Crime Doesn’t Always Pay But The Bar Harbor Community Supports Boy Scouts No Matter What
Police Logs
BAR HARBOR—On December 15, someone reported that the “on your honor” money box at the Boy Scout’s Christmas tree stand on Cottage Street had been damaged and appeared to have been infiltrated. According to the Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Police Department, a customer had purchased a tree the night of December 14 and left a check for the amount of $70 in the box. The customer went back the next morning to purchase a second tree and discovered the damaged box. The customer could also tell that their check from the night before was missing.
There was much public outcry and support on social media after learning of the event, however, it appears as though no cash has been lost. Many community members suggested buying wreaths, even if they didn’t need them, or paying more than the actual price to help support the local troop.
According to a December 18 email from Officer Ken Mitchell, “It appears that no money is missing, just the check and the damage to the box (cost of replacement).”
There is no indication that anyone tried to cash the stolen check and there is currently no estimate for the cost of replacing the box, Mitchell also said.
The following incidents occurred in Bar Harbor and Mount Desert last week according to the Bar Harbor police log, which is publicly released information.
Monday, December 11, 2023
A caller reported to the Bar Harbor Police Department that he had allegedly hit a coyote with his vehicle in Bar Harbor. The coyote ran off and there was no damage to the vehicle.
A caller reported to the Mount Desert Police Department that there was a tree blocking the roadway in Mount Desert.
Officer Kaleb Payson removed a traffic hazard from the roadway in Bar Harbor.
Officer Caleb Mora responded to a report of a tree down and blocking a road in Bar Harbor. Officer Mora determined that it was a private road and therefore the road owner’s responsibility to remove the tree.
Officer Payson was requested to assist the Mount Desert Fire Department with a medical call in Mount Desert but was called off before he could arrive.
Lt. Kevin Edgecomb handled a complaint from the MDI High School regarding a concerning message that was left on the school’s voicemail. This was determined to be one of many threatening call’s/messages received by schools across the state.
A juvenile male, of Southwest Harbor, was driving a 2011 Ford Taurus east on Pretty Marsh Road in Mount Desert when the vehicle allegedly started to hydroplane due to the wet road surface and the vehicle’s speed. The vehicle spun 180 degrees, left the roadway, and struck a tree with its rear. The vehicle bounced off of the tree, spun around 180 degrees again and struck another tree with the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle finally came to rest back on the roadway. The juvenile male was evaluated by the Mount Desert Ambulance but refused treatment. The vehicle was a total loss and was towed from the scene.
The Bar Harbor Police Department received a report of a tree across the roadway with power lines down in Bar Harbor. The Bar Harbor Fire Department responded due to the fact that all of the police officers were busy with other calls. The fire department stayed on scene until Versant Power arrived.
Officer Mora provided traffic control in Bar Harbor until a tree was cleared from the roadway.
Lt. Edgecomb located a tree down on power lines on Lower Dunbar Road in Seal Harbor and made Versant Power aware.
Lt. Edgecomb responded to a complaint of a low hanging wire on Eagle Lake Road near Rodick Lorraine in Bar Harbor but could not locate any such wire.
Officer Mora handled a domestic dispute complaint in Bar Harbor and the parties were separated for the night.
Mental Health Liaison Melissa Tozier followed up with a resident in Mount Desert to assist with mental health services.
Officer Payson served paperwork to a Mount Desert resident in Mount Desert.
Officer Payson served paperwork to a Bar Harbor resident in Bar Harbor.
Officer Payson served paperwork to another Bar Harbor resident in Bar Harbor.
A man from Machias requested that an officer standby while he collected some belongings at a residence in Bar Harbor.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Officer Ted Cake was advised that a traffic light in Bar Harbor was not cycling properly but after watching the light for a few cycles, determined that it was working fine.
Lt. Edgecomb checked on a member of the Good Morning Program in Mount Desert and found them to be fine but having a phone issue.
Officer T. Cake took a report of some property damage in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer Mora arrested Donald Cote, 93, of Southwest Harbor, on an outstanding arrest for failure to appear in Bar Harbor.
Lt. Edgecomb performed a security check in Northeast Harbor and found everything to be fine.
Officer T. Cake performed a well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the person to be fine.
Officer Shelby O’Neil responded to a report of a traffic hazard in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer O’Neil took a report of theft in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Someone called the Bar Harbor Police Department with a motor vehicle complaint. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer Payson performed a well-being check on a person in Mount Desert and found them to be all set.
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Officer Chris Dickens contacted a person in Bar Harbor at the request of a family member and asked the person to call their family member.
Officers assisted with a medical call in Bar Harbor.
Someone went into the Bar Harbor Police Department to report information.
Paige Collins, 67, of Mount Desert, was driving a 2018 Subaru Impreza north on Main Street in Mount Desert when a deer entered the roadway and was allegedly struck by Collins’ vehicle. There was no reported personal injury. The vehicle sustained minor damage to the front driver’s side corner and door and the deer ran off.
MHL Tozier spoke with a Bar Harbor resident about ongoing mental health issues.
