Bangor, Maine News Update: January 8, 2020

State Police say blinding sun and slippery roads contributed to a chain-reaction pile-up on I-95 in Carmel just before 8:00 on Monday morning that involved about 30 vehicles.  13 people were hospitalized, with one flown there by a LifeFlight helicopter, which landed on the interstate. Both lanes of I-95 were closed for hours, with hundreds of drivers stuck in line waiting for the road to be opened just after 11:00.

A Hampden man will spend 43 years behind bars for the murder of his sister-in-law in 2018. Philip Clark's brother and Renee Clark were involved in divorce proceedings at the time of her death. Clark never denied killing Renee, but said her actions prior to their altercation had pushed him over the edge.

Veazie police are looking for a local man who hasn't been seen since New Year's Day. Police say family members are concerned about Ryan Lamontagne's well-being. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact authorities.

Law Enforcement officials in Penobscot County are considering implementing a twist on the alternative sentencing program, by allowing low-to-no-risk offenders to skip jail time. Instead, they would report to a designated location each morning, to attend educational seminars to help them better their lives. They would go home every afternoon, and return again the next morning until their sentence was completed.

Former Governor Paul Lepage has made good on his promise to move to Florida if Janet Mills was elected to office. He already had a winter home in Florida that he and his wife, Anne bought in 2018 in Ormond Beach, but seems to have made it an official move by registering to vote in the sunshine state.

The folks at the United Way of Eastern Maine will hold a blood drive in Bangor this week to honor Robin Bridges, a friend and coworker who lost her battle with leukemia. The blood drive is being held from noon to five on Thursday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Find more information and make an appointment at red cross blood dot org.

Students at the Palermo Consolidated school are doing their part to help Australia's plight by thinking of the animals being hurt and/or orphaned in the fires. The kids are using 3D printed looms to make nests, pouches, and blankets to help comfort the animals burned in the fire. Their teachers got the idea through the Animal Rescue Craft Guild on Facebook.