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Morning Sentinel staff photo
ROUGH CHILDHOOD: Grace Akallo speaks about being a child soldier when she grew up in Uganda to Lawrence High School students on Thursday. At right is a map of Africa. Akallo showed a video of child soldiers who were forced to kill others, including their own mothers, or be killed.
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WATERVILLE Speeders beware
WATERVILLE -- People who drink and drive, speeders and those who don't wear seat belts can expect to be watched more closely by police as the weather gets better and more folks are out on the roads.

Students hear of plight of child soldiers in Uganda
FAIRFIELD -- There are no Amber Alerts for Uganda's lost children, no pictures on milk cartons.

Electricity shutoffs on the rise Maine utilities see consumers forced to choose between paying for food, gas or power
AUGUSTA -- More central Mainers are at risk of having their electricity disconnected this year, as consumers appear to be making hard choices about what bills to pay.

State's high court affirms personal watercraft ban
A state law that gives towns the power to ban personal watercraft on public lakes and ponds was upheld Thursday by Maine's highest court.

VOTERS OK SAD 53 BUDGET Residents seek no changes in $10.3M spending plan, despite 3 percent increase
PITTSFIELD -- A gathering of nearly 70 residents on Wednesday accepted a $10.3 million School Administrative District 53 without any changes.

Nothing half-baked for Mom Customers shuffling to stores to buy lobster on first day of summer selling season
WINSLOW -- Mother's Day lobsters are all the rage in central Maine.

Kennebec Federal Savings named business of year
WATERVILLE -- Warm sun and cold beer seemed to make up for the gusty winds as the city's Main Street program partied on Silver Street in celebration of Kennebec Federal Savings bank as its choice for business of the year.

Ex-ski resort owner launching pellet-heat effort
A Maine entrepreneur wants to convert tens of thousands of homes in the Northeast from oil heat to wood pellets through an ambitious new business venture.

Beulah Fortier is Thorndike benefactor
THORNDIKE -- Most people frown when they come into Thorndike town office to pay taxes or fees. Beulah Fortier came in Thursday smiling from ear to ear and gave the town a $6,500 gift not because she was asked to, she said, but because she cares.

SAD 9 directors ratify 4% raise for district teachers
FARMINGTON -- Increases in base pay and incentives for advanced degrees are included in a new two-year contract for School Administrative District 9 teachers.

POLICE
OAKLAND -- Police are investigating a possible sexual assault of a junior high school student.

SKOWHEGAN DISTRICT COURT
SKOWHEGAN -- Cases closed or handled in Skowhegan District Court between Jan. 10 and March 21 include the following, with all respondents pleading guilty, found guilty, waiving hearing, or defaulting on court appearance unless otherwise noted:

More news >

Sports

WOMEN'S LACROSSE: Colby, once again, the underdog
Hamilton College is everything you would expect from a team ranked fourth in the country. The Continentals have just one loss in 18 games, as well as a stellar offense and defense.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL NOTES: Offense sparks Waterville
In preseason, Waterville softball coach Dave Morissette said that staying positive was a key for the Purple Panthers.

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD: Football players on the fast track in spring
Cony High School sophomore Rick Orio played a little for the varsity football team last fall. He spent some time as a receiver, defensive back and a kick returner. He was, however, no impact player.

Check out our high school sports blogs. More sports >

A week's worth of news
Local and state stories from the previous 7 days

Search the News Archive for earlier stories
SPECIAL REPORTS Capitals series Concord, N.H.
All the pieces fell into place for Concord a decade ago
[April 13, 2008]
Concord's business owners jump at chance in limelight
[April 13, 2008]
New Hampshire's Statehouse has proud past
[April 13, 2008]
Montpelier, Vt.
Augusta, Montpelier split on use of downtowns
[April 6, 2008]
Frugal approach keeps Statehouse well-preserved
[April 6, 2008]
Four factors contribute to city's success
[April 6, 2008]
'If you don't have pedestrian traffic, you can't cut it'
[April 6, 2008]
About this series Our three-part Sunday capitals project compares the capital cities of northern New England. Augusta, Maine's capital, is trying to reinvent itself. Two other New England capitals offer lessons.

APRIL 6: The Capitol and downtown are inseparable in Montpelier, Vt., a key reason the city remains vibrant. APRIL 13: Concord, N.H. invested in infrastructure 10 years ago. The payoff has been lower taxes and a healthier downtown. APRIL 20: Augusta's downtown merchants are committed to staying, and yearn for development along the Kennebec River.
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'For I Was Hungry' Series
"For I was hungry," a seven-part editorial series, documents the depth and breadth of hunger in Maine, from the dramatic increase in food pantries to the thousands of children who come to school hungry to the elderly with bare cupboards. For more, click here.

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Reporter Queries

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND RENT REFUND The Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal will be running a story about the Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund "Circuit Breaker" Program. We would like to talk to people who have participated in the program or have contemplated doing so. If interested, contact reporter Colin Hickey at 861-9205 or by e-mail, chickey@centralmaine.com.

Cheapest gas prices Save time and money at the pump. Find the best deals on gasoline in the Waterville-Skowhegan area. Show cheapest gas prices.
NEW: Business page Keep an eye on the markets. Check your stocks. Track your mutual funds. Use our new business site to keep tabs on your investments and the latest financial news from Wall Street and beyond. Click here.
View the Sentinel front page Check out our re-designed newspaper Did you miss this morning's paper? Check out the Morning Sentinel's front page as it appears in print. Daily front page is hosted on the Newseum web site.The Morning Sentinel recently had some design tweaks, including more color, better organization and bolder headlines.
Web cams The U.S. Geological Survey has set up a web camera to monitor water levels in the Kennebec River. The camera takes images of the river in downtown Augusta which are displayed in real time.
View Kennebec River.
Town meetings When, where and what. We have your town covered. Complete Somerset, Kennebec and Franklin County listings. Get statewide gavel-to-gavel coverage here.
Photo memories a perfect gift Order prints of great moments through our archive. These photos are suitable for framing and make great gifts! Make your own custom T-shirts, mouse pads, coffee mugs, ornaments and more! Browse gallery, purchase photos.