Several upgrades are nearing completion as the synagogue, which opened in 1958 at 291 Main St., is set to begin a new chapter serving the region's Jewish community.

Bridges grand and small have long fascinated J.P. Devine, who turns his attention to the aging Ticonic Bridge that connects Waterville and Winslow.

A preliminary investigation has determined the pickup was traveling too fast Friday when the 18-year-old driver lost control and the truck veered off Dudley Brook Road, according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies arrested Shane Murphy Sr., 48, of Fairfield and Travis Clement, 44, of Norridgewock after seizing 169 grams of fentanyl, according to information provided by Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster.

Denise Ducharme is fresh in her role as the town's top administrator and has an ambitious agenda that includes recruiting new businesses to Madison, adding housing and expanding recreational opportunities.

Xavier J. Pelkey was indicted this week in Somerset County on a count of aggravated assault and authorities say he used a chair to injure another inmate at the county jail, where he was being held prior to pleading guilty to a federal conspiracy charge.

Town Manager Ella Bowman said she was notified Friday in a letter sent by Town Council Chairman Michael Perkins that she was placed on administrative leave earlier this week because of a complaint filed by municipal worker.

Town officials met this week to consider the next chapter of the 104-year-old venue and considered the possibility of separating the venue from the municipal building, as Waterville did, to broaden funding opportunities.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Born with only one kidney that is now failing, Mike Snow, 60, is asking folks to get screened to see if they can be a living donor, not only for himself but for others waiting for an organ transplant, Amy Calder writes.

Nicholas Kennard, 39, was charged Monday following a month-long investigation into illegal drug sales, according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

Police launched the search in collaboration with the Maine Warden Service and other agencies after receiving a report Monday that John Lessard, 42, had entered the water at the RiverWalk.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree was joined Thursday by the chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Maria Rosario Jackson, for a stop at the Schupf Art Center before heading to Colby College.

Town Manager Ella Bowman was placed on leave Wednesday after an executive session that was not publicized on the Town Council agenda, and she says she was given no explanation for the move.

News of the world's weather this summer brings a level of dread that most poetry can do nothing about, Dana Wilde writes.

A 911 call indicated a man had been shot early Wednesday during a burglary attempt, but it was later determined the man was injured when a gun discharged accidentally, according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

Backpacks are for the Waterville Elks Lodge 905 Tools to Thrive Backpack Giveaway program.

Waste Management Disposal Services is working to secure approval for the treatment plant at the Crossroads Landfill it operates in Norridgewock.

Christopher Manigat, 21, was taken into custody over the weekend and is being held without bail at the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta.

The robbery occurred Aug. 5 at the Big Apple store on Old Point Avenue in Madison.

A 48-year-old Canaan man who was driving the tractor-trailer for New Balance was not injured when the pole fell onto the truck's cab, pulling with it another pole that was damaged in a crash more than a week earlier, according to police.

The board is expected to hear details of the projects when it convenes Tuesday evening.

Jake Warn's website, sledtrx.com, is a resource for riders planning their next winter trip through Maine woods, and his work got a boost from Waterville-based Dirigo Labs, a regional startup accelerator.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday for the new Margaret Chase Smith Community School, which MSAD 54 administrators say will allow for greater continuity in education because students no longer will have to transition from one school to another every couple of years.

Officials are trying to determine why someone over the course of several weeks has taken many of the rocks that constitute the stone wall surrounding the historic South Solon Meeting House.

The fire occurred Thursday and heavily damaged a building that houses several offices and which is adjacent to one of the tomato producer's large greenhouses.

The concerns come after state transportation officials have said that the replacement project calls for westbound vehicle traffic from Winslow into Waterville to "remain prohibited from the bridge for a period of approximately three years."

The latest scoop from Gifford's HomeMaine Ice Cream? The company's CEO said this week that as repairs continue on the manufacturing plant, it's working with two out-of-state manufacturing partners to return several select flavors of its ice cream to store shelves.

Skowhegan Area High School student wins Wesserunset Arts Council Youth Scholarship.

The Town Council authorized the action Monday after one member of the board said recently that he's seen councilors gather at the business run by the council chairman to discuss municipal affairs.

Keith Merchant, 43, was arrested Thursday on charges that include gross sexual assault, according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

The event is planned for Aug. 19 at the town’s Waterfront Park.

The races are a major feature of the Skowhegan State Fair, the country's longest-operating agricultural fair. It runs through Aug. 19 offering rides, food, livestock shows, truck and tractor pulls, live music, shows and exhibits.

