Skowhegan has fired its fire chief after just three months on the job.

47-year-old Richard Fowler took the job in May.

He previously had been chief in Farmington, New Hampshire.

Skowhegan’s Town Manager Christine Almand says Fowler was let go Friday.

“Unfortunately with personnel matters, I can’t really share any details to why. I can tell you that things did not work out during his probationary period and therefore I decided to terminate his employment with the town. Other that that I really can’t say any more in regards to Mr. Fowler,” she said.

We tried to reach Fowler for comment, but were unsuccessful.

Captain Shawn Howard has been appointed interim chief.

Almand says she will likely advertise for a permanent replacement in the next few weeks.

Almand also began her position in May. She was working as the town’s Finance and Human Resources Director previously, and was on the committee that hired Fowler.

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On Monday’s I Love My Pet, meet Ke-Ke and Hootchie Baby.

Ke-Ke and Hootchie Baby belongs to Irene in Parkman.

Ke-Ke was adopted and has been a joy to love.

When she first came home her owner says she was a bit of loner but she loves attention now, she’s also a great mouser.

Hoochie was adopted from Bangor Humane Society about 9 months ago and has become a big part of the family.

Both Hootchie and Ke-Ke love to share window space watching the birds and other critters outside.

Arizona is looking for a forever home, she’s at the Kennebec Valley Humane Society in Augusta.

She is a three year old American Pit Bull Terrier mix.

Arizona is an outgoing, friendly, and affectionate dog, because of Arizona’s outgoing personality and her history of playing rough at time, she does need to go to a home that has no children under the age of ten.

She is also cautious of canines as well.

If you are looking to adopt Arizona, or you would like to adopt another pet from the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, call 626-3491 or go to pethavenlane.org

To have your pet featured, send us a photo by e-mail to wabi@wabi.tv, put “attention I Love My Pet” in the subject line, or you can mail it to WABI-TV5, attention I Love My Pet, 35 Hildreth Street, Bangor 04401, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you’d like your picture returned.

Be sure to include your name, your pet’s name and tells us what makes them so special.

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A recent study ranked maine 49th out of 50 states for internet access and quality. Now, town officials in Rockport are hoping to change that.

At an afternoon press conference, Senator Angus King of Maine, Rockport town officials, Maine Media Workshops + College, GWI and Network Maine unveiled the first municipally owned, ultra-high speed internet network in Maine. The fiber optic network drastically increases the user’s download and upload speed.

“It’s capable of transmitting 1000 mb of data per second. It is also symmetrical. Meaning a customer can upload data to the internet just as fast as downloading it,” said Rick Bates, Rockport Town Manager.

Those touting the project say internet infrastructure is a huge component of economic development and expanding this network could make Maine more attractive to business owners who are all about connectivity and location.

“The internet isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s the heartbeat of commerce,” said Fletcher Kittredge, CEO of GWI.

Business owners like Lou Sapienza who owns North, South Polar Inc, a defense department contractor that recently relocated to Rockport. He says the faster network is sure to attract businesses.

“This is where i’ve always wanted to be. It’s taken me a long time to get here but to be able to run a business from here and to be able to do it in an efficient manner it is very important.”

This new network its available right now to parts of Rockport and town officials are working to expand the network to the entire town. The total cost of what’s been done so far is around $75,000 with $30,000 of that being town money. Susan Crawford, who served as President Obama’s special assistant for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy was on-hand for the event and says the project is yet another successful example of a public-private partnership.

“Without local leadership we are not going to see fiber around the country. There is no infrastructure question more important to the future of united states then getting this right,” Crawford told reporters.

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The Maine Marine Patrol is investigating a diver’s death.

A 61-year-old Massachusetts woman died Saturday, near Monhegan Island, off the coast of Bristol.

Investigators say Anna Krowczynska of Chelmsford, Massachusetts was with 5 guided divers when she failed to return to surface.

One of them found her in about 25-feet of water, brought her to safety, and then performed CPR.

Krowczynska was taken to Port Clyde by boat where she was pronounced dead by emergency responders.

