Bald eagle shot
DAY BLOCK TOWNSHIP (AP) — A bald eagle has been found on a Maine dirt road shot and killed and stored in a bucket.
Game wardens say a woman picking up bottles along the road found it Monday and alerted authorities. Officials say they believe the eagle was shot several weeks ago. An X-ray showed dozens of shotgun pellets in the bird’s body.
It’s illegal to kill bald eagles. The U.S. Wildlife Service is offering a $2,500 for those who provide information leading to a conviction under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Maine wardens are also offering $1,000.
The eagle was found on Chain Lake Boulevard in Day Block Township, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Bangor.
Emu recaptured
LISBON (AP) - An escape artist emu known as “The Bird” that got loose has been returned to its animal sanctuary in Maine.
Lisbon police, an animal control officer and much of the town searched throughout the day Thursday for the 5-foot-4-inch emu that escaped from its sanctuary. A spokeswoman for the sanctuary says the 19-year-old bird was captured near a neighbor’s house.
According to media reports, someone caring for The Bird was moving it to its summer residence when the flightless, ostrich-like animal bolted.
Police had said the 100-pound emu was somewhere in the woods. Animal officials say it previously attempted another escape a decade ago, but was caught.
Baseball field car accident
SANFORD (AP) — A car careened onto a Maine field during a boys’ baseball game Friday night, striking and killing a man and sending screaming ballplayers and bystanders fleeing, police said.
Sanford police said the car drove through an open gate at Goodall Park onto a ballfield, hitting Douglas Parkhurst, 68, of West Newfield, before attempting to speed away. Parkhurst died on the way to the hospital.
None of the players were injured.
Police arrested Carol Sharrow, 51, of Sanford, and charged her with manslaughter. She was taken to York County Jail in Alfred, where she remained on Saturday. Efforts to contact an attorney for Sharrow were unsuccessful.
Sanford police Detective Sgt. Matthew Jones said Sharrow has a drunken driving conviction in Maine and an aggravated drunk driving conviction in New Hampshire, according to media reports. Authorities declined to say whether alcohol was involved on Friday.
Witnesses said that before Sharrow entered the park she tried to drive onto the basketball court across the street but couldn’t get past big boulders lining the court. They said Parkhurst was trying to close a gate when he was hit.
“We want to share our heartfelt gratitude that physically all of our players from Babe Ruth and Little League are safe,” the Sanford Maine Little League said in a Facebook post.
The league’s leaders called for the community to support the young players and on Saturday about 100 people turned out for a morning game, where the Salvation Army distributed free water and coffee.
