Central Maine News: July 31, 2015

These are some of the stories central Maine is talking about today.

Maine wardens say a number of people were injured after two boats collided on Thompson Lake in Otisfield. Officials say the collision happened just after noon on Thursday. A grandfather and his two young grandsons were ejected from one boat, which then ran aground. The second boat went to shore to call for help while a resident nearby took out his boat to rescue those in the water, investigators said. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. At least one of the children rescued from the water taken to the hospital by helicopter to a hospital. Others were also transported to area hospitals for treatment. (AP)

Police say a Maine state trooper was injured in a dramatic crash in which his cruiser was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on Interstate 295 in Richmond. The tractor-trailer blew a tire before veering into Trooper Greg Stevens' Ford Explorer, which was parked in a break-down lane on Thursday. The tractor-trailer caught fire and ended up in the median. Local fire departments doused the flames. Officials say Stevens, who had just finished checking on another tractor trailer stopped along the road, was able to walk away from the crash before taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver escaped injury, but was cited on a charge of failing to move over for an emergency vehicle. (AP)

President Barack Obama has tapped a former Maine congressman Michael Michaud for an administration post to help veterans seeking training and jobs. During his 12 years in Congress -- from 2003 to 2012 -- Michaud served a stint as ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Michaud also served as a Maine state senator from 1994-2002 and was Senate president in 2000 and 2001. Before becoming a senator, Michaud was a state representative for 14 years. Michaud worked for the Great Northern Paper Company from 1973 until 2002 and served as Vice President of United Paperworkers International Union Local 152. (AP)

Entertainment Tonight  show reports actress Valerie Harper is now in a coma and has been transported to a hospital outside of Maine. But WGME  has not been able to verify these reports independently.  Officials at the Ogunquit Playhouse say Harper was been hospitalized after becoming ill before a performance.  Officials at the Playhouse say the 75-year-old actress, who has battled cancer, was taken to a hospital Wednesday before the evening performance of "Nice Work If You Can Get It." (WGME)

The three defendants charged in the fatal hayride accident last October pleaded not guilty in court Thursday morning. 17 year old Cassidy Charette of Oakland was killed when the Jeep carrying a tractor trailer lost control during a haunted hayride at Harvest Hill Farm. About 20 people were injured. No trial dates have been set. Allegations that the farms owner knew about break problems with the Jeep and new details about the crash were in search warrant affidavits released Thursday by Androscoggin County Superior Court.  (centralmaine.com)

Lawyers are set to make their arguments to the state supreme court in a dispute between Gov. Paul LePage and the Maine Legislature over the fate of 65 bills. The leadership of the Maine House and Senate contends the bills became law because of the governor's failure to act within 10 days after receiving the bills. LePage argued that the 10-day deadline didn't apply because lawmakers had adjourned, but lawmakers contend they'd planned all along to return. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is hearing the case on an expedited basis. LePage asked the justices to weigh in, saying the potential constitutional crisis represents a "solemn occasion" that merits judicial intervention. (AP)

Australia officials doubt that a piece of luggage is connected to the piece of a plane's wing that washed up on an Indian Ocean island. Investigators are looking into whether the barnacle-encrusted wing came from the Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board. The person who spotted the plane part on Reunion island said the luggage was about 8 feet away. But Australian officials say there's no marine life on the luggage, as there is on the plane part.

The Afghan Taliban has selected a new leader, after confirming this week that leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had died of an illness some time ago. The Taliban has issued a statement praising Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansoor. His title is now "Commander of the Faithful." The Taliban says Mansoor has been an "active director" of the jihad, or holy war, for some years. (AP)

A University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot a motorist during a traffic stop has been released on bail after pleading not guilty to murder. Fired UC officer Ray Tensing appeared in court yesterday, and bail was set at $1 million. The judge became angry when some in the courtroom audience cheered. Tensing later posted 10 percent of bail and was released. He's accused of shooting motorist Samuel DuBose on July 19, after stopping him for not having a front license plate. (AP)

Microsoft says its new Windows 10 operating system is now running on more than 14 million computers, two days after the software was released as a free download. That's a far cry from the company's goal of getting Windows 10 onto a billion devices within three years. Microsoft says it's releasing the software in waves to make sure downloads go smoothly. (AP)

A restaurant in Seattle has decided to institute the city's $15-an-hour minimum wage two years ahead of schedule. Menu prices are up 21 percent and you no longer have to tip at Ivar's Salmon House. Wages for employees are as much as 60 percent higher than before. One waitress is saving for accounting classes, and another server is using the added pay to cover increased rent. Seattle's law bumped the city's minimum wage to $11 beginning April 1. Scheduled increases will bring it to $15 within four years for large businesses and seven for smaller ones. (AP)