Biddeford man faces contraband charge

A Biddeford man has been charged with trafficking in prison contraband after he allegedly was found with 40 pills in his sock.

John H. Fontaine, 33, was charged with the Class C felony after corrections staff at the Cumberland County Jail became suspicious of him as he was reporting to serve a 48-hour sentence for domestic violence assault.

Fontaine requested to be housed in a specific unit of the jail, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Corrections supervisors searched Fontaine and found 40 Suboxone pills in a “plug-like” object in his sock. Suboxone is a highly regulated prescription drug used to treat opiate addiction and is similar to Methadone, according to police.

Police say the investigation into the incident is ongoing, but said the incident appears to be a pre-planned attempt to bring contraband to the facility. More charges could be filed.

Mary’s Walk, 5K raise more money this year

The 12^th annual Mary’s Walk and Kerrymen Pub 5K raised more than $215,000 for the Maine Cancer Foundation.

The event, held March 28 in Saco, was attended by 2,000 runners and walkers. Teams competed and raised more than $100,000. The top team, Team Hurlbutt and HB Provisions of Kennebunk, had 57 members and raised $14,895. The 134 members of Scarborough’s Red Storm Strikes Out Cancer raised $13,161 to lead the school community category. In the friends and family division, The Life is Gooders team’s 44 members raised $4,905.

The top individual fundraiser for the second consecutive year was Louise Hurlbutt, who raised $9,820. Other top fundraisers included Elizabeth Spaulding, who raised $2,715 and Doug Bennett who raised $2,275.

More than 200 volunteers, many from Thornton Academy, helped with the event.

Peter King, special events manager for Maine Cancer Foundation, said the event raised more money than last year despite a slight decrease in participants. He said some people may not have been able to come because the event had been rescheduled because of rain, but many still sent donations.

“I thought the day was great,” he said. “We can’t wait for next year.”

Dion says she’s official write-in for governor

Former Biddeford Mayor Donna Dion is an official write-in candidate for governor.

Dion, a Democrat who announced last year she was running as a Clean Elections candidate, missed the deadline to submit nomination papers to the Secretary of State by three minutes earlier this month. She said she later determined she did not have enough signatures to qualify.

“I was totally devastated,” she said.

By the following morning, Dion said she was considering how to continue her campaign and found she could submit signatures to become a write-in candidate. She said it was important to her to be on the ballot because she has spent the past four years working on her “grassroots” campaign and collected about 75 percent of signatures herself.

“As governor, I could serve the individuals and change the way we’re going,” she said.

BHS evacuated after bomb threat Monday

Biddeford High School was evacuated early Monday after school officials received a written bomb threat.

Principal Britton Wolfe said a spray painted message was found on the school’s front steps shortly after 7 a.m. He would not say what the message said citing the ongoing investigation, but noted the message was covered up temporarily. The steps will be painted when the weather is not rainy, he said.

Wolfe said all high school and Center of Technology students will be required to make up the school day May 7, which was previously scheduled as a early release day for staff development.

Wolfe said school was cancelled for the day and the building was evacuated “quickly and in an orderly fashion.” Students who had already arrived at school were either picked up or taken home by bus. After school activities also were cancelled.

A “cautionary” search of the school did not turn up any explosives, Wolfe said. He said he has encouraged students to report any information they have heard and asked teachers to be extra vigilant about requiring students to sign out of classrooms so their whereabouts are accounted for.

A bomb threat is considered by the school to be a level 5 violation that is “illegal, dangerous and a threat to the school’s ability to carry out its mission.” Other violations of that level include drug offenses, assault on a staff member and any violent crime. Wolfe said the violation carries an automatic 10-day out of school suspension, referral to police and referral to the superintendent for an expulsion hearing.

“This is frustrating for everyone. The students certainly don’t celebrate when this happens,” Wolfe said. “This is no joking matter. It’s not a harmless prank, it’s a very serious crime.”

The school is assisting the Biddeford Police Department with an ongoing investigation into the threat. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 282-5127 as soon as possible.

Search for suspect prompts lockdown

Saco Middle School was locked down for more than two hours Tuesday while police searched for a burglary suspect.

Sgt. Ray Demers said police received a report of a person trying to break into a house behind the school. The person fled on foot in the direction of the school.

“The person was known to us and we had a warrant for his arrest,” he said.

While nine officers searched the area, Demers ordered the school to be locked down at 10:10 a.m. to prevent the suspect from entering the building. All exterior and classroom doors were locked and shades drawn, he said.

The lockdown was modified at 11:30 a.m. to allow students and teachers to move around in the school, but exterior doors remained locked until 12:30 p.m. Demers said the lock down went “pretty well.”

The lockdown was lifted when officers were no longer concerned the suspect was in the area, Demers said. The suspect was not caught and police are not releasing his name.

– Compiled by Staff Writer

 Gillian Graham