Officer O’Neil conducted a property check in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer Judson Cake received some information about illegal hunting in Mount Desert and passed that information on to the Maine Warden Service.
Officer Lukas Keene took a report of a possible domestic situation involving children in Bar Harbor and passed the information on to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Officer Dickens responded to a reported domestic altercation in Mount Desert and the parties were separated. The complaint is still under investigation.
Officers assisted the Bar Harbor ambulance with a medical call in Bar Harbor. The person was transported to MDI Hospital for further care.
Officer Elias Burne helped a motorist who had run out of gas in Bar Harbor obtain more fuel.
Officer Tim Bland responded to a report of an erratic driver in Bar Harbor. He was able to locate the suspect vehicle and warn the driver for their operation.
Officer O’Neil received a report of someone passing a stopped school bus in Bar Harbor and summonsed Deborah Terreault, 67, of Mount Desert, for allegedly passing a stopped school bus.
Officer Bland served someone paperwork in Bar Harbor on behalf of another agency.
Someone reported spray painting on the rocks off the Shore Path in Bar Harbor.
Someone called the Bar Harbor Police Department to report some information that they wanted on record.
Officer Nathan Formby assisted another agency in Mount Desert.
Officer Jerrod Hardy is investigating an incident in which a Bar Harbor fire hydrant was struck multiple times.
Friday, December 15, 2023
Tanner Seura, 18, of Ellsworth, was driving a 2011 Subaru Outback south on Route 102 in Mount Desert when the vehicle allegedly left the roadway to the left, struck a utility pole, and then rolled over. Seura was assessed by the Mount Desert Fire Department and determined to have not suffered any injuries. The vehicle suffered significant damage and is most likely a total loss. It was towed from the scene.
Officer Keene conducted a property check on a closed business in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer T. Cake was advised of some debris in the roadway along Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor. Officer Cake located that debris and removed it from the roadway.
A parking complaint was made in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer T. Cake assisted another agency in Mount Desert.
Officer T. Cake checked on a disabled motor vehicle in Mount Desert and spoke with the owner who said that he would make his arrangements for taking care of the vehicle.
Officer J. Cake responded to a motor vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor, located the suspect vehicle, and warned the driver for vehicle operation.
Officer O’Neil arrested Rebecca Carroll, 59, of Bar Harbor, in Bar Harbor, for alleged operating under the influence.
Miles T. Swanson, 26, of Rockland, Maine, was traveling north on Route 102 in Bar Harbor when a group of three deer entered the roadway and Swanson’s vehicle allegedly struck one of the deer. There was no reported personal injury and the vehicle suffered minor damage to the front driver’s side corner.
Saturday, December 16, 2023
A woman called the Bar Harbor Police Department to report a man duck hunting in Bar Harbor. The man was not violating any laws.
Lt. Edgecomb provided emergency lights (blue lights on the police vehicle) for a utility pole replacement on Main Street in Somesville.
Officer Mora took a report of traffic lights not working in Bar Harbor but he discovered that they were working properly.
Officer Bland did a well-being check on a member of the Good Morning Program in Mount Desert and found the person to be all set.
Matthew S. Montgomery, 50, of Lamoine, who was driving a 2023 Chevy Trailblazer was turning left from Eden Street onto Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor when he allegedly hit a road sign within the center median. There was no reported personal injury. The vehicle sustained damage to the front bumper and the sign was damaged.
Officer Payson is investigating a report of a theft in Mount Desert.
Officer Payson conducted a security check on a residence in Mount Desert and found it to be all set.
STATE POLICE PRESS RELEASES
These are the Maine State Police press releases from the last few days. The Bar Harbor Story will include this each week though most (and sometimes all) do not occur in Bar Harbor.
Maine State Police Responds To Tractor Trailer Fire On The Interstate
On Monday, December 11, 2023, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Troopers responded to a vehicle fire at mile 277 southbound on the interstate in Island Falls. A tractor trailer unit hauling beer experienced a blown inner passenger tire and as a result a fire started in the passenger rear of the trailer. The operator of the truck, 23-year-old Sahil Pal, of Dieppe, New Brunswick, and his passenger pulled over and attempted to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but were unable to do so.
The fire quickly spread inside the trailer and it became fully involved. The driver was able to separate the tractor unit before the fire reached the front of the trailer. Island Falls and Oakfield Fire Departments responded and put out the fire. The Interstate in that area was shut down for about two hours. State police are asking that drivers use caution when traveling in the area of 277 southbound as crews are removing debris from the roadway. Also assisting on scene was Maine DOT and Westerdahls Towing.
Maine State Police Investigating Pedestrian Fatal On Interstate
On Friday, December 15, 2023, at approximately 5:20 a.m., troopers responded to a pedestrian/motor vehicle crash on Interstate 95 southbound at mile marker 111 in Augusta.
Initial investigation indicates that 55-year-old Matthew Galletta, of Manchester, Maine, was in the right-hand lane when he was struck by a pickup truck. Galletta was pronounced deceased at the scene. Galletta’s vehicle was parked on the side of the interstate. The driver of the pickup truck suffered minor injuries. The investigation into why Galletta was in the right-hand lane is ongoing. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact the Maine State Police for Trooper Daniel Grenier at 207-624-7076 ext9.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigating Fatal Fire In Old Town
On Sunday, December 17, 2023, at approximately 5:11 a.m., the Old Town Fire Department responded to a fire at a multi-unit apartment building at 1015 Stillwater Avenue in Old Town.
