds it is method by means of the densely forested lands to Fort Kent. Alongside the way in which you may see huge valleys of wildflowers, views of scenic Eagle Lake, and one big hill that provides views of Mt. Katahdin. The journey ends, America’s first mile.
Maine
Maine LifeFlight helicopters disrupted by laser strike
A LifeFlight crew was disrupted by a laser last week while flying back to their base in Sanford.
The light was pointed at the helicopter, which was flying at about 2,000 feet in the air around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, according to LifeFlight of Maine, a nonprofit that provides emergency medical transportation. While the pilot was able to fly back safely, those flashes of light can temporarily blind the crew, who are often wearing night vision goggles, the company said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has monitored thousands of nationwide laser strikes, where someone points the beam at an aircraft. As of Sept. 30, a total of 8,863 incidents were reported to the agency, 24 of which happened in Maine. In 2023, the nationwide total was 13,304.
This is the fourth laser strike reported by a Maine LifeFlight pilot in two years, the company said.
Pointing a laser at aircraft is a federal crime, punishable by a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. And according to Maine law, pointing a laser at a uniformed law enforcement officer or injuring another person with a laser is a Class D crime.
This story will be updated.
Maine
Opinion: With updated plan, Maine seizes opportunity to continue climate progress
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Jack Shapiro is the climate and clean energy director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Jeff Marks is the executive director of ClimateWork Maine.
On Thursday, Maine released its updated Climate Action Plan, “Maine Won’t Wait.” It provides an ambitious and achievable pathway for meeting the state’s climate goals while encouraging new economic opportunities, creating good-paying jobs, saving money on energy costs, and making our communities and businesses more resilient for all Maine people.
A bipartisan climate law passed in 2019 set the stage for the creation of the first Climate Action Plan published in 2020 and required it be updated quadrennially. In those last four years, we’ve seen enormous progress made across the state. But scientists and our own experiences have made clear that the impacts of climate change have become more pronounced, causing damage to critical infrastructure, harm to local communities and businesses, and interruptions to Maine’s way of life.
The new plan provides a framework for addressing these impacts and creates a promising vision for moving forward through a number of strategies, all linked to the health of our economy and the health of our communities.
First is a focus on the two largest sectors for carbon emissions: transportation and buildings. The plan outlines how we can modernize our transportation system to better connect residents to local businesses, critical services like health care, and to provide more mobility choices. Zero-emission cars, trucks and buses are part of the solution, as is expanding public transit and encouraging safer walking and biking.
Making our buildings more efficient, resilient, and healthy is next. Greener buildings will help save families and businesses money while also reducing indoor air pollution and making spaces more comfortable.
Building reliable, home-grown clean energy sources is key. Diversifying our energy sources by adopting proven renewable energy technologies is a practical path forward that will benefit Maine people, our economy, our communities, and our abundant natural resources.
Most of the technologies we need to help reduce climate change already exist and will cost Mainers less than continuing our dependence on expensive and polluting sources of energy. Investing in new clean energy technologies creates jobs, attracts talent to Maine, and helps local businesses grow.
Maine’s natural and working lands are part of the plan, with a goal to expand conserved land to 30 percent of the state by 2030 while supporting heritage industries like forestry and farming. The plan prioritizes conservation in areas with rich biodiversity, carbon storage potential, lands with cultural and economic importance, and lands that improve public access.
Other key elements of the plan are building an equitable clean energy economy — which already employs 15,000 Mainers — and empowering healthy and resilient communities. We will also want to make sure workers employed in the fossil fuel industries have the training to transition to this new clean energy workforce in order to keep Maine competitive.
For the first time, “Maine Won’t Wait” addresses the impact that waste has on our climate and health. Reducing waste won’t just save taxpayers money, it will encourage businesses to work with entrepreneurs and others to creatively curb plastic pollution, reduce food waste, and lower the burden on our landfills.
Even if climate change wasn’t a crisis bringing increased flooding and storm damage to our doorsteps, these strategies would be common sense. That’s why Maine people from Kittery to Caribou have grabbed on to solutions like heat pumps — that reduce pollution and heating costs all at once — making Maine a national leader in heat pump adoption.
More transportation options and less air pollution, more efficiency and less waste, more job opportunities, and less money spent on out-of-state fossil fuels – these are things we can all agree on.
In face of expected attempts to roll back federal climate action, Maine Won’t Wait presents an exciting opportunity for us to set an example for the rest of the nation. By working together to implement the recommendations in the plan we can improve the lives of all people throughout our rural state, not just a few.
Maine
Planned Parenthood says requests for birth control spiked in Maine after Trump election
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England says requests for long-acting reversible contraceptives have nearly doubled at its clinics since the Nov. 5 election that resulted in Republicans gaining control of U.S. Congress and the White House.
In the week after the election, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England received 215 appointment requests for long-acting contraceptives, including birth control implants and intrauterine devices, at its clinics in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, almost twice as much as its normal weekly bookings of 111. In Maine, bookings went from an average of 26 weekly appointments to 48 in the week after the election.
While President-elect Donald Trump has said he would not support a national abortion plan, reproductive rights advocates have doubted that he would refuse to sign such a bill.
Advocates have also raised concerns that the Trump administration will restrict access to reproductive health services and could try to use a 19th century law – the Comstock Act – to forbid shipping mifepristone, the abortion pill, across state lines – a claim Trump denied during the campaign.
Abortion rights advocates also warned that a Trump administration could also make it more difficult to access contraceptives.
Almost all Republican politicians are anti-abortion, and starting in January Republicans will control all levers of the federal government, with the presidency, both houses of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority.
Nicole Clegg, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said in a statement that “our patients are worried.”
“They are concerned that they may not be able to access the care they need or make the best choices for their health,” Clegg said. “Election outcomes shouldn’t have this type of impact on people’s lives. People shouldn’t wake up one morning and find that getting the method of birth control they want or need is now out of their hands. These are personal decisions and shouldn’t be subject to political whims.”
The Supreme Court in 2022 reversed Roe v. Wade, leaving decisions about whether abortion is legal up to the states. While Maine passed laws increasing access to abortion, 21 states either banned abortion outright or placed strict restrictions on abortion care.
The first Trump administration, which ran from 2017-2020, instituted a gag order on what abortion clinics could say about abortion care to their patients, resulting in a cut in federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
In addition to the interest in long-acting contraceptives, the number of vasectomy consultations, 26 in the first two weeks of November, had already surpassed Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s monthly average of 23.
Also, Planned Parenthood has experienced an increase in patients reaching out about the potential for reduced access to gender-affirming care during the Trump administration, although there was no data released about an increase in these concerns.
This story will be updated.
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