The state of Maine is warning residents and motorists to be on the watch for moose crossings.
Maine transportation officials said moose are on the move this time of the yearSee "State Warns Motorists To Look Out For Moose", WMTW Portland, May 8, 2008.
-- so motorists should drive with extra care, especially in wooded or marshy
areas.
The state of Maine is starting to screen its returning Soldiers from war zones for TBI or Trumatic Brain Injury.
The Maine Army National Guard is teaming up with Dartmouth Medical School to create a traumatic brain injury screening program for returning soldiers that is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.Read the rest of the story in "Screening to focus on returning soldiers", MaineToday.com, May 8, 2008.
May 15th has been designated by President Bush as "Peace Officers' Memorial Day". Here is an extract from his proclamation:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2008, as Peace Officers' Memorial Day and May 11 through May 17, 2008, as Police Week. I call on all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call on Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half staff on Peace Officers' Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag at half staff from their homes and businesses on that day.
The Hannaford data breach continues to be in the news:
Six weeks after the discovery of a massive theft of debit- and credit-card numbers from Hannaford supermarkets, area banks are still urging customers to remain vigilant.
USA Today ran an article about performance driving schools entitled "Cool driving schools, on pavement and dirt". For information on performance, survival, anti-terrorism, convoy security, and pursuit driving schools for police, emergency responders, security professionals, security contractors, and adventurers see "Security Driving Schools".
The famous Maine author Stephen King has been in hot water lately for comments made while he was speaking at a writers symposium for high school students. Evidently he said the following:
"I don't want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don't, then you've got the Army, Iraq, I don't know, something like that. It's not as bright. . . "He might be a great author but . . . as a Harvard grad and also a member of the military for over 36 years (active and guard) I can't help but take some offense to the comment and also wonder where he got his info. Today's Army is a lot smarter than most people realize. I will be thinking twice before buying another one of his books.
May 11 through May 17 has been designated by President Bush as "Police Week". Here is an extract from his proclamation:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2008, as Peace Officers' Memorial Day and May 11 through May 17, 2008, as Police Week. I call on all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call on Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half staff on Peace Officers' Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag at half staff from their homes and businesses on that day.To read the remainder of the proclamation see "Peace Officers' Memorial Day and Police Week, 2008", The White House Press Release, May 9, 2008. Click here for more information on Maine police.
The annual Run for Cash run and walk will be held in Old Orchard Beach on June 21, 2008. The benefit is for the CPT Christopher Scott Cash Scholarship Fund. CPT Cash died while serving in the Army in Iraq in June 2004. Read more about the benefit race in "Time to register for 4th annual Run for Cash", KeepMEcurrent.com, May 8, 2008. Visit a web page in memory of Captain Christopher Cash.
Identity theft is a huge problem in the United States.
Tens of millions of tax returns have just been filed electronically for the tax year 2007. Anyone who has filed their taxes this way and has their personal information stored unprotected on their computer is vulnerable to the ever-growing threat of identity theft. Stored tax documents are a gold mine for hackers and thieves as every single tax return contains at least one person's social security number.
Maine State Police are concerned about drivers who talk while driving - citing safety concerns. See "Maine Troopers Warn Motorists To Use Cell Phones With Care", WMTW Portland, May 9, 2008.
CPT Pat Damon, a Maine Army National Guard Soldier who died in Afghanistan two years ago, was remembered at a ceremony at the Hyde School in Bath, Maine. Read more about Damon and the remembrance in "Hyde School event recalls imperfect hero", The Times Record News, May 8, 2008. Visit a website In Memory of CPT Patrick Damon.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM), in cooperation with the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), is offering several one-day courses across Maine to train teachers, police, medical professionals, health educators, and volunteers how to most effectively teach bike safety in their schools. The 8-hour course qualifies for 1 CEU and will be taught by several of Maine's leading Bicycle Safety Educators. The all-day workshop covers:
Child Development and Bicycling
Helmet Fitting and Use
Dressing for Safety
Bicycle Equipment Safety Check
Rules of the Road
Basic Driving Skills and Safety Maneuvers
Review of Resources and Materials
Incorporating Bicycling into your Curriculum /Program
The course is FREE, and lunch is provided. This is a hands-on and on-bike program. For more information call (207) 623-4511. All 2008 classes are scheduled 8 am-4 pm. For more information see Maine Bicycle Safety Instructor Course. Click here for more information about biking in Maine. Click here for more info on safety in Maine.
