A Massachusetts man was arrested after police discovered crack cocaine hidden inside his body.

Maine Drug Enforcement agents set up surveillance after they received information that a Worcester, Mass.,-based crack cocaine ring was operating in Biddeford. Agents learned June 7 that two suspects had recently returned to Biddeford from Massachusetts with crack cocaine.

Agents stopped a car driven by Jonathan Bethune, 24, of Webster, Mass., and he was arrested after police discovered crack cocaine hidden in a body cavity, according to police.

Bethune was arrested for possession of the drug and taken to the Biddeford Police Department, where he was released on bail. He is expected to appear in York County Superior Court Aug. 24. Police said Bethune was in possession of 6 grams of crack cocaine, which has a street value of $600.

A passenger in the vehicle was found in possession of a small amount of marijuana and was released without being charged, according to police.

Voters back school budgets for Biddeford and RSU 23

Voters last week approved school budgets for the Biddeford School Department and Regional School Unit 23.

Biddeford voters on June 9 narrowly approved the $30.9 million school budget by a vote of 101 to 89. The school budget calls for the elimination of 23 positions, including a high school Latin teacher, library clerks and education technicians. 

City Clerk Carmen Morris said turnout for the election was the lowest since residents began voting on school budgets four years ago. She said a total of 190 of the city’s 13,004 registered voters cast ballots.

Voters in Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach on June 7 approved the $42.7 million budget for RSU 23. It was approved by 67 percent of total voters from all three communities. However, 208 of the 306 Dayton residents who turned out for the election voted against the budget.

RSU 23 voters also approved a bond question that will allow the district to borrow $368,290 to replace a window wall at Loranger Middle School in Old Orchard Beach. The bond question was approved by 60 percent of all voters, however Dayton voters rejected it 51 to 262.

Hospital boards explore idea to share services, expenses

The boards of Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford and Goodall Hospital in Sanford announced June 10 the organizations are exploring opportunities to work collaboratively to share expenses and enhance clinical services.

While discussions are still in the early stages, board members and senior leadership are encouraged by the positive tones of initial meetings, according to a statement from the two organizations.

“We are pursuing membership in MaineHealth,” said Goodall Board Chairman Mark Mickeriz. “It just made sense that we reach out to SMMC, a MaineHealth member, and we quickly found common ground.”

Joan Fink, SMMC Board chairman, said the organizations already collaborate on care of some patients.

Ed McGeachey, CEO of SMMC, said that formation of a legal framework for the two organizations to share expenses while finding ways to improve health care quality and access is the goal of discussions.