These are some of the stories central Maine is talking about today.

Sarah Lyn Pearl, 26, of Augusta, is facing charges of trafficking in prison contraband. She was found to be hiding more than 13 grams of crack in a bodily orifice. A police dog signaled that he smelled the cocaine on her. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance today. (centralmaine.com)

Kids Count finds more Maine children living in poverty. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual report says the number of Maine children living in poverty grew from 42,000 in 2008 to 45,000 in 2013. The Maine Children's Alliance executive director says the findings show that the state's economy is "not working for all of our children." (AP)

Maine's jobless rate remained flat at 4.7 percent last month. The Maine Department of Labor said that the unemployment rate for June was unchanged from the previous two months, buts down from 5.7 percent a year ago. New England's unemployment rate was 4.8 percent. The national unemployment rate was 5.3 percent. (AP)

Jared Nightingale, a Pittston widower is suing Augusta, the state and a contractor, saying they did not inspect and repair a dangerous pothole on Western Avenue. He claims that potholet caused his wife’s motorcycle to crash and left her with fatal injuries, last July. Karen Nightingale died nine days after she was hospitalized because of the accident. (centralmaine.com)

Maine heating oil prices fall as summer heats up. The average statewide cash price for heating oil fell 12 cents from three weeks ago. The average price was $2.33 a gallon. (AP)

Maine's supreme court is fast-tracking the governor's request to weigh in on whether 65 bills became law without his signature. Lawyers will deliver arguments on July 31. The governor contends he can still veto the bills based his interpretation of the date that they adjourned but lawmakers returned after that date. Lawmakers say the bill became law without his signature because his missed the deadline for vetoing them. (AP)

The University of Maine System is facing a $16 million operating loss for the budget year that just ended because of $11 million in new retirement and severance costs. The seven-campus system also saw a $3.5 million loss in one of its investment funds. (AP)

Maine's highest court has denied a request for a new trial for Dennis Dechaine. He was convicted of killing of a 12-year-old Sarah Cherry, more than 20 years ago. The court affirmed a lower court judge's conclusion that DNA evidence recovered from the victim's fingernail wouldn't have changed the trial's outcome. Dechaine, now 57, is serving a life sentence for murder and sexual assault of Cherry, who was abducted in Bowdoin in July of 1988. (AP)

The Portland City Council is considering two initiatives that aim to raise minimum wage in the cit. They voted this week to place a referendum to establish a $15-an-hour rate on the November ballot. Councilors also voted to delay a move to revise its own ordinance to raise minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. (AP)

The Maine Department of Corrections says state police are reviewing the death of a prisoner at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham. 67-year-old Robert Lewis died early on yesterday. He was serving a three-year sentence for possession of sexually explicit material of a minor under 12. (AP)

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