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While in Rockport, Senator Angus King addressed the current situation in Iraq. U.S. airstrikes began there Friday and continued Saturday.

According to CNN, President Obama also ordered air drops of food and water to religious minorities who are trapped on a mountain top and under siege by Isis militants.

King says strategic, targeted strikes to help the Kurds in their fight against isis makes sense but he does not support any boots on the ground. He says Americans should be very concerned about Isis.

“I think we should be worried. They are brutally efficient and effective. They’ve already shown themselves to be totally bloodthirsty and without any ethics that can be discerned. You have to think, what would people like that do if they had weapons that could reach us? They’re bad actors. They’re so bad that Al-Queda got rid of them because they were too radical. What does that tell you? On the other hand I just don’t think there’s a place for us to have troops over there,” King said.

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Davis Brothers Furniture in Guilford features rustic-style furniture, much of it made right here in Maine.

Recently owner Tony Davis decided to expand, and bought the building next door.

“Well, it was an old building, everything was crooked, it needed a lot of work, the roof was bad, it had been neglected for quite a time, so it was a challenge,” said Davis.

Enter Davis’ longtime friend and Downeast Dickering star Clint Rohdin.

“I answered an ad–do you want to be on a reality TV show, and watching reality TV I thought that’s dumb,” said Rohdin.

Figuring it was a long shot, he responded to the ad, and the rest is history. But in actuality he’s been dickering for decades.

“Dickering is really–you can’t barter over a hundred-dollar bill. It doesn’t change its value. But people buy something, they lose interest in it, that’s what I’m looking for. It’s also doing a job like this siding job and I want some furniture. So we dicker for it. Tony gets a good deal and I get a good deal,” said Rohdin.

Right now Clint’s helping Tony with a little weatherizing and a little roofing on the new addition. He says around these parts it’s just about neighbor helping neighbor.

“If you see somebody on the side of the road and you help them get where they’re going, when you’re on the side of the road they’re going to help you get where you’re going,” said Rohdin.

For Rohdin, each project is an adventure.

“He isn’t afraid to do anything. Climb roofs, hang off eves, you name it–whatever you need done, he can get it done for you,” said Davis.

And the more dangerous, the better.

“It’s a high pucker factor, usually, when they call us. That’s why I usually end up doing it, cause nobody else will do it. And I like being scared…and when he saw that this was a scary job, he just thought of me. Said I bet that Clint will do that,” said Rohdin.

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STANDISH, Maine (AP) — A stunt pilot who landed his biplane on a road in Maine says he wants to apologize to motorists “for scaring the heck out of them.”

Maine authorities say 43-year-old pilot William “Billy” Werth escaped serious injury when his stunt plane crash landed on a road following mechanical problems.

Werth, of McCordsville, Indiana, told WMTW-TV ( ) that he was headed to the Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport about 5:30 p.m. Sunday after leaving an air show in Aroostook County when his engine stopped 4,500 feet over Standish.

He missed cars but his plane was split into two during the hard landing. The FAA described Werth’s biplane as an “amateur-built aircraft.”

Werth needed stitches for a cut on his hand. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

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Information from: WMTW-TV,

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AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Veteran prosecutor Lisa Marchese is Maine’s new deputy attorney general and the first woman to be chief of the criminal division of the state attorney general’s office.

She succeeds Bill Stokes, who is now a state superior court justice.

Marchese joined the criminal division of the attorney general’s office in 1986. She began prosecuting homicide cases in 1997. She has also led the Domestic Abuse Homicide Review Panel since 2001.

State officials say Marchese will be the first woman to lead the criminal division. She is a Bangor native and attended the University of Maine and Franklin Pierce Law Center in New Hampshire.

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An accident tied up traffic for nearly an hour along the interstate in Howland, Monday afternoon.

State police say 46-year-old Mark Wirta of Bangor rear-ended a tractor trailer driven by 65-year-old Douglas White of Centerville, New Brunswick

Wirta was taken to Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Responders say his car was totaled though.

The driver of the tractor trailer is okay, only minor damage to his rig as well.

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A passenger involved in a serious accident in Winn last week has died.

