1. Minor-league hockey could return to Portland as soon as the fall of 2017. W. Godfrey Wood, general manager and president of the Pirates during their first three seasons, and Brad Church, a former Pirates player and the team’s chief operating officer for the past two years, are building a team of investors to bring an ECHL team to Cross Insurance Arena. Wood and Church hope to land an ECHL expansion team in June. If so, they plan to keep the Pirates name and original logo. (PH)
2. Donald Trump is now running nearly even with Hillary Clinton among U.S. voters, according to a Reuters poll released on Wednesday. Forty percent of likely voters say they support Trump, while 41 percent say they support Clinton. (Reuters)
3. Three young men accused of breaking into Bonny Eagle High School and vandalizing the school’s vending machines are facing multiple charges, including burglary, theft and criminal mischief. Authorities said the teens climbed up on the school’s roof, where they drank and smoked marijuana. The teens then allegedly went inside the school and smashed into the vending machines because “they got the munchies.” (WMTW)
4. A Sanford parent recently complained to the district that the school-issued IPad given to her child had pornographic images on it and was used for sexting. The Sanford school system is working to combat the problem by issuing stricter guidelines for students. App downloads will be heavily restricted, and teachers will check every IPad for illicit material. (WCSH)
5. Budweiser said Tuesday that it would replace the word “Budweiser” with “America” on its cans, bottles and packaging from May 23 through the general election in November. (NYT)