Cornhole, kick ball, food, music, a live auction and a dunk tank were on offer in Athens Saturday as the community raised money to support Ben MacMichael, 52, and his family as MacMichael battles stage four cancer.

Organizers say they expect to sell hundreds of blueberry pies and pancakes at the event on Saturday at the Winslow Congregational Church property on Lithgow Street.

At Anam Cara Farm in Canaan, Pamela Rickenbach takes in and cares for disabled, retired and homeless working horses, Amy Calder writes.

While councilor Jerry Quirion claims a quorum of councilors have discussed town business in secret at Peter Drapeau's property, the chairman said the claim is false and part of a personal vendetta.

A Casella truck with a flatbed on which were mounted four portable toilets was stolen early Thursday in Fairfield and ended up in a ditch in Oakland, prompting police from both towns to investigate.

Candace Marriner will lead the 125-year-old nonprofit, taking over from her predecessor, Richard Dorian.

Bryan Kaenrath, 40, was most recently Saco city administrator and served eight years as a state legislator representing Portland and South Portland.

Steven Edwards, 50, of Mercer was sentenced Wednesday in Skowhegan and has the potential to serve up to nine more years if he violates his probation.

The crash occurred around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. Route 2 in Skowhegan when the driver of an SUV started to fall asleep at the wheel, police said.

The announcement that Leonard Macdaid would be director of public safety for the town of Winslow prompted backlash from some residents, while firefighters declined to comment despite previously raising concerns.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for areas of Somerset and Kennebec counties Tuesday as heavy rainstorms moved across the region.

Puppet musical, the Petra & Mo show, planned.

A dynamic weather system could deliver several inches of rain, creating flash flooding conditions in Somerset County through Tuesday afternoon, meteorologists said.

Sgt. Mathew Cunningham was responding Saturday morning to an emergency when the crash occurred on Main Street.

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office is investigating the robbery, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Law enforcement from several agencies assisted Fairfield police in the search warrants, which were conducted at a home in Fairfield, a vehicle at a separate location in that town, and a vehicle in Waterville.

Dan Burns, 47, of Augusta, can carve a bear from a block of pine in about 20 minutes, and an owl or cardinal in about 10.

Police in Fairfield and Skowhegan are among the agencies shifting their resources as the drug epidemic in Maine continues to take root, with 715 people statewide dying last year of a drug overdose.

No one was hurt in the fire late Thursday on Water Street in the city's South End.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

The Skowhegan State Fair arrives Thursday, bringing with it a reminder that the end of summer is in the not-so-distant future, Amy Calder writes.

Construction crews have begun a $52.8 million project to replace the aging bridge connecting Waterville and Winslow, and the effort ramps up with the closing of the structure from last Sunday to Saturday morning, Aug. 12.

Taste of Waterville was held downtown Wednesday at Head of Falls along the Kennebec River and an estimated 10,000 people joined in the fun.

A monthslong investigation resulted in officials executing a search warrant Monday at a house at 15 Winter St., according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

The property on County Road, which burned Monday, had 21 tons of trash removed from it in the spring, including discarded household items and hundreds of hypodermic needles.

Jeffrey Bell, 36, and Stephenie Freeman, 34, were arrested Saturday on several charges after stealing a Jeep Wrangler a day earlier, according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

Keith Harris, 74, of Benton was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office said occurred July 22.

The old, three-story farmhouse at 224 County Road was believed to be uninhabited, but people were apparently staying there, Fire Chief Shawn Esler said Monday.

Central Maine Power Co. cut electricity after the cable shorted in the area near Holy Cannoli, causing smoke and the smell of burning rubber to fill the block.

The future looks bright for Fredrikson Farm as it looks to produce more than 30,000 pounds of cheese next year, the most in its history and up from about 5,000 pounds only five years ago.

A small group of locals gathered Saturday with paddle boards, buckets and boats to collect and dispose of invasive snails threatening the ecological balance on Washington Pond.

Familiar favorites like Moonlight Madness and the town's fireworks display are set to return, but organizers also are adding new events to celebrate both the bicentennial and the Kennebec River.

City Republicans on Tuesday are scheduled to name candidates for mayor, City Council and Board of Education, as well as Kennebec Water District board of trustees.

Matthew Jacob, 34, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but five years suspended, following his plea Monday, Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said.

A group of homeless people who hang out near the old Waterville Boys and Girls Club on Main Place in Waterville, waiting for the nearby soup kitchen to open, say finding a place to live is difficult, and out of reach financially, Amy Calder writes.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Joe Almand was a Skowhegan firefighter when he suffered extensive injuries last year in a fall along the Kennebec River Gorge, but he recovered and set a new path for himself that's led to the opening of Joe's Flat Iron Cafe downtown.

