Bangor, Maine News Update: January 29, 2020

The Maine Supreme Court says mandatory blood draws for drivers in fatal accidents is unconstitutional, and violates the fourth amendment. Despite that ruling, the justices upheld the conviction of a Tennessee truck driver who caused a double fatal crash in 2016, saying that the officers at the scene acted in good faith.

Bangor fire crews were able to contain a scary situation behind the Hollywood Casino Tuesday morning when construction workers accidentally broke a gas line. Responders were able to shut the gas down quickly before monitoring for gas in the surrounding businesses. The contractors were demolishing some unused storage tanks when the accident happened.

The warmer than normal weather is prompting game wardens to caution residents about going out on the ice. The advise using a chisel or an auger to check the thickness of the ice, and do that repeatedly as you go further out. They also advise wearing a life jacket, having a partner with you who could help in an emergency, and avoid areas with currents, where the ice could be thinner.

The University of Maine has been working on new technology that could aid in the early detection of breast cancer. The newly-patented invention analyzes the whole mammogram image to identify dormant, potentially cancerous tissues before it progresses to a metastatic cancer. The technology is still in the development stage, but could change cancer testing from reactive to predictive in the future.

Secretary of State Matt Dunlap is reaching out to voters after a candidate’s mailing recently suggested that the presidential primary election is open to everyone. He says primaries are only open to voters registered as Republican or Democrat. State law requires a 15-day waiting period after a change of enrollment before a person can vote in a primary, putting this year’s deadline at February 17^th.

Bangor’s Goodwill store will reopen on Saturday, after closing more than a month ago for renovations. The new layout will feature a seating area and a section for premium items. In addition. Office space has been set up for its job connection program, that pairs participants with a job coach and social worker to help them overcome barriers in their job search.