The Maine governor has visited Fort Kent, Maine once again to view damage from the extensive flooding that recently took place. Read more in "Baldacci pays third visit to Fort Kent after flooding", Portland Press Herald, May 9, 2008. The St John and Fish rivers overflowed their banks during the spring snow melt off.
For those of you that are interested in vehicle safety and security - a blog posting in the New York Times about the merging of technology, computers, security, telecommunications and more into a single system that will provide increased security, safety, GPS, telematic safety services, and communications for tomorrow's drivers. Read the New York Times "Wheels" blog posting of May 1, 2008 entitled "Making Cars Smarter, Greener, Safer and Better Listeners". Click here for more information about vehicle security and safety.
Flooding has hit northern Maine hard - especially the Fort Kent area. See some press reports on this topic below:
"How high's the water? Worst he's seen in his 80 years", Portland Press Herald, May 2, 2008.
"Small businesses take bigger hit than large ones", Portland Press Herald, May 2, 2008.
The Department of Homeland Security has been advancing security measures in the area of small vessels. The DHS recently announced a new Small Vessel Security Strategy (SVSS) to deal with security gaps and risks associated with small maritime vessels. Read more on this topic in "DHS Unveils Small Vessel Security Strategy", Security Products Online, April 29, 2008; "DHS Unveils Small Vessel Security Strategy", Department of Homeland Security News Release, April 28, 2008; and "Fact Sheet: DHS Small Vessel Security Strategy", Department of Homeland Security Fact Sheet, April 28, 2008. To read more about security in our ports and high seas click on maritime security and port security news.
Governor Baldacci of Maine has set aside a new bill that would narrow the definition of who needs to be listed under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. He has decided that the bill needs more work to determine who should be on and who shouldn't be on the registry. Read "Baldacci: Sex offender rules need more work", Portland Press Herald, May 1, 2008.
The Department of Homeland Security is advancing a new program designed to avoid pestering airline passengers with unnecessary questions during the security screening process. For the most part, it is designed to spare those whose names are similar to names on the "do not fly list". Read more in "ID plan meant to clear fliers of suspicion", USA Today, April 28, 2008. Click here for more news on air travel security.
Two memorials are being planned to honor sacrafices made by members of the Maine military who have lost their lives in The War on Terror. One memorial will be at the entrance of Camp Keyes, headquarters of the Maine National Guard to honor members of the Maine National Guard who have been killed in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another memorial will honor all Maine members of the military killed in The War on Terror and will be placed in the Hall of Flags at the Statehouse. The memorial will be "A Battlefield Cross Memorial" that replicates the memorial services held by unit members overseas for fallen comrades. The memorials are being planned by the Augusta Emblem Club. The organization is working to raise over $10,000 to fund the memorials.
Donations can be made to:
Augusta Emblem Club #233
P.O. Box 206, Augusta, Maine 04332-0206
For more information call:
2LT Jasmine Chase at (207) 430-2167
Louise Dorr at (207) 626-4213
To read a news article on this topic see "Memorial to honor Maine's fallen", Morning Sentinel, April 27, 2008. For a listing of those Maine members of the military that have lost their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan see "In Memory of Maine's Heros KIA in Iraq and Afghanistan".
Maine is sending some of its National Guardsmen to work along the U.S. - Mexico border. Read more in "Maine guardsmen headed to Arizona for border work", The Boston Globe, April 26, 2008.