Waterville police officers worked this week with young ball players at Maine's Fenway Premier Baseball Camp in Oakland, and a few former major league players joined them, too. Photos by Morning Sentinel photographer Rich Abrahamson.

Harold "Pete" Bickmore died of cancer Wednesday following a distinguished career with the FBI where he served for a quarter-century before becoming the police chief in Pittsfield in 2016.

The Waterville Planning Board this week gave final approval for Head of Falls Village on Front, Temple and Appleton streets, as well as a housing project for 155 and 165 Main St.

A final day of testimony was heard Thursday in Waterville in the case of Aidan Grant, 16, who's charged in the stabbing death of 14-year-old Brooke McLaughlin in Mount Vernon.

Further details were revealed Wednesday in Waterville during the second day of testimony to determine if Aidan Grant, 16, will be tried as an adult in the death last year of his girlfriend, Brooke McLaughlin, 14.

The two-day celebration kicks off Friday evening with a parade downtown.

The 23-year-old man had slowed to use a crossover to get from the southbound to the northbound lanes when his SUV was hit by a tractor-trailer, according to officials.

Evidence in a case involving the killing of Brooke McLaughlin, 14, emerged Tuesday at Waterville District Court, where a hearing is being held to determine if the boy charged with her murder, Aidan Grant, will be tried as a juvenile or an adult.

The death Monday of Scott Newton, 38, was the second drowning in 48 hours in Maine.

Residents complained this week to the Board of Select Persons that Benton's cemeteries are not being mowed enough and are unkempt.

A $2.5 million jump in the municipal and school budget for 2023-24 is driving most of the tax bill increases, although property valuation adjustments made this year are also contributing factors.

The people were hurt Saturday when the driver of the SUV attempted to pass other vehicles and then swerved to avoid oncoming traffic, according to the Kennbec County Sheriff's Office.

Gov. Janet Mills, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden were among a crowd of a few hundred Friday celebrating the work of TimberHP to restart manufacturing operations at the plant.

Garrett Cote, 24, and Rylee Spofford, 19, were charged this week with several offenses after a search of a home on Hill Road turned up more than a pound of fentanyl, Skowhegan police said.

Officials at the university, formerly known as Unity College, said that within a couple of years, they expect to enroll more than 10,000 full-time students.

Abrahm Lustgarten will look at the climate-driven migration already underway, consider how it affects the U.S. border and security, and also what a hotter climate means for where people live inside the U.S.

Farmers who gathered Wednesday said they already face severe challenges to farm operations and do not have the resources to push back against a planned corridor covering some 150 miles to transport wind-generated power south from Aroostook County.

Officials say Robert A. Simonds, 30, was driving when his family's pickup truck hit a tree, and the children's mother, Ashley A. Corson, 29, was indicted on the same charges for what the district attorney described as "accomplice liability."

Somerset County sheriff's officials say Guy Maloon, 34, entered the garage in Palmyra last week and took over $2,500 worth of tools.

The Sebasticook Regional Land Trust announced Tuesday that it received a grant from Cornell University to restore and preserve grassland bird habitat.

Recommendations to prevent ongoing algal blooms at North Pond will be presented.

It's believed the fire occurred more than a week before the body of Wayne Bouchard, 64, was discovered Saturday, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Town officials said the program comes after the police department has struggled to fill vacant positions for full-time officers.

Online reservations can be made before July 31.

Though the Maine International Film Festival closed Sunday, a couple of films that were highly in demand during the festival are to be screened again in the coming weeks.

Nearly 50 powerboaters from Florida to Canada are facing off this weekend, and organizers say with some changes to the river's edge, the event will only grow.

The crash Saturday morning on Route 2 was caused by one vehicle hydroplaning and hitting the other, officials said.

The death of a boy years ago on the Kennebec River in Skowhegan remains a regular reminder of how water can be powerful and unforgiving, Amy Calder writes.

Unity Environmental University remains open to a proposal to house as many as 600 asylum seekers on its Unity campus, but no funding source has so far been identified for the approximately $10 million that would be needed.

The Democratic City Caucus will be held at 5:30 p.m. July 24 at The Elm and the city clerk's office as of Thursday had not been notified as to when the Republican City Committee will caucus.

The Planning Board later this month will take up two separate proposals that between them would bring about 80 housing units to downtown.

A man is seen on security cameras throwing the rock and shattering the window late Tuesday at The Lighthouse, which is operated by the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen.

The complex at 131 Drummond Ave. puts administrative offices on Cool Street and operations on South Street at the same location.

