Kennebunk News

The man who disappeared with his daughter for 30 hours and prompted Maine's first use of the AMBER Alert system waived his extradition back to that state Friday.

A little pine tree has begun life on a large dead stump in my neighbor's yard. Quite remarkably, that seed found nourishment in such a barren spot; there it grows, almost perfectly formed.

Boy Scout Troop 304 of Kennebunk recently announced that John Edward Price IV has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Bertha Carol Smilie and John Thomas Fleming were both born in April 1947. They were cousins - but I have been told that it sometimes seemed as if they were siblings.

Attorney Peter Clifford, who practices with the Kennebunk firm of Hodsdon and Clifford, has been selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of New England Super Lawyers, under the category "Personal Injury Plaintiff- General." This annual guide recognizes the top 5 percent of lawyers in the six New England states, based on a statewide, ...

Stephanie Defanti, 51, of 6 Winter Street, Kennebunk, was charged with allowing dog to be at large after police received a call with regard to a dog bite incident at the Park Street playground.

Twenty-nine veterans, including two former war prisoners, are to receive State of Maine Silver Star Honorable Service Medals.

Gary Traynham, the man who led police on a two-day search after abducting his daughter and allegedly assaulting his estranged girlfriend Monday, will be held without bail pending his extradition to Maine.

More than 900 students in the RSU 21 district received H1N1 vaccines Saturday as news of two more deaths in the state was confirmed by the Maine CDC.

Rich Goodenough, of York, poses with Brenda Davis, who is on a quest to stamp out hunger in Maine.

Jason Alexander, 20, of High Street, Kennebunk was placed under arrest after he was stopped for a motor vehicle infraction on Spring Street.

As a Maine master gardener, I am always a bit sad to see the growing season come to an end.

How does a gourmet meal, top-notch entertainment and contributing to a good cause sound? For those who find the thought of such an evening appealing, the Kennebunk High School Cabaret Dinner Theater will be held Sunday night at The Nonantum Resort.

A 2-year-old Maine girl has been reunited with her mother after her father allegedly abducted her, triggering the state's first Amber Alert and a 30-hour manhunt that spanned three states.

With H1N1 vaccines due to arrive for local schoolchildren in the coming weeks, many parents are wondering whether their children should get vaccinated, and what, if any, risks are involved.

There are always potential risks with any vaccination. According to the CDC, the majority of flu vaccines contain mercury or the preservative known as thimerosal, except for the nasal mist whose use is prohibited for individuals with asthma. There are thimerosal preservative free flu vaccines which are produced with very little thimerosal. So that by the time the vaccine has gone through the final stages of the production process, the thimerosal is diluted enough as not to be harmful in any way.

The H1N1 flu vaccine does contain thimerosal, but there are few studies that show there is enough of the preservative to cause alarm.

Another potential risk with flu vaccines is GBS, Guillain-Barre Syndrome. A disease where the body damages its own nerve cells outside the brain and spinal cord and can lead to paralysis. The syndrome can last for weeks or months. According to the CDC 5%-6% of the individuals who get GBS will die and the majority will recover completely from it. There is some evidence that GBS can be caused by other respiratory and intestinal viruses illnesses and that here could be other triggers promoting a GBS episode. During the 1976 swine flu vaccination program there was an association of GBS with the vaccine. Many studies were done to confirm the association and according to the CDC, only one of the studies showed an association. So the conclusion was that one in a million people vaccinated with the flu vaccine were susceptible to GBS.

That being said one must always consider the pros and cons of any vaccine and discuss with one's pediatrician. Is there more of a risk to one's health by getting the H1N1 vaccine or getting H1N1 influenza. That decision must take into account an individual's state of health, age, work and other factors that might make it imperative to have the vaccine.

With H1N1 vaccines due to arrive for local schoolchildren in the coming weeks, many parents are wondering whether their children should get vaccinated, and what, if any, risks are involved.

A genuine love for animals resonates in the pastel paintings of internationally recognized, award-winning animal artist Carol Santora, whose animal paintings have gained enthusiastic recognition in this country, Canada, and Europe.

ROCKPORT : The Rockport Select Board met Nov. 9 and gave the town manager direction to draft a no-idling policy.

ROCKPORT : A proposed no-idling policy and the possible adoption of the Camden-Rockport Pathways Committee master plan will be among topics discussed at the Rockport Select Board meeting Monday, Nov.

Same-sex marriage supporters say they aren't giving up this week - or any time soon, despite an emotional veto that defeated a Maine law intended to allow couples to wed regardless of sex.