LOCAL STORIES

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- President-elect Barack Obama has promised the nation's governors equal friendship and cooperation in rebuilding the economy, regardless of party labels.

PORTLAND (AP) -- A 28-year-old Brownfield man has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he offered money to a father of four in return for allowing him to have sex with his 12-year-old daughter.

NORTHEAST HARBOR (NEWS CENTER) -- The federal Small Business Adminstration says Mainers, whose businesses burned in a big fire in Northeast Harbor in July, will be able to get low-interest loans to rebuild.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Jury selection is set for Friday in Augusta for the trial of a 22-year-old Newcastle man charged with murdering his ex-girlfriend and his father.

OLD TOWN (AP) -- The slumping economy is being blamed for a slowdown in the production schedule at Old Town Canoe.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is speaking out on President-elect Barack Obama's nomination of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security.

ROCKLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- People in Rockland kicked off their holiday season Friday night with the lighting of the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree.

STANDISH (NEWS CENTER) -- Some energetic and concerned high schoolers from Windham Christian Academy were out Saturday collecting trash for a good cause.

AUGUSTA (AP) --
State wildlife officials have been predicting a reduced tally this year, saying last winter's harsh conditions took a big toll on the state's deer herd.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Maine's 2008 potato harvest will go down in the books as one of the smallest in decades due to reductions in potato acreage and yield.

SACO (NEWS CENTER) -- The inside of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco is being transformed by two Greek iconographers.

(NEWS CENTER) -- Maryann Hindle could have been at the Taj Hotel when terrorists attacked this week.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving has issued a report that's critical of Maine's laws to curb impaired drivers.

SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) -- Early-bird shoppers were out in force at the Maine Mall in South Portland.

BRUNSWICK (NEWS CENTER) -- The first aircraft of the First Squadron to permanently leave the Brunswick Naval Air Station took off Friday morning.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- The American Red Cross is hoping December is just as good, if not better, than November.

OXFORD (NEWS CENTER) -- Some community programs that rely on Toys For Tots are learning they won't be getting as many toys this year.

LIMINGTON (NEWS CENTER) -- Someone out for a walk spotted a house fire in Limington and called it in. When fire crews arrived, they new they had their hands full.

WESTBROOK (NEWS CENTER) -- Homelessness is an issue affecting more than just the state's largest cities.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Police say an attack with a meat cleaver in downtown Portland has resulted in the arrest of a 41-year-old Portland man.

YARMOUTH, Novas Scotia (AP) -- A longtime fisherman in southwest Nova Scotia says the industry can coexist with oil rigs on Georges Bank.

Here are some websites that can point you in the direction of great holiday shopping deals.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Maine's newly elected legislators are meeting in the State House Tuesday to nominate their choices for four of Maine's most prominent public offices.

LEBANON (NEWS CENTER) - The Lebanon Rescue Department is asking for help for the family.

WESTBROOK (NEWS CENTER) -- The Westbrook Rescue Squad has a new addition to one of its ambulances -- a stork sticker.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- Downtown stores in Bangor will be competing in a holiday store front competition.
HOLLIS (NEWS CENTER) -- Fire officials are looking for the owner of the home at 544 Holis Road in Hollis. The owner was not home this morning when the house caught fire.

(NEWS CENTER) -- A woman who set out a month ago on a walk to end hunger in Maine completed her trek Monday in Orono.

OLD TOWN (NEWS CENTER) -- In 1965, Marsh Island was designated as a unified game preserve. The designation effectively put an end to hunting on the island -- until now.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- Many who didn't get their shopping fix on Black Friday did some online shopping on Cyber Monday.

AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER) --

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Jill Duson was sworn in as the City's new mayor on Monday afternoon. This is the second time around for Duson.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Northern Utilities, which serves 52,000 customers in Maine and New Hampshire, officially gets a new name Monday.

FARMINGTON (AP) -- Western Maine residents have one more chance to have their opinion heard on a proposal to allow low-level jet fighter training missions over western Maine.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Heating oil prices continue to go down in Maine.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- Construction is underway on a new addition to
Acadia Hospital has begun construction on a new Pediatric and Family Center.

AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER) -- For 20 years the world has recognized World AIDS Day. This year there is a growing concern about the disease in Maine.

BANGOR (AP) -- A 23-year-old man from Guatemala has been sentenced to 87 days behind bars and will be processed for deportation for using false identification documents while in Maine illegally.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Monday marked the last day of work for the auctioneer at the Portland Fish Exchange.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Gov. John Baldacci participated in a ceremony at the Maine State House today to recognize World AIDS Day.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Gov. John Baldacci is heading to Philadelphia to join other governors for meetings with President-elect Barack Obama.

MORRILL (NEWS CENTER) -- The Maine Register of Big Trees is about to be updated. It lists the size and location of 160 varieties of Maine trees.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- A new report says housing starts are at their lowest level in southern Maine since 1991, when the nation was also locked in a recession.

BAR HARBOR (NEWS CENTER) -- People in Bar Harbor have voted to protect their view of the night sky.

PORTLAND (AP) -- New England fishermen will have a long season and an abundant resource to fish from when the northern shrimp season kicks off today.

HOLLIS, ME (NEWS CENTER) - Police in Hollis have released the names of the people involved in a fatal van crash in Hollis yesterday.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Maine's scallop draggers and divers face a shortened season and new restrictions as the scallop season gets under way.

STANDISH (NEWS CENTER) -- An ATV rider was hurt Sunday afternoon while riding his machine in Standish.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Officials at the Portland International Jetport said Sunday they've been busy for the last day of this big travel weekend.