The Town Council on Monday decided to keep land along China Road near Pattee Pond zoned as conservation, but chose to change regulations in such a way that allows a new development to move forward.

Plenty of work was done to prepare for the recent opening of the film festival, which is being held primarily in downtown Waterville for the first time, much to the delight of business owners anticipating a jump in sales. Photos by Morning Sentinel photographer Rich Abrahamson.

Investigators have determined Mark Trabue, 57, whose body was found Saturday, was the victim of a homicide.

The bridge over the Kennebec River between Waterville and Winslow will close temporarily to vehicles and pedestrians beginning Monday, Aug. 7, as part of a $52.8 million project to replace it.

City Councilor Thomas Klepach helps the city mitigate the effects of the browntail moth and is heading up tests at four city parks.

Edda Briggs of Waterville has been attending the Maine International film festival for many years with her children, two of whom now work for the Maine Film Center, which hosts the 10-day event.

The film, which tells the story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she broke free from her abusive husband, begins showing Monday at the Maine International Film Festival.

The film biography, which tells the tale of Greek-born Chelly Wilson and how she built a porn cinema empire in the Times Square vicinity known as the Deuce, begins showing Sunday at the Maine International Film Festival.

There will be two showings at the Maine International Film Festival of Alec Helm's film "See You in April," which tells the story of the Paradis family and the landmark North Street Dairy Cone ice cream shop they established.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Mark Henry of Fort Pierce, Florida, died Wednesday after the boat he owned nose-dived into the river, throwing him and another man into the water, according to officials.

Christopher Thwing, 35, was working Wednesday afternoon when he accidentally severed his safety line and then fell to the ground, officials said.

This madcap adventure about a young swordsman who comes to Paris to face villains, romance, adventure and intrigue with three musketeer friends begins showing Saturday at the Maine International Film Festival.

The 26th annual Maine International Film Festival kicks off Friday, with about 100 films screening over 10 days at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center in downtown Waterville.

Amanda Douglass, 38, and Joshua Gray, 35, were arrested Wednesday morning after a search warrant was executed on their Gagnon Road residence, according to officials.

The film, included among the opening titles being shown Friday as the Maine International Film Festival begins, features performers who add rich texture to a solid script, J.P. Devine writes.

Students recognized from Kennebec and Somerset counties.

The three-day Central Maine Fourth of July celebration, now in its 33rd year, was held in Winslow for 26 years before moving to the Clinton fairgrounds.

Two people suffered minor injuries when Larry DiPietro, 75, slowed his vehicle to illegally enter a crossover on Interstate 95 in Pittsfield, police said.

The Tigers played in the Class D West final days after the school's final graduation ceremony, Dave Bailey writes.

It is not clear when the more than $30 million project will resume to transform the former Lockwood-Duchess Mill building closest to the Ticonic Bridge into affordable apartments and space for commercial and retail uses.

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office said Friday that it has executed three drug-related search warrants in Skowhegan this month alone, the latest on Thursday on Parlin Street.

Officials are considering whether traffic lights should be installed where Fairfield Street meets Gagnon Road, an intersection that's seen 16 wrecks in five years.

The letter sent years ago by U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith of Skowhegan was a reminder of what she stood for: respect, integrity and the courage to stand up for what is right, Amy Calder writes.

Here are some of our favorite Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel photos from the past week.

Bean dish contestants must be signed up and paid by July 13.

The Vickerys of Richmond were awarded the Bicknell Award for Birding Conservation Excellence.

Housing, parking and access to the green space along the Kennebec River were a focus of an urban planning discussion Thursday.

Don and Jean Ponitz are fixing up the Bank Block building on Main Street, with the hope of attracting a restaurant and other businesses to town.

A partial listing of Independence Day-related events planned for across the region.

The Maine State Police said the wreck Thursday was triggered by a northbound motorist who came to a sudden stop in the passing lane.

Based in Guilford, Puritan had become one of the top two swab manufacturers in the world, but orders have decreased dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic has receded, forcing the company to downsize.

Selectmen voted 3-2 on Tuesday to appoint Michelle Kelso to complete a term that concludes in June 2024.

PoponOvers has been operating for several years on Main Street in Pittsfield and has developed a loyal following for those looking for a fresh meal or tasty baked treat. And don't forget about the ice cream, too. Photos by Morning Sentinel photographer Rich Abrahamson.

A city official said the owner of Cancun Mexican Restaurant has not responded to an order issued earlier this month to fix several deficiencies before the eatery can reopen.

The new store at 506 Somerset Ave. held a soft opening Saturday, with a grand opening celebration set for July 14.