Welch's Store in Fairhaven, a long-time island business and Deer Island's only gasoline retailer, closed its doors just before Christmas, leaving residents concerned about fuel availability on the island.

During these winter months, the cost of heating homes weighs heavily on the minds of many Maine residents. This is another year during which there is a significant demand for assistance.

Some drivers on the Charlotte Road near the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge headquarters entrance, and more recently on the Golding and Lake roads in Robbinston and Perry, have reported incidents of vehicle harassment with a driver who in at least one instance appeared to be impersonating a...