State Police say 67-year-old David Smart of Mattawamkeag died early Sunday.

He and his wife Lois Smart were taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center by LifeFlight after the accident, along Route 2 near Military Road, last Monday.

She is still in the hospital.

Investigators say a car driven by Brad Curtis crossed the center line.

He was taken to Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln.

He has since been released.

No word yet on possible charges.

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More financial help is coming to the Katahdin region to help laid off mill workers.

Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced in a joint statement Monday that the U.S. Department of Labor will award a National Emergency Grant worth $284,879.

The money will help support workers who qualify for re-employment services.

More than 200 people have been without jobs at the mill since being laid off in February.

Many of them were officially laid off last week.

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From the WABI-TV5 & CW Forecast Center:

The pool of cool air aloft that has produced the widely scattered showers and storms across Maine each of the past several afternoons will finally move far enough to our east tonight that skies tomorrow should remain partly to mostly sunny all day long. As skies become mostly clear tonight the temps across our region will fall into the low to mid 50s and a bit of patchy fog will likely form after midnight.

High pressure will slowly move east of New England tomorrow and a light southerly breeze on the backside of the high will begin to push humidity levels up a bit as the day moves along. The southerly breeze will keep the temps the coolest along the coastline tomorrow as highs range from the low to mid 70s at the shoreline and upper 70s to near 80 inland.

An unusually strong storm system for summer both at the surface and aloft will slide from the Ohio River Valley and Great Lakes Region tomorrow into the Northeast as we move through Wednesday. The storm will bring increasing and thickening clouds to Maine Wednesday morning, with showers spreading from west to east as the day moves along. The steadiest and heaviest rain in Maine will fall as the surface storm slides northeast along the New England Coastline later Wednesday through Thursday morning, with many towns likely receiving between 1 and 2”. The combination of clouds, rain and an onshore breeze will hold the temps in the mid 60s to low 70s Wednesday and Thursday.

Our region will see the conditions only slowly improve Friday and Saturday as the surface storm lifts off to our northeast, but the upper low remains located just to our north. Skies will range from mostly to partly cloudy both Friday and Saturday, and some hit and miss showers will likely dot the skies. Temps will run below normal both days as highs only reach the low to mid 70s.

Tonight: Partly to mostly clear, with patchy fog and low temps in the low to mid 50s.

Tuesday: Mostly to partly sunny, with high temps in the 70s to near 80.

Wed: Breezy, with periods of rain developing and high temps in the 60s to low 70s.

Thursday: Showers, breezy and cool, with high temps in the 60s to low 70s.

Friday: Variably cloudy, with scattered showers and high temps in the low to mid 70s.

Saturday: Variably cloudy, with scattered showers and high temps in the 70s.

Chris Ewing

WABI-TV5 & CW Meteorologist

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The Senior League World Series scores on Monday.

Bristol, Connecticut  1

Emilia, Italy  0

Wailuku, Hawaii  11

Regina, Saskatchewan  0

Bangor, Maine  13

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands  3

Read more on Senior League World Series: Monday Highlights…

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The high pressure system will keep us mainly sunny as we go through today. It is slowly moving to the north and east. The low pressure system will be making its way into the region tomorrow bringing clouds and showers for the day. Showers will hold off until the afternoon hours across the forecast area. Looks like we’ll see a good soaking rain Wednesday into Thursday. Most locations will pick up around an inch if you split the difference between models. Temps much cooler for Wednesday through Saturday too with highs only reaching into the upper 60s and low to mid 70s.

Rain continues for much of the day on Thursday. Some models have it moving out by Thursday afternoon and some have it sticking around through early Friday. I’m thinking the latter. It’ll clear up though by Friday afternoon and skies now looking great for Saturday with plenty of sun.

Today: Highs in the mid 70s at the coast and in the upper 70s and low 80s inland with mostly sunny skies.

Wednesday: Cooler with highs in the upper 60s at the coast and in the low to mid 70s inland. Cloudy with showers developing in the afternoon and steady rain moving in late. Around an inch of rain is expected into the day Thursday.

Thursday: Highs in the upper 60s and low 70s with cloudy skies and rain throughout the day.

