Bangor, Maine News Update: June 29, 2017

State lawmakers continue to work toward a 2-year budget agreement, hoping to have a deal in place by tomorrow night to avoid a government shutdown. Members of a special budget committee say they found some common ground yesterday. A number of proposals were put forward by Republicans, including $146 million for public education, about $35 million more than their previous offer.

A New York man was found guilty of murder yesterday for his role in a 2015 shooting in Bangor. The judge said Thomas Ferguson of Brooklyn was an accomplice in the deadly shooting of Robert Mark Kennedy of Bangor. The judge said another Brooklyn man, Robert Hansley, was the one who actually killed Kennedy. He said the gun was given to Ferguson to settle a drug debt.

A 20-month-old girl from Winn was taken to the hospital after she was accidentally shot Monday evening. She was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Police said the individuals involved in the incident are cooperating with investigators. No further details about the shooting have been released.

A man was seriously injured yesterday in Newport when he used gasoline to ignite a brush pile. The 21-year-old man’s name was not released. WABI reports he’s being treated for second and third degree burns to his face, arms, and hands. Witnesses say he lit a stick, tossed it in the pile and was thrown through the air when the blaze ignited.

There have been four earthquakes recorded in Maine this week. Geologists told WMTW that brings this month’s total to five. That’s more than double the monthly average for the state over the past year. All four were minor quakes.