Damariscotta firefighter Jonathan Snell said he is grateful to be alive after the vehicle he was driving in the demolition derby Sunday night, Aug. 23 at Windsor Fair caught fire and exploded into a fireball.

Last week we introduced the topic of government involvement in the economy. We noted Richard Musgrave’s well known model of analysis in which the three economic branches of government include the stability, allocation, and distribution functions.

Local entrepreneurs and friends Topher Mallory and Matt Page plan to open a distillery in Newcastle in June 2015. Split Rock Distillery will specialize in small-batch spirits with local ingredients.

A daughter, Sparrow Song Pignatello, was born July 16 to Lauren and Sean Pignatello.

The American Cancer Society will host a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer kickoff rally and informational meeting at 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 11, at Bath Savings Bank, 8 Church St., Damariscotta to share details about its upcoming community walk.

The Wiscasset Board of Selectmen approved the recommendation of Wiscasset Town Planner Misty Parker and Police Chief Troy Cline to restrict parking along Route 1 in the commercial district at the board’s meeting Aug. 5.

The Jefferson School Committee changed tack at its Aug. 4 meeting, voting to use roughly $42,000 included in the budget to increase “specials” of art, music, and physical education at the school for two educational technicians instead.

A former Bristol woman will serve six months in jail and must repay $17,000 after defrauding a 71-year-old Nobleboro woman of the money in 2011.

Four members of the Jefferson School Committee attended the Jefferson Board of Selectmen’s meeting Aug. 25 to discuss options for fixing glass, metal, and other contamination of the Jefferson Village School’s new baseball field.

Eric B. Appleton, 28, Wiscasset, unlawful possession of hydrocodone, Nov. 22, 2013; unlawful possession of scheduled drug, Nov. 22, 2013, both dismissed.

An experienced teacher and child care worker is opening a new before- and after-school program to serve young students in the Jefferson area.

In doing more research and checking back into the history of the Longfellow School located in the village of Damariscotta Mills, we both came up with some real interesting history with the great help of George Weston, a longtime historian of the Mills area.

Updated Aug. 11 at 8:15 a.m.

A collision involving a Subaru hatchback and a Dodge Ram 3500 dump truck injured two individuals at the intersection of Route 1 and Sheepscot Road in Newcastle Thursday afternoon.

A structure fire on Farnum Point Road in Boothbay Monday morning leveled a barn and reportedly left one man injured.