West Texas News

Supporters as well as opponents of a campaign for Maine's vote on bear-baiting are raising and spending big amounts of money leading up to a November referendum.

Voters across the state are debating over whether the state should put a ban on the use of bait, snare traps and dogs for hunting bears.

While opponents of the ban on the use of such methods for bear-hunting have already committed nearly $625,000 in adverting buys; supporters of the ban have so far committed more than $1 million.

Maine's struggling nursing homes will receive an additional $13.1 million during the current fiscal year, thanks to an arrangement by Governor Paul LePage that does not require approval from the Legislature.

After many weeks of squabbling with Democrats over funding for the state's nursing homes, Republican Gov. LePage's administration announced on Thursday that it had identified $4.6 million in savings in the Department of Health & Human Services that would enable them to draw down another $8.5 million in federal funding to boost Medicaid reimbursements.

Denroy Plastics, a leading moulding manufacturer from Bangor, has been able to secure a multi-million contract with Texas-based Triumph Aerostructures-Vought Aircraft Division.

The contract for five years was announced at the Farnborough Airshow yesterday. Under the deal, Denroy Plastics will supply components to Triumph Aerostructures-Vought Aircraft Division for use on the Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 8000 business jets. Denroy Plastics now employs about 160 people at its Bangor plant and is a unit of the Denroy Group, which also owns Denman International hair-care range.

The city of Portland has agreed to pay a total of about $5,000 to Portland police Capt. Mark Kruger and also erase disciplinary actions from his personnel record.

The move will settle a legal claim against the authority. The authority will erase a suspension for his public tribute to five Nazi-era German soldiers at a city park and a reprimand for retaliating against a female lieutenant.

Millie Rennie, who is the oldest women in the state of Maine, has fulfilled her wish to meet former President George H. W. Bush. She met him at Kennebunkport.

Rennie, who now lives in The Lodges Care Center in Springvale, was wishing to meet the former president for more than 20 years. She was prepared for some sort of surprise as residents gathered in the dining room on Tuesday but did not know what was going to happen. She was dressed well with a beautiful blue dress with sparkling beading on the top.

A craft brewery in the state of Maine is preparing craft beer using a new exotic ingredient, the seaweed as it looks to offer a new product in the market.

Several craft breweries are using exotic ingredients in their creations including all kinds of fruit, beers infused with coriander and other spices, stouts brewed with oysters. A craft brewery at Belfast, Maine is preparing to offer beer with seaweeds.

TheMaine National Guard has indicated that it is now planning to take steps to protect the state's cyber network from attacks. Brig. Gen. James D. Campbell said, "We have right now in the National Guard an eight-person cyber network defense team."

He was speaking to a small gathering for the July Bangor Foreign Policy Forum, held at the Bangor Public Library on Wednesday.

A new ban proposed on bear hunting might affect the state of Maine as the residents face increasing problems relating to black bears.

The Humane Society of the United States has proposed new laws that prohibit use of hunters to control bears and believes that the animal menace can be controlled without hunters. The D. C.-based Humane Society is looking to promote its anti-hunting agenda across the country.