Local & State - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel (2024)

The U.S. Department of Transportation granted Downeast Transportation Inc. the funding to buy 23 electric buses.

Charlie Martin has been working to open Maine Plywood USA in the small Somerset County town, investing millions to manufacture a product in the U.S. that now is largely imported.

Authorities were alerted about 20-year-old Gregory Taylor after an eyewitness reported seeing a swimmer in distress.

While the parties will now have to renegotiate a new settlement, Maine is expecting to receive about $235 million over the next 18 years from other opioid settlements.

Joseph Eaton, who faces four counts of murder and one count of aggravated attempted murder, will appear in Sagadahoc County Superior Court on Monday afternoon.

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

The Mexican restaurant at 60 Waterville Road opened about two weeks ago after about four months of floor-to-ceiling renovations to the space.

Amtrak and CSX will be installing a 'positive train control' system on the Downeaster tracks, intended to automatically control train speeds and movements.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin includes both Mainers among moderates he's endorsing from both parties.

Hallowell police allege that Manchester Fire Chief Francis R. Wozniak had blue lights installed on a town of Manchester-owned pickup truck and told people he was the town 'constable,' a position that does not exist.

Bob Sanders passed through the Augusta area Thursday — one stop in a tour of the three northern New England states to raise funds to support humanitarian aid in Gaza and other causes.

Gov. Janet Mills' brother, who has served as executive director of the quasi-governmental agency since 2011, said his health factored into his decision to not seek reappointment in September.

The man has everything he needs, including a bed, a thick wool blanket, a solar panel and insulation for his windows, Amy Calder writes.

Maine's 1st District congresswoman said the effort is meant to draw attention to the toll that mass-produced clothing has on climate change.

The donation was made by the Harold Alfond Foundation to build on the success of existing programming that the organization believes can help ease Maine's labor shortage.

Maxwell Goguen, 24, was northbound from North Anson toward Embden when his 2006 Chevrolet Malibu went off the left side of the road just before 7:30 p.m., according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the crash.

Police say an electric vehicle crashed into a tree at high speed, forcing officials to temporarily close Harrison Road in Naples when battery debris spread over a wide area and started numerous small fires.

The Kennebec Roofing Industrial Annex is expected to accommodate 10 storefronts, and plans are underway for more office space and a multisport facility.

The state's only aquarium reopened Wednesday and features new exhibits and research about the Gulf of Maine.

Town officials cited concerns over not hiring the employees, liability, insurances and other legalities.

Robert Fanning, 39, was arrested June 14 by the Oxford County Sheriff's Office.

About a dozen employees from Huhtamaki were volunteering Wednesday to help frame up the structure.

James Nile, 32, was charged Tuesday night with OUI and released from jail Wednesday morning on $300 bail.

Capitol City Manor, a 29-bed facility on State Street, was under investigation in recent months for reports of abuse and neglect.

Only minor injuries were reported. Investigators were headed to the scene of the crash.

The party is focusing on Senate seats in Auburn and Augusta, which are currently held by Republicans who are not seeking reelection.

Questions about traffic and noise were raised Tuesday as the board considered an informal preapplication for a food truck court on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

Voters on Tuesday approved raising and appropriating $158,071 for general government, which had been left off the June 10 town meeting warrant due to a typographical error.

Maine also filled 9,300 nonfarm jobs from May 2023 to May 2024, in large part thanks to gains in Maine's health care and social assistance sector.

The town's Marijuana Committee recommends a 50-foot setback with a 5-acre parcel.

Berry, a well-known real estate agent, had served on the council since 2014 and voiced interest on topics including affordable housing, taxes and education.

When he was found in his Litchfield home on May 18, Gerald Marin had been dead more than a week, police say in the criminal complaint charging Shari Allimah with murder.

Nathan Morris, 27, of Norridgewock, was issued a summons for operating under the influence, according to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

My Dad's Place, owned by Lynn and Matt Brennick, will be featured on 'America's Best Restaurants' show.

Waterville police and agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency searched an Silver Street apartment on Thursday.

Randal J. Hennessey, 33, is accusing of killing his landlord Douglas 'Doug' Michaud Jr. in 2021 on their building's front porch.

This is the second humpback whale found dead in Maine waters this month.

Jonathan Dodge was found dead at a home on Saturday.

James Wells got down on one wet knee to ask Olympic gold medal swimmer Lilly King to marry him. She said yes.

The van is operated by Greater Portland Health, which serves vulnerable communities in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook.

The Union of Concerned Scientists predicts that high-tide flooding caused by rising seas will hit critical facilities with a few years if emissions stay the same.

Maine State Police are investigating the death in northern Aroostook County and say there is no danger to the public.

The town has not yet determined what species of whale it is.

A new summer softball tournament to raise funds for multiple homeless veteran organizations is happening this weekend at the softball fields in Bath.

If convicted, prosecutors said they will request a life sentence for Randal J. Hennessey. He doesn't dispute shooting Douglas Michaud Jr. at least 6 times on their apartment building's front porch in 2021.

The fire occurred in a free-standing workshop at 61 Elm St. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will confirm the identity of the deceased, who has been preliminarily been identified as 76-year-old Dwight Russell.

The former South Portland High School student has pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal solicitation for murder.

The Kennebec County grand jury indictments for June.

Josh Forester, 48, of Cornville, is the new executive director of the Humane Society Waterville Area at 100 Webb Road in Waterville.

Roughly 100 people joined Gov. Janet Mills and other Democratic party leaders at the protest to urge voters to protect access to abortion at the polls this fall.