AUGUSTA — A city man was arrested Thursday on a charge of criminal use of explosives as authorities searched his Gage Street apartment and later detonated explosive material allegedly found inside.

AUGUSTA — A city man was arrested Thursday on a charge of criminal use of explosives as authorities searched his Gage Street apartment and later detonated explosive material allegedly found inside.

AUGUSTA — Congressional campaigners in Kennebec County say they don’t see the state redistricting changes taking effect with June’s primary election having much of an impact at the ballot box.

Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said he first noticed the beginnings of Maine’s prescription drug abuse epidemic about a decade ago.

Maine’s U.S. attorney, Thomas Delahanty II, said Wednesday that 2012 is shaping up to be state’s worst year ever for prescription-drug related pharmacy robberies. Five months into the year, there have been 12 such robberies statewide, he said. Eight of those robberies have been at CVS and Rite Aids in Augusta, Gardiner, Pittsfield, Winslow and Waterville.

AUBURN — A Gardiner woman who embezzled more than $166,000 from her employer will serve three and a half years in prison.

AUBURN — A Gardiner woman who embezzled more than $166,000 from her employer will serve three and a half years in prison.

AUGUSTA — The Gardiner woman who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $166,000 from the Maine Trial Lawyers Association should be sent to jail for one year, a state prosecutor recommends.