Bangor, Maine News Update: February 14, 2020

The owner of a cleaning service is facing felony theft charges after police say she allegedly stole a 3 –carat diamond ring and other items. Cynthia Daigle of Hermon advertised her new venture under the name Cynthia’s cleaning service. Officials say the ring was stolen on her very first cleaning job.

The first person in Maine to be examined for the coronavirus has tested negative. The individual, whose name and location have been withheld, will now be allowed to leave their home, where they voluntarily quarantined. The Maine CDC says the risk of catching the deadly virus in Maine remains low.

Valentine’s Day is a good reminder to caution people about using online dating apps. Law enforcement officials say  it’s important to protect yourself, by meeting in public, letting others know when and where you’re going, and establishing firm boundaries. The Federal Trade Commission says people in the U.S. were swindled out of more than 143 million dollars last year, through what they call ‘romance scams.’

Health officials say Maine saw a huge jump in the number of Hepatitis A cases in the last year, raising from 9 in 2018 to 45 last year, with a dozen of those cases linked to a food-borne outbreak in Aroostook County. Hepatitis A affects the liver, and carries symptoms like fever, fatigue, nausea, and jaundice.  It can be prevented with a vaccine and by practicing good hygiene.

Free tax help is available to anyone in Maine with a household income of less than $56 thousand dollars a year. The United Way of Eastern Maine coordinates the program that covers Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington, Waldo, and Hancock counties. Find more information about the program and tomorrow ‘Super Saturday’ kickoff on the Cash Maine website.

Registration is open for the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Families in the Outdoors program. The first event is planned for February 21^st, and will include a snowshoe adventure at the Law Farm in Dover-Foxcroft. Find more information on the Facebook page for the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District.