Central Maine News: Sept 11, 2015

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

President Barack Obama jokes that without one of this year's National Medal of Arts recipients there'd be "no really scary things like `Carrie' and `Misery."' Stephen King, author of those books, was one of 18 individuals and three organizations to be honored by the president Wednesday for their contributions to the arts and the humanities. King was recognized for combining storytelling with his analysis of human nature, and for thrilling readers around the world through decades of work. Other honorees celebrated in an East Room ceremony included actress Sally Field and chef Alice Waters. Obama awarded the National Medal of Arts to 11 people and organizations. And he awarded the National Humanities Medal to 10 people and groups. (AP)

The cost to investigate nearly half a million dollars missing from a Maine town's office has far exceeded what the town planned to spend. The town of Anson is $40,000 over budget in legal and auditing fees, and plans to spend more money. Anson selectmen agreed Tuesday to have auditors review tax records from 2010 as they continue to investigate almost $500,000 in missing excise fees.The investigation has included records from 2011 through last September, but the 2010 records are missing from the office. Records went missing around the time the town first started looking into the missing money. The town's administrative assistant says it will probably have to hold a special town meeting to raise additional funds. (AP)

The Maine Department of Corrections has chosen Kennebec County Sheriff Randy Liberty to be the next warden at the Maine State Prison. Liberty will assume the new post at the state's maximum security prison on Sept. 28. Liberty has served 33 years in law enforcement. He joined the Kennebec County Sheriff's Department in 1989 and has been sheriff for the past seven years. In the military, he received the Bronze Star for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. (AP)

Police arrested a man who claims to be homeless after he led troopers on a chase through Sidney and Manchester. Police say 56-year-old John Gagnon, who lived in Turner in 2012, nearly collided with Trooper Diane Vance’s cruiser in Sidney late Thursday morning. He refused to pull over and led troopers on a chase. According to WGME, Gagnon’s car was eventually stopped after a trooper used a “pit maneuver” to force the car into a controlled spin. According to police, Gagnon has a long criminal history in Maine including several jail terms.(WGME)

Augusta city councilors agreed to plans to seek more than $2 million to improve streets and sidewalks throughout the city in addition to various capital improvement projects. The council, unanimously and without public objections, approved a series of motions that would allow the city to borrow $2.4 million for the projects. Mayor David Rollins said the projects were too expensive to fund through the budget process. Rollins said borrowing the money will not affect property owners. (centralmaine.com)

Taxes in Skowhegan are going up. The tax rate for the coming year was set Thursday by the Skowhegan Board of Assessors at $18.30 for every $1,000 in property tax valuation, up from $17.15 set last year. According to the KJ,  tax bills will go out in about a week. The 6.7 percent increase means that a family with a home valued at $100,000 will pay $115 more than they paid this year. The final tax figures include a $20 million drop in the valuation of the Sappi paper mill. (centralmaine.com)

The Coast Guard, American Lighthouse Foundation and Maine Office of Tourism are sponsoring Maine Open Lighthouse Day. Officials say the event on Saturday is the largest of its kind in the country. All told, 23 Maine lighthouses will be open to the public. That includes some that are not normally accessible including Owls Head Light, Bug Light in South Portland, Monhegan Island Light, and the tower at West Quoddy Head Light. Coast Guard Lt. David Bourbeau calls it a "unique opportunity to get an inside glimpse of some of Maine's most beautiful and historic navigational landmarks." (AP)

The families of those killed in the Nine Eleven terror attacks will gather at the memorial plaza in New York Friday morning for a 14th anniversary ceremony. There'll be a traditional tolling of bells, moments of silence and the reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed. In western Pennsylvania, the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville will mark the completion of its visitors center. President Barack Obama will observe the anniversary with a visit to Fort Meade, Maryland. (AP)

An armed man who led police on a long car chase and then ran into a crowded California restaurant is dead after a shooting involving a LA County sheriff's SWAT team. Authorities haven't yet confirmed whether the man was shot by the SWAT team or if he killed himself Thursday night. Witnesses say the gunman ran inside Chris and Pitt's Barbecue restaurant in Downey, firing shots into the air and telling women and children to leave. (AP)

Police in Phoenix confirm that there've been 11 vehicles struck in a series of freeway shootings. Most of them happened along Interstate 10. There've been no injuries, except for a girl cut by a shattered car window. Authorities are appealing for help through social media, news conferences, TV interviews and freeway billboards. Helicopters have been flying up and down the interstate and officers have been monitoring live surveillance video from every freeway in metro Phoenix. (AP)

Rescue workers near Tokyo are searching for 22 people missing in floods that washed away homes and forced some people to rooftops. Dozens of residents in Joso city were airlifted out by military helicopters Friday morning after waiting overnight to be rescued. On Thursday, rising waters of a river broke through a flood berm during unusually heavy rains and water gushed into the city. The water is starting to subside. (AP)

A judge in New York says a man accused of killing his hedge-fund founder father over an argument about his allowance is not mentally fit to stand trial and may be sent to a psychiatric facility as early as next week. Thirty-year-old Tommy Gilbert allegedly shot his father in January and then tried to make it appear as if the 70-year-old man had killed himself. Thomas Gilbert Sr. had worked on Wall Street for more than 40 years and founded Wainscott Capital Partners Fund. (AP)