PORTLAND

Court enters not guilty plea for N.Y. murder suspect

A New York man charged with murdering a man in Westbrook last year refused to enter a plea at his arraignment Monday.

Tareek Hendricks, 30, of Brooklyn is accused of stabbing to death Robert Stubbs, 40, on April 22, 2011, and stabbing Stubbs’ wife, Melissa.

Although Hendricks is not charged with a drug crime, court papers allege that he and another man came to Maine from New York the day before the stabbing to sell drugs.

Hendricks fled the state, police said, but was arrested in Syracuse, N.Y, this month.

Hendricks was bought to Maine during the weekend and appeared in Cumberland County Unified Criminal Court on Monday.

Hendricks insisted that the court has no jurisdiction over him and refused to enter a plea. Justice Roland Cole entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Hendricks also said he did not want a lawyer and did not want to be represented by the court-appointed lawyer.

At a hearing scheduled Aug. 9 the state will ask that Hendricks be held without bail until trial is scheduled. He will be held without bail in the Cumberland County Jail until then.

Five post-concert parties to feature ‘special guests’

Mumford & Sons member Ben Lovett will pull double duty on Saturday, playing with his band on the Eastern Promenade, then deejaying at a party at Space Gallery.

Five official parties to follow Mumford & Sons “Gentlemen of the Road Stopover” event have been announced, with a promise of “special guests” at each.

But Lovett was the only Mumford member named as being scheduled to show up at a specific event. The party at Space, 538 Congress St., will begin at 8 p.m. Admission will cost $5.

The day-long Mumford & Sons event on the Eastern Promenade goes from noon until around 9 p.m.

The event’s local promoter, Lauren Wayne, said it’s unclear what time Lovett will be at Space.

The other official parties include:

The Big Easy, 55 Market St., featuring “Stopover” emcee Reggie Watts and local reggae band Royal Hammer.

Empire Dine and Dance, 575 Congress St., with Massachusetts band Miss Fairchild (funk): $5.

Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress St., featuring Aaron Embry and Tan Vampires: $10 to $20.

State Theatre, 609 Congress St., featuring Dropkick Murphys and The Parkington Sisters, 10:30 p.m.: $20 in advance, $25 day of the show.

FREEPORT

N.H. town manager picked to replace Dale Olmstead

The Town Council has chosen Peter Joseph, town manager of Lincoln, N.H., to be the next town manager of Freeport, according to an announcement posted Monday on the town’s website.

Joseph was one of two finalists for the job, including Bethel Town Manager James Doar.

Joseph will replace Dale Olmstead, who has been Freeport’s town manager for 30 years and is expected to retire in October.

Joseph will start on Sept. 17. Councilors have started negotiating terms of Joseph’s contract, but no details were included in the announcement.

The council is scheduled to vote on the contract on Aug. 7.

SCARBOROUGH

Town panel to discuss ban on puppy-mill pets

The Ordinance Committee on Tuesday will discuss a potential ban on the sale of puppies from puppy mills at pet stores in town.

Town Manager Tom Hall said the committee heard a presentation last month from Maine Citizens Against Puppy Mills, which asked town officials to consider stopping sales of puppies and kittens in local pet stores.

If the committee recommends the town adopt an ordinance, it would not be directed at a specific pet store. Pawsitively Pets is now the only pet store in Scarborough.

Carol Reynolds of Naples wrote a letter to the town on behalf of the citizens group. She said a movement to shut down large-scale breeding farms, often called puppy mills, is gaining momentum nationwide.

Hall said the Ordinance Committee heard comments from six people on the issue, but committee members have not yet discussed a specific ordinance. Members may ask the town’s staff to develop an ordinance for consideration, he said.

The Ordinance Committee will meet at 5 p.m. at the Scarborough Municipal Building.

AUGUSTA

Hypnotist loses appeal of sex-assault conviction

Maine’s high court has upheld the conviction of a Jay man who sexually assaulted a girl he hypnotized.

The Supreme Judicial Court last week rejected the defense arguments of Aaron Patton, 39, who was sentenced to six years in prison last year after being found guilty of charges including gross sexual assault.

Authorities say the victim began hypnotism treatments with Patton when she was 8 to help her break a fingernail-biting habit. The girl testified Patton began touching her inappropriately when she was 12 and had sex with her starting when she was 14.

After each sexual encounter, she said he hypnotized her so she would keep the relationship secret.

The Sun Journal reports that the high court rejected several defense arguments.

KENNEBUNK

Heartwood to air plans for arts charter school

Officials at Heartwood College of Art will host an information meeting Tuesday about plans to create a charter school focused on the arts.

The Heartwood Charter School of Visual and Performing Arts would be for students in grades 6 through 8 who live within 20 miles of Kennebunk.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Brick Store Program Center on Dane Street.

A law passed last year allows the Maine Charter School Commission to authorize as many as 10 charter schools over the next 10 years. The commission has approved plans for charter schools in Fairfield, Cornville and Portland. The Heartwood school would be the first dedicated to arts education.

Berri Kramer, president of Heartwood College of Art, said the school has not yet applied for approval. The goal is to open by the fall of 2013, she said.

The school would offer traditional classes in the morning and time in the studio in the afternoon. Students would be able to study studio arts, creative writing and performing arts such as theater and dance.

The school would be on the college campus, run as a separate nonprofit organization, Kramer said.

BANGOR

FairPoint competitors appealing 911 contract

Two companies are appealing a Public Utilities Commission contract that was awarded to FairPoint Communications Inc. to upgrade Maine’s 911 communications system.

The PUC awarded a $32 million NextGen 911 contract to FairPoint on June 6. The PUC originally awarded the contract to FairPoint in January, but that decision was invalidated when the Maine Bureau of General Services concluded there were irregularities in how the bids were scored.

Lewiston-based Oxford Networks and Colorado-based Intrado, whose bids were lower than FairPoint’s, have filed appeals to the latest contract, claiming it was unfairly awarded.

PUC Chairman Thomas Welch told the Bangor Daily News that the contract award was fair.

The Bureau of General Services will hold appeal hearings Aug. 29-31.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Maine ferry services win grants for upgrades

The Maine Department of Transportation will receive $2.4 million in federal funding to make ferry service improvements in Portland and Frenchboro, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced Monday.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide $1.2 million to the Casco Bay Island Transit District in Portland to design and build a new passenger ferry, the Wabanaki. It will replace the Island Romance, a ferry built in 1973 that carries 299 passengers.

The Maine State Ferry Service also will receive $1.2 million, to design and build a new ferry berthing system, transfer bridge, fender system and support the pier at the Frenchboro Ferry.

Collins is the ranking Member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee.

— From staff and news services

 

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