USM | Pattenaude Urges Campus to Vote
PORTLAND–President Richard Pattenaude released a statement via e-mail urging all members of USM’s community to vote tomorrow on TABOR, no matter if it is supported or not. He gave the positions of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Visitors, who oppose it. “Both bodies believe that the proposal would weaken public higher education’s role and ability to contribute to economic development and job creation,” he said.
LOCAL | Attorney Arrested for Halloween ‘Guerrilla Theater’
SOUTH PORTLAND– Tom Connolly, an attorney from Scarborough, was arrested by South Portland P.D. on Halloween for misdemeanor criminal threatening for wearing an Osama bin Laden costume and mask and wielding a plastic AK-47 rifle, plastic hand grenades, and signs that said “I love TABOR.” The resident that called the police thought the sign said “I love Taliban.”
State | Oldest Autopsy First Performed In Maine
ST. CROIX ISLAND- Forensic anthropologists from Canada and the U.S. confirmed North America’s earliest known autopsy was performed on the Maine island of St. Croix in the winter of 1604-05. A skull with a top section removed was discovered by the National Park Service in June 2003, and it was determined that French settlers on the island were attempting to find the cause of death for almost half of their 79 member party that winter. The settlers suffered from harsh weather conditions and malnutrition.
National | Salmonella Strikes Nation
WASHINGTON, DC–Health officials believe the recent national salmonella outbreak may be caused by contaminated tomatoes or other fresh produce but have been unable to pinpoint a specific product or source. There have been no deaths, but 171 people have fallen sick in 19 states, including Maine. Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer in the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, believes that the outbreak is now over since the peak for contamination reports was in September.
International | Poisonous Vodka Hammers Russia
MOSCOW, RUSSIA-Illegal alcohol producers have been poisoning dozens of batches of vodka in Russia. Vodka is a staple in Russian culture, but some is laced with toxic household agents. Hundreds have died from hepatitis and liver failure in the past few weeks and towns from the Baltic Sea to Siberia have declared a state of emergency. Police have begun investigating into the source of the tainted liquor, but hospitals are quickly running out of room.u