Portland | featured news

AUGUSTA — Thousands of child care workers in Maine will now have to undergo criminal background checks and fingerprinting under a new law.
The law requires employees of child care agencies to undergo background checks and fingerprints. The state estimates 5,000 background checks in the law’s first year, and then 2,000 annually after that.
The state will reimburse agencies for the cost of the background checks and processing.

HELSINKI — Hours before meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin one-on-one for a high-stakes summit here Monday, President Trump echoed Moscow’s view by saying the United States — not Russia — was to blame for hostilities between their countries.

HELSINKI — President Trump began his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday, testing his campaign pledge to revive ties with Russia amid pressure to confront the Kremlin leader over election meddling and growing concern that the U.S. is abandoning the current international order.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Police say a Florida man who was facing eviction was planning to set his building on fire and “burn” Jews.
Miami Beach police said Friday that 72-year-old Walter Edward Stolper is charged with attempted murder after detectives found 28 containers with gasoline and explosive materials inside his storage unit.

WATERVILLE — French actress Dominique Sanda has had dreams of traveling to Maine since 1987.
At that time, she had been working on a recording of a book penned by Marguerite Yourcenar, a French writer and essayist who lived on Mount Desert Island. She died in that house in the same year,
“Many times in my life I had thought I would love to see the house of Marguerite Yourcenar,” Sanda said. “I had the chance to meet her and I have good memories of that particular moment of my life.”

GARDINER — For more than 10 months, a group of volunteers has been working for one goal: to bring the Wall that Heals on the Gardiner Common.
On Tuesday, the three-quarter size replica of the Vietnam Memorial arrives in central Maine and will be set up in the Gardiner Common, where organizers expect anywhere from 9,000 to 15,000 people from around the state to visit during the four days it will be standing, starting Thursday.
“We have had tremendous outpouring from all the local businesses,” Billie Ellis said.

HELSINKI — On the eve of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump on Sunday described the European Union as a trading “foe,” further unnerving some of America’s closest partners after disruptive visits to NATO headquarters and the United Kingdom.
Trump has not said what he hopes to gain Monday from four hours of scheduled talks with Putin – including 90 minutes without any note-takers or aides – in Finland’s main presidential palace.

LAS VEGAS — Indianapolis resident John Cynn is the champion of the World Series of Poker no-limit Texas Hold ’em main event.
The 33-year-old won the famed tournament Sunday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He’s now $8.8 million richer and the owner of a coveted gold bracelet with diamonds and other gemstones.
Cynn eliminated Tony Miles, of Lake Mary, Florida, on the 442nd hand of the final table.

A New York man was arrested during a traffic stop for trafficking crack cocaine Friday night. police said.

A Lewiston woman was fatally stabbed in front of her two young children Sunday morning on the sidewalk outside a downtown laundromat, Maine State Police said.
One of several bystanders who witnessed the attack tackled the man who stabbed Kimberly Dobbie, holding him until Lewiston police arrived, according to Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Dobbie, 48, had just started a load of laundry at Rancourt’s Laundromat on Sabattus Street and stepped outside with her children, 6 and 8 years old, when she was attacked just before 11 a.m.