LIMINGTON (NEWS CENTER) -- Another sign of racial hatred has been spotted in Maine.

SOUTH PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Holiday shopping traffic wasn't the only back-up some people had to deal with Sunday.

ELIOT (AP) -- Police say several weapons and rounds of ammunition were found in an apartment located over a daycare in Eliot friday.

WILTON (NEWS CENTER) -- State Police are investigating the death of a 17-month-old boy in Wilton.

SOUTH PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Several small steps can help keep you safe and your belongings in your hands.

SCARBOROUGH (NEWS CENTER) -- It may seem a little early for some, but Mainers are already out looking for the perfect Christmas tree.

BEAVER COVE TOWNSHIP (NEWSCENTER)--Wardens are looking into the death of a hunter from New Gloucester found dead in Piscataquis County.

RUMFORD (NEWS CENTER) -- Children from the town of Rumford are hoping to make it into the world record books. They are attempting to write the largest single sheet paper letter ever mailed to Santa.

SCARBOROUGH (NEWS CENTER) -- An author from Scarborough is planning a screenplay to set the record straight about a memoir he wrote about his mother.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- Firefighters in Bangor took advantage of all of the traffic in the mall area Friday morning.

WATERVILLE (AP) -- A wayward seal that made its way nearly 50 miles upriver from the ocean is in recovery after being rescued from a parking lot in Waterville.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Maine legislative leaders are extending the deadline for filing bills to mid-January in hopes of limiting the volume of bills.

GARDINER (AP) -- With the Christmas shopping season under way, state officials are warning Mainers to take precautions to avoid identity theft scams.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) - Bangor Hydro and Central Maine Power have been working overtime to get the power back on to Mainers after Tuesday's storm.

PASSADUMKEAG (AP) -- A Penobscot County town of less than 450 people is on edge after a second report in less than a month of a man breaking into a home and attacking a woman.

PHILLIPS (AP) -- The Maine Warden Service says a 40-year-old deer hunter from Phillips has been transported to a Lewiston hospital after being shot in the thigh by his 19-year-old nephew.

TENANTS HARBOR (NEWS CENTER) -- They started cooking Wednesday night, right after the power came back on. And they were at it again Thanksgiving morning.

HERMON (NEWS CENTER) -- In the Bangor area, one of the more popular places to dine out on Thanksgiving is a truck stop.

NEWRY (NEWS CENTER) -- Folks over at Sunday River Ski Resort have a lot to be thankful for this holiday. The season has gotten off to a great start -- thanks to nearly a foot of snow earlier this week. The resort is confident these conditions will help it weather the economic storm.

SOUTH PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) Two wild turkeys, apparently feeling quite bold, if not defiant on Thanksgiving Day, were spotted waiting outside the doors of the food court at The Maine Mall.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- A downtown Bangor restaurant is damaged after a fire Thursday.

BLUE HILL (NEWS CENTER) -- Bangor Hydro Is reporting 8,600 without power and CMP is reporting 19,000 in the dark.

SOUTH THOMASTON (NEWS CENTER) -- Many Maine residents were still without power Wednesday night, which put a major damper on holiday plans.

OLD TOWN (NEWS CENTER) -- The new owners of the pulp mill in Old Town say it is reducing its recently rehired workforce by 105.

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER ) -- With a downturn in the nation's economy many families are choosing not to travel to grandmother's house for the holiday.

FREEPORT (NEWS CENTER) -- Workers at L.L. Bean got a bit of a scare Wednesday afternoon when the Christmas tree outside Bean's flagship store in Freeport toppled over.

PORTLAND (AP) -- The MTA has come out with three versions of a toll increase plan that favors motorists who use the road on a fairly regular basis.

HALLOWELL (NEWS CENTER) -- Residents in the Hallowell are confronting hatred head-on after racist graffitti was discovered over the weekend.

AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER) -- How much harm can a basketball do? A lot of harm when it gets stuck in a drain pipe.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- We asked for your money saving tips and got some very well thought out suggestions.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- It was started by the Portland Radio Group fifteen years ago. Back then they collected six thousand pounds of food.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Many Mainers will be celebrating Thanksgiving without electricity to cook their turkeys or watch football games on TV.

LEWISTON (AP) -- For the second time in less than a month, Zachary Duprey was the victim of a stabbing in downtown Lewiston.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Investigators say a weekend fire that damaged a restaurant and apartment house was caused by carelessly discarded cigarettes.

AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER) -- Governor Baldacci has declared a state of emergency after Tuesday's heavy wind and snow.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Many Mainers will be celebrating Thanksgiving without electricity to cook their turkeys or watch football games on TV.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A report by an advocacy group is drawing attention to the problem of teachers who are assigned subjects in which they lack certification.

PORTLAND (AP) -- Maine retailers and consumers are being reassured that households who heat their homes with fuel pellets will have an adequate supply this winter.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Maine wardens are warning people to not go on any ice that may be covering the state's waterways.

SKOWHEGAN (AP) -- The Superior Court judge who presided at the Skowhegan murder trial of Shannon Atwood is letting another judge determine his sentence.

AUGUSTA (AP) -- Say "Big Apple" and New York comes to mind. Say "Old Port" and Portland pops into your head. Now, Augusta is looking for a snappy brand.

BUXTON (NEWS CENTER) - After all the rain, wind and snow some roads are closed for the Wednesday morning commute.

SEARSPORT (NEWS CENTER) -- Hofland, who is accused of pointing a gun at a Searsport police officer and taking fifth grade students hostage last month, may be in more trouble with the law.

SEARSPORT (NEWS CENTER) -- Police in Searsport got a search warrant last Friday to search Randall Hofland's trailer.