Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Rolling blackouts may hit New England if there’s an extended cold snap this winter, as the regional power grid operator warns of a “precarious” situation due to snags in the natural gas supply.

Much of the grid’s power comes from burning natural gas, and right now that fuel is in shorter-than-normal supply and is subject to supply chain disruptions, said Gordon van Welie, CEO of ISO New England.

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — University of Maine researchers are trying to produce potatoes that can better withstand warming temperatures as the climate changes.

Warming temperatures and an extended growing season can lead to quality problems and disease, Gregory Porter, a professor of crop ecology and management, told the Bangor Daily News.

SACO, Maine (AP) — Angry over being fired, a former employee slashed the tires of his boss’ vehicle and still held the knife when police officers arrived.

Three officers positioned themselves at a safe distance as the man yelled and ranted. One officer had a stun gun, another a handgun.

The third used the most important tool — a willingness to talk.

BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) — A Maine company that’s developing a rocket to propel small satellites into space passed its first major test on Sunday.

Brunswick-based bluShift Aerospace launched a 20-foot (6-meter) prototype rocket, hitting an altitude of a little more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) in a first run designed to test the rocket’s propulsion and control systems.

Washington, Jul 15 (PTI) Indian-origin American politician Sara Gideon has won the Democratic primary for the US Senate seat from the state of Maine and will face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November elections.

Gideon, 48, is currently the Speaker of the Maine State Assembly. She had long been the favourite to challenge Collins, the sole remaining New England Republican in Congress.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Navy is proposing construction cutbacks and accelerated ship retirements that would delay, or sink, the Navy’s goal of a larger fleet — and potentially hurt shipyards, according to an initial proposal.

The proposal would shrink the size of the fleet from today’s level of 293 ships to 287 ships, a far cry from the official goal of 355 ships established in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.

FARMINGTON, Maine (AP) — A fierce propane explosion leveled a newly constructed building after fire crews arrived to investigate the smell of gas Monday, killing one firefighter and injuring at least eight other people, including fellow firefighters, officials said.

The blast was so powerful it blew a vehicle across an intersection and damaged nearby buildings. Paper, insulation and building debris rained on the area.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — U.S. lobster exports to China have fallen off a cliff this year as new retaliatory tariffs shift the seafood business farther north.

China, a huge and growing customer for lobster, placed heavy tariffs on U.S. lobsters — and many other food products — in July 2018 amid rising trade hostilities between the Chinese and the Trump administration.

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says a United Express regional jet didn’t slide off a runway in Maine — it missed the runway altogether.

A preliminary report Thursday indicates the 50-seat Embraer 145 approached to the right of the runway on an aborted first landing attempt and then again when it touched down March 4 at Presque Isle International Airport.

The document indicates it landed between the runway and taxiway.

WATERBORO, Maine (AP) — Authorities in Maine say a man broke into a home, had a bite to eat, watched TV and even got a car ride from his unsuspecting victim.

The York County sheriff’s office said 35-year-old Derek Tarbox broke into a Waterboro home Sunday afternoon, took a shower, got dressed in the homeowner’s clothing and was watching television when the homeowner arrived. The intruder said he mistakenly thought the house belonged to a friend and asked for a ride home.