1. Newly elected Gov. Janet Mills received three standing ovations Monday evening as she ended the eight-year absence by Maine’s chief executive from the state’s largest annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The warm reception Mills received contrasted sharply with the frosty relationship that former Gov. Paul LePage developed with NAACP leaders over the previous eight years. LePage made national headlines shortly after his inauguration in January 2011, when he declined invitations to MLK events hosted by NAACP branches in Portland and Bangor. (Press Herald)
2. A York County grand jury has indicted four suspects accused of robbing a 16-year-old at gunpoint in September outside a Dunkin’ Donuts in Saco where he worked. The robbery was allegedly arranged by the teen’s co-worker at the doughnut shop on Main Street, Saco police said. The victim had sold a gaming computer to a friend for $1,400 cash a few days before the robbery and had shown the cash to several of his co-workers, according to an affidavit filed by Saco police in York County Superior Court. (Press Herald)
3. Not only did Westbrook’s Ice Disk survive the storm but it also got it’s own webcam. Now people can watch the phenomenon’s rotation – and eventual demise – from the comfort of home. The image can be found at mooseheadwebcams.com, which primarily has webcam images of various spots around Moosehead Lake in northern Maine. (Press Herald)
4. Rev. Mark Tanner in Skowhegan publicly predicted the Patriots AFC Championship victory and the final score of the NFL showdown two days earlier and posted the prediction in a very public place — in front of his church. On Friday, Tanner, pastor at the Skowhegan Federated Church, directed his office secretary to post a message on the big sign outside the church on Island Avenue. It read: “God doesn’t have a favorite team but the pastor does!! Patriots, 37. Chiefs, 31.” (Central Maine)
5. If you’re looking for AFC Championship gear, the storm delayed some shipments to Maine. Because of Sunday’s snow storm, Dick’s Sporting Goods says a lot of their AFC Championship gear got delayed. They say things like hats, sweatshirts and t-shirts will all be at the store through the rest of the week. (WGME)
