News

York Officials Work to Recover from Microburst

Submitted by Tim Goff on Monday, July 21st, 6:26 pm

YORK, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The York Board of Selectmen held an emergency meeting Monday morning to discuss their options to pay for mounting storm clean-up costs in the wake of a microburst which hit the town last week.

While selectmen could not agree on allocating money from the town's contingency fund to pay for overtime expenses and to reimburse contractors who helped remove trees from blocked roads, town manager Robert Yandow says the town will take action soon to pay for the emergency response and clean-up.

"We've been through this before. We know what it takes," stated Yandow. "Contractors will get paid. Everybody will get paid. At this point, it is just a matter of where those funds come from."

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Exhibit looks at watercraft used on the Piscataqua

Submitted by Around Town Web... on Sunday, July 6th, 1:19 pm

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- The history and construction of watercraft used on the Piscataqua River is the topic of a new exhibition in New Hampshire.

Officials say the river is known for having one of the fastest navigable tidal currents in the United States, making it necessary to design craft capable of handling swiftly running waters.

The exhibit, called "Water, Wood & Wind: Regional Craft on the Piscataqua" focuses on creations such as the Piscataqua Wherry, which served as a water taxi during the 1800s and was most likely the boat used by Louis Wagner to row out to the Isles of Shoals to commit the infamous 1873 Smuttynose murders.

The exhibit is at the Wentworth Lear Historic Houses. An opening reception will be held at the Wentworth-Gardner House on Thursday, July 10.

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Seeking Solutions for Safe Turtle Crossings

Submitted by Tim Goff on Friday, June 27th, 6:20 pm

ELIOT, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Why did the turtle cross the road? For the few turtles brave enough to try crossing Route 236, trying to reach the other side is no joke, but a walk on the wild side.

"I would say that Route 236 is a particularly treacherous road for turtles," stated Inland Fish and Wildlife biologist, Derek Yorks.

The state has received numerous reports of turtles being struck along this section of road. Now, a small team of biologists are working with the Maine Department of Transportation to come up with a plan to protect them.

"That is kind of why we are here today, to kind of explore some of those options and think about how realistic some of them might be," said Yorks.

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Kennebunk fire leaves 9 homeless

Submitted by Around Town Web... on Saturday, June 21st, 3:53 pm

KENNEBUNK, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – A Friday night fire gutted a Kennebunk home, leaving 9 people homeless.

Kennebunk Fire Chief Jeff Rowe said the fire at 170 Port Road was called in at approximately 9:19 Friday evening. Rowe said 8 occupants of 4 apartments were home, and all were able to get out safely. Rowe said there were no injuries to residents, firefighters or pets.

Rowe believes the fire started on the 3^rd floor and started to spread. Chief Rowe said Kennebunk crews arrived quickly and were able to confine the flames to mostly the 3^rd floor. Rowe said crews from 7 surrounding towns helped on the scene.

Officials say the home is not habitable at this point. Chief Rowe says the 3^rd floor was heavily damaged by the fire and the basement and other floors have severe water damage from firefighting efforts.

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State Police seek out safety with truck inspections.

Submitted by Tim Goff on Wednesday, June 4th, 5:33 pm

KITTERY, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- State Police are taking part in a national truck safety event this week, dubbed by their federal counterparts as Operation Road Check. The 72-hour effort is undertaken to make sure trucks and buses are being operated properly, are free of mechanical defects and that drivers are logging their time behind the wheel and taking breaks as required by law.

"Your average truck is going to have a violation somewhere," stated Sgt. Jason Sattler. "They put a lot of miles on their vehicles. It is not unusual for a truck to have over a million miles. When's the last time you drove your car a million miles?"

Inspectors give the majority of the trucks that pull off into the weigh areas off the Maine Turnpike a cursory inspection before sending them on their way, but others that catch their attention are pulled aside for a more thorough look.

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An improved jobs market may force some employers to boost pay to attract enough help.

Submitted by Tim Goff on Monday, May 26th, 3:21 pm

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (NEWS CENTER) -- With unemployment at its lowest levels in nearly six years, there are fewer people available to fill part-time, seasonal positions.

"We hire between 350 and 400, per season," stated Cristine Trayner, marketing and sales manager at Water Country Water Park, one of the largest seasonal employers on New Hampshire's Seacoast. "The department we hire the most for is lifeguards. We need roughly about 200 of them to staff the park fully, and I think right now we have about 100."

With opening day just a couple weeks away, they are scrambling to find enough bodies to fill their openings.

"This isn't a new problem. We go through this every year," said Trayner.

"It is a little bit more difficult this year, I think," she added.

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Toll expansion, bridge get engineering honors

Submitted by Around Town Web... on Sunday, May 25th, 3:51 pm

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- New Hampshire's open-road tolling in Hooksett and the new Memorial Bridge have received honors in engineering.

They've received "National Recognition Awards" from the American Council of Engineering Companies.

Both projects presented engineering challenges and both were constructed and completed on very aggressive schedules.

The Hooksett project, which opened in May of 2013, involved the demolition of six conventional toll lanes and the construction of four lanes of highway speed toll lanes, plus other work.

The Memorial Bridge project - connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Kittery, Maine - opened Aug. 8. The project replaced a closed steel bridge with a new modern lift bridge that honors its predecessor in design while featuring some engineering innovations.

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