The National Weather Service (NWS) has downgraded a Winter Storm Watch issued Tues. to a Winter Weather Advisory for a weather front that is expected to arrive in Lincoln County Weds. evening. The storm is expected to dump the heaviest snowfall from late Weds. night through early Thurs. morning, then the precipitation may change over to rain or sleet just in time for the morning commute, according to forecasts.

With hundreds of millions of dollars of federal stimulus funds set to flow into state government and out again in a short period of time, measures are being put into place that will help track every dollar until it is spent.

With a few strokes of the pen, Gov. John Baldacci proclaimed Monday fit for a King. William King, that is.

By 1820, King had a long list of achievements behind him. He owned both a saw mill and Maine’s first cotton mill, along with the first bank in what is now the City of Bath. He served the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate beginning in 1795, representing Topsham, then Bath, then Lincoln County. But his greatest achievement awaited him in Portland, where he became the state’s first governor in 1820. The state capital moved to Augusta in 1832.

Fessenden Craft and Bead Supplies on Friendship St. in Waldoboro will soon close its doors after having been in business for 35 years.

Gail Fessenden moved into the former Weston’s Hardware more than 30 years ago and has developed a list of regular clientele. She said business dropped off after the closing of the Osram Sylvania filament plant down the street, however, as a lot of people who worked there shopped in her store.

Clad in prison orange and ankle-shackled, John A. Okie, 22, of Newcastle, stood before Justice Joseph Jabar in Kennebec County Superior Court Jan. 30 and made his one and only public statement regarding the two homicides he was convicted for in Dec. 2008.

“I’m sorry,” Okie said. “This situation should never [have] happened. I’m truly sorry.”

Arrests and SummonsesOn Jan. 27 Officer Banks issued a summons to Darlene M. Russell, 46, of Bath for failure to give notice of an accident by quickest means and leaving the scene of a property damage accident on Rt. 144.

Warming shelters are opening in Wiscasset and Damariscotta for the day. At the time of this posting, these shelters are not providing overnight service, but are a place where people can warm up, take a hot shower and obtain drinking water. The list of shelters and their capabilities follows…

Mrs. Jeanne Dolliver of Waldoboro, and the late Ron Dolliver, announces the engagement of her daughter, Alisha Marie, to Eric Grant Eckman, son of James and Barbara Eckman of Swedesboro, N.J.

The “tricky” flow of information around a domestic violence situation would be the focus of a study commission proposed by Rep. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay).

In a bill introduced to Legislature’s Judiciary Committee Thursday, MacDonald urged a review of state and federal laws that regulate who should be privy to someone’s personal information after a domestic violence assault. That could include health data, financial records and other personal information.

Katie Ventimiglia, 19, of Waldoboro was found guilty of two counts of domestic violence assault and was fined $600 and sentenced to 90 days in jail with all but 48 hours suspended and will be required to serve one year of probation. She was also found guilty of criminal mischief, violating condition of release and was sentenced to 48 hours in jail.

The Jefferson/Nobleboro SnoPacker Snowmobile Club held their annual snowmobile racing event on Feb. 7 and 8 on Damariscotta Lake near Damariscotta Lake State Park in Jefferson.

Nobleboro Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Budget Committee agreed on a tight 2009-10 budget at the end of a special meeting in the Nobleboro town office Monday night.

The three groups met with School Union 74 Supt. Bob Bouchard and business manager Adam Hanson on Feb. 2 to review and vote on a budget that has an overall decrease of 3.6 percent, ($105,610) combined with an increased local share.

The Waldoboro Police report the following activities from the previous week:

AccidentsJan. 29, Officer Justin Cook investigated an accident that occurred on the Washington Rd. at 8:05 a.m. Matthew McFarland, 25, of Washington, was driving a 2006 Toyota, SUV north on the Washington Rd. when he failed to negotiate a curve due to icy road conditions, struck a snow bank and came to rest off the roadway facing north. McFarland’s 2006 Toyota SUV sustained $1500 damage.

Lincoln County residents woke up to a heavy blanket of wet snowfall and widespread power outages Mon. morning after an overnight storm. High winds and additional snowfall in some areas continued through Mon., causing additional power lines to fail as the day progressed. By nightfall on Mon., 17 Lincoln County towns still had areas with power outages. The hardest hit was Bristol, with power out on 40 roads, according to Central Maine Power (CMP). Dresden, Jefferson, Newcastle, Nobleboro and Wiscasset followed, with over 30 roads in each town affected by power outages, according to CMP.