One resident in the building was able to get out safely. A resident in another apartment was rescued by firefighters. He was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. The deceased has been identified as 71-year-old Banton Foster.
There were working smoke detectors in the building. Responding to the scene was the Old Town Police Department, Orono Police Department, Old Town Fire and Rescue, Milford Fire and Rescue, Veazie Fire Department, Bradley Fire Department, Milford Rescue, and Orono Rescue.
The Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fatal fire in Old Town on Sunday was an accidental fire caused by improper disposal of smoking material.
Norridgewock Man Accused Of Stealing Car Leads Police On Pursuit
On Sunday, December 17, 2023, at approximately 5:00 a.m., the Waterville Police Department received a report of a vehicle theft, a red 2011 Chevrolet Impala, at the Cumberland Farms on College Ave in Waterville. Fifty-seven-year-old Lawrence Knowles, of Norridgewock, was identified as the suspect through video footage, but the vehicle was not immediately found.
At approximately 1:00 p.m., Troopers received reports of a male pulled over on Interstate 95 near mile marker 117 southbound in Sidney. Motorists had called 911 to say they observed a male passed out in the front seat. The vehicle matched the stolen vehicle's description. Troopers arrived, and upon approach, the driver of the vehicle fled southbound.
Troopers confirmed it was the stolen vehicle. The driver’s identity remained unconfirmed and Troopers pursued the vehicle. Near mile 114 a Trooper conducted a PIT maneuver (Precision Immobilization Technique), but the vehicle was not immobilized and fled northbound in the southbound lane. Troopers avoided pursuing the vehicle the wrong way, going northbound to position themselves to stop the offending vehicle. Members of the Warden Service, Waterville Police, Fairfield Police, and Clinton Police assisted in slowing southbound traffic and setting up a roadblock. The vehicle exited the Interstate in Fairfield and was soon located on Howe Road.
Knowles was taken into custody without incident. Knowles was transported to Kennebec County Jail. Knowles was charged with aggravated reckless conduct (class B), eluding an officer (class C), passing a roadblock (class C), falsifying physical evidence (class D), leaving the scene of a property damage crash (Class E), driving to endanger (class E), and operating after suspension (civil).
Two property damage crashes occurred during the incident. One of the crashes was when debris flew off the offending vehicle and caused damage to another vehicle’s paint. The other crash was when a vehicle was side swiped by the offending vehicle causing the other vehicle to crash into a barrier. The driver of the vehicle that crashed into the barrier suffered minor injuries. The crash remains under investigation.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
Augusta, Maine––During the upcoming Holiday Season, Maine law enforcement agencies will be working hard to reduce impaired driving and keep everyone on the roadways safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” (DSOGPO) Campaign, which encompasses the holiday season, will run from December 13, 2023, through January 1, 2024. Tis the season to be jolly, and ‘tis the season to celebrate that jolliness responsibly. The winter holiday season ushers in parties and festivities and that means more impaired drivers on the roads. Therefore, no one should mix alcohol and/or drugs with driving, as no one is immune to the effects of impaired driving.
The irresponsible decision to drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs puts you, your passengers, and everyone on the road at risk. We remind all drivers, from the newest to the most experienced, when celebrating the holidays to make sure to survive your drive. Lauren Stewart, Director of the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety says, “We shouldn’t be so quick to call traffic crashes ‘accidents.’ It is a choice, not an accident, when you choose to drive impaired and risk the lives of yourself and the other people sharing the road with you.”
Even though the DSOGPO campaign will end on New Year’s Day, The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety wants drivers to continue to drive sober and safely all through the winter months. In the winter months of 2022 (December – March), there were 28 motor vehicle crashes which resulted in 31 fatalities on Maine roadways. During winter storms, make sure to give yourself plenty of travel time to reach your destination and leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Also, allow adequate time to slow your vehicle as you approach intersections and operate your vehicle at a safe speed depending on the road conditions.
Safe driving begins with responsible choices:
Remember that it is never okay to drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Designate a sober driver, plan to stay where you are, or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
Do you have a friend or family member who is about to drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs? Please, take the keys away and help that person plan to get back home safely.
Take it slow in ice and snow! Avoid any sudden or excessive actions while steering, braking, or accelerating so you don’t lose control of your vehicle.
Don’t take chances when pulling out into traffic. The road surface under your vehicle may be slippery, so allow yourself extra time when pulling out in front of approaching vehicles.
The Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety would like to remind the motoring public to drive safe and sober during the holidays and all winter long.
For more information on the risks of Impaired Driving, please visit our website at: https://www.maine.gov/dps/bhs
HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF PRESS RELEASES
The Hancock County Sheriff Department’s press releases are below in unadulterated form. Because different deputies report the same incident when more than one deputy is involved, there may be some repeated material.