Friday: Highs in the low 70s with partly sunny skies.

Saturday: Highs in the low to mid 70s with mostly sunny skies.

Contact me anytime with any weather questions, comments, or concerns at jconley@wabi.tv  or on Twitter @MeteoroloJess or you can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MeteorologistJessicaConley

The post Enjoy the Sun Today While You Still Can appeared first on Bangor, Maine News, Sports, and Weather - WABI TV5.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine bear biologists captured 66 different bears a total of 92 times during this year’s capture season.

Officials with the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife say biologists also placed radio collars on 16 female bears. Officials say the trapping and collaring is a critical piece of the state’s black bear management program. Collaring the bears allows biologists to collect information on birth and death rates.

The trapping took place over 43 days in Washington County in May and June. Trapping takes place with cable-foot restraints. State bear biologist Randy Cross says this spring’s wet weather made it harder to trap bears.

The trapped bears ranged from a 12-pound cub to a 432-pound 11-year-old. Officials say bears were anesthetized, tattooed with an identifying number, and released unharmed.

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BANGOR, Maine (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is returning to Maine to stump for Gov. Paul LePage.

The two tough-talking Republican governors will tour C&L Aviation Group in Bangor on Tuesday. LePage’s campaign says the company recently completed a $5 million expansion and may add as many as 40 new jobs.

Christie, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, is also headlining a pair of fundraisers for the Maine Republican Party and LePage in Dedham.

LePage is locked in a three-way race with Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and independent candidate Eliot Cutler.

During a trip to Portland in May, Christie pledged the RGA would spend a lot of time and resources in Maine to help LePage win a second term.

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YORK, Maine (AP) — The federal government might close an auction on New England’s tallest lighthouse.

The Boon Island Light Station is up for auction until around noon Tuesday. Ten bidders have made offers on the lighthouse with a top bid of $36,000. A government website says the bidding could possibly be extended.

Boon Island Light Station, off the coast of York, dates to 1855. It includes a 133-foot tower on a small island about six miles off the coast.

The government is also auctioning Halfway Rock Light Station in Casco Bay. That auction does not have a set end date and has attracted three bids topping out at $56,000.

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A former employee is suing Oxford County Mental Health Services, claiming she was fired for bringing up concerns about patient care.

Linda Perry of Rumford filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday, claiming her rights under Maine’s Whistleblower Protection Act and Human Rights Act were violated.

Perry has filed a motion for an injunction, asking for her job back, back pay and court fees and damages.

Perry says in the suit that when she brought up alleged incidents in which patients did not receive counseling or other services, she was ignored and eventually fired in March 2103.

Executive Director Stephanie LeBlanc, who took over in June, tells the Sun Journal she had no comment.

The organization provides psychiatric counseling, crisis response and residential outpatient care.

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Information from: Sun-Journal,

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Doctors in Maine are reporting a high number of tick-borne diseases this year.

The Portland Press Herald reports that the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked 103 cases of the disease anaplasmosis so far this year. That is already more than the 94 cases reported for all of 2013.

Babesiosis, another tick-borne disease, is also trending upward. So far in 2014 there have been 20 reported cases, compared with 36 for all of last year.

The numbers for Lyme disease, the most common tick-related illness, aren’t up, although that could change. Through July there were 552 reported cases, compared with 1,376 for 2013.

The diseases may be fatal in those with compromised immune system if not treated promptly with antibiotics.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald,

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A former teacher at a private school in Freeport who is charged with allowing his property in Lewiston to be used for drug sales has been released on bail.

Noel Thibodeau was released Monday on $10,000 bail and on condition that he live with a family member and get substance abuse and mental health counseling.

The 43-year-old Thibodeau was arrested Aug. 5 and charged in federal court with maintaining drug-involved premises.

Court documents say investigators found Thibodeau had been allowing drug dealers to work out of his home since early 2013.

Thibodeau’s lawyer says his client has an addiction, which he did not specify.

Thibodeau was a Spanish and French teacher at Coastal Studies for Girls in Freeport, but did not work there at the time of his arrest.

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