Staff photo by Andy Molloy

MULTITASKING: Skowhegan Area High School fans consult a cell phone Wednesday while consuming snow cones together at the Augusta Civic Center during the girls basketball team's Class A East tournament match up against Morse High School. The lady Indians defeated the Shipbuilders 57-43 and will meet Brunswick for the regional final Friday afternoon. The boys are, from left, Jacob Anderson, Eli Holland, Adam Turcotte, Cooper Holland, and Euriah Campbell.

After wobbly qualifiers, he goes from worst to 1st
Cool ease guided Seth Wescott in his stunning charge to gold in the finals of the men's snowboardcross at the Vancouver Olympics.

Tweaking high school's template Maine adopts voluntary program that customizes students' progress

Young Marines on brink of losing building
WATERVILLE -- Foreclosure is imminent for a vacant 90-year-old building on Harris Street.

Study:Franklin County is Maine's healthiest
Franklin County is Maine's healthiest county while neighboring Oxford County is the least, according to a set of new reports that rank all the counties within their states.

WATERVILLE City opts to pay county tax all at once
WATERVILLE -- The city will pay an additional $345,887 this year in one lump sum to Kennebec County, instead of spreading the cost over five years.

Dairy farmers pin hopes on Maine brand of milk
Maine dairy farmers hope their new organic milk, called MOOMilk, becomes as popular among natural-food buffs as Maine lobster is among seafood lovers.

FAIRFIELD TOWN BUDGET TIGHTENS
FAIRFIELD -- If the annual town meeting were held here tomorrow, voters would be looking at a budget recommended by the town council that is 4.52 percent lower than the current one.

Chicken-raising classes offered in Fairfield
FAIRFIELD -- Have you ever thought about keeping chickens in your backyard?

POLICE
SKOWHEGAN -- Police on Wednesday widened the investigation into reports of windows being shot out, apparently by someone using a pellet gun.

Robber accused of stealing $30K worth of tools from grandfather
AUGUSTA -- A Pittston woman convicted of a convenience store robbery was indicted last week on charges of stealing thousands of dollars in tools from her grandfather while she was out on bail.

SKOWHEGAN Chamber event set for Friday
SKOWHEGAN -- The Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting and recognition dinner is set for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at T & B's Celebration Center on Madison Avenue.

STATE HOUSE Sharp differences surface on use of solitary confinement
Psychiatrists testifying in support of a bill to reform treatment of prisoners told lawmakers Wednesday that solitary confinement amounts to torture and can exacerbate or even create mental illness.

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