Bangor, Maine News Update: December 20, 2017

State police are investigating after troopers responded last night to an attack on a man and woman in Millinocket. Lt. Troy Gardner of the Maine State Police said the victims were attacked in a home on Massachusetts Avenue. At a press conference Wednesday in Bangor, Gardner said the victims suffered significant injuries. He declined to mention what type of weapon may have been used in the attack. The victims were taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. No arrests have been made.

Gardner at the same press conference also provided an update on the death of a toddler in Bucksport in October. The child was identified as 2-year-old Kloe Hawksley. She was pronounced dead after police responded to a report of an unresponsive child at a home on Central Street. Gardner said two adults and two children were living at the residence. So far, no arrests have been made.

Sen. Susan Collins yesterday blasted the media’s coverage of her support for the Republican tax overhaul, calling it "unbelievably sexist." She cited an article that originally said she didn't cry after meeting with protesters suffering from medical conditions.

Maine utility regulators are asking the state's two power companies for answers on its response to the October windstorm that left roughly half a million people without power. The Maine Public Utilities Commission yesterday said the extent and duration of the power outages called for an investigation of the utilities' preparedness and response to the storm.

A bill before the Legislature would help set the stage for putting self-driving buses on the streets of Portland and other Maine communities within the next five years. Rep. Heather Sanborn of Portland sponsored the bill. She said it will likely be debated in the Legislature’s Transportation Committee during the legislative session starting in January.