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

Maine state police issued a distracted driving summons to a man they say crashed into a tree while taking a "selfie" with his passengers, injuring several of them. Police say 29-year-old Jordan Toner of Hampden was driving in Northern Maine when he leaned over to take a cellphone photo with some of his seven passengers on Saturday. They say he ran off the road and hit a tree. Authorities say two women in the front seat who were not wearing seatbelts suffered the most serious injuries. One suffered a fractured nose and facial lacerations and another sustained neck and possible back injuries. Several other passengers -- ranging in age from 28 to 35 -- suffered minor injuries. (AP)

The sharp rise in the number people using the Appalachian Trail is causing headaches for officials, who say they're dealing with more problems along the more than 2,000-mile footpath than ever. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says more than 830 people completed the 2,189-mile hike last year, up from just 182 in 1990. At Maine's Baxter State Park, home to the final summit of Mount Katahdin, the number of registered long-distance hikers grew from 359 in 1991 to more than 2,000 in 2014. Baxter officials say thru-hikers are openly using drugs and drinking alcohol, camping where they aren't supposed to and trying to pass their pets off as service dogs. Jensen Bissell, director of the park, says the trail may need to end somewhere besides Katahdin if something doesn't change soon. (AP)

As summer winds down in New England, apple-picking season is gearing up with growers forecasting a bumper crop. The U.S. Apple Association says the six-state harvest is expected to be about 14 percent higher than last year's and 18 percent above the region's five-year average. The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates total New England apple production will come in at just under 170 million pounds this year. Growers point to generally favorable weather conditions in early spring and summer and during the pollination period, with little or no damage from frost.(AP)

The Maine Warden Service says it has found the body of a missing 9-year-old swimmer who disappeared in the Mattawamkeag River in Penobscot County. Authorities say the girl and a man had gone into the water Friday and tried to swim across to the Sleugundy Heater Gorge when they became separated in the swift water. The man made it across but the girl did not. (AP)

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say Maine's toddler immunization rate has surged from below average to the highest in the nation. The agency says that Maine's rate for seven vaccines that protect against 11 diseases was 84.7 percent for 19- to 35-month-old children in 2014. The national average was 71.6 percent. (AP)

A review that contains dozens of recommendations or suggestions for ways to save money, increase revenues or improve services will be the subject of a public hearing in Gardiner next month. According to KJ,  the city council will review the report at its meeting Sept. 9, and a public hearing on the report is scheduled for Sept. 16 .  The Gardiner City Manager has encouraged people to attend the public hearing and provide feedback about the report because the city will use recommendations from residents when deciding whether to make changes to the city services. (centralmaine.com)

Fred has strengthened to a hurricane as it approaches the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Fred's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph with some additional strengthening possible. It's expected to move across the Cape Verde Islands this afternoon and tonight. Meanwhile, Hurricane Ignacio is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it moves closer to Hawaii's Big Island and Maui today and tomorrow. (AP)

President Barack Obama begins his historic trip to Alaska this morning. The president's three-day trip is aimed at calling attention to climate change and how Obama says it's already damaging Alaska's stunning scenery. Obama will become the first sitting president to set foot in the Alaska Arctic. And in a show of solidarity with Alaska Natives, his administration is changing the name of North America's tallest peak, Mount McKinley, to Denali, its traditional Athabascan name. (AP)

Asian stocks are down Monday after a U.S. Federal Reserve official suggested a September interest rate hike still is possible and Japanese factory activity weakened. Fed vice chairman, Stanley Fisher says there's a "pretty strong case" for raising rates in September. That runs counter to recent market sentiment that China's economic slowdown and global market volatility might prompt the Fed to wait. (AP)

Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker says building a wall along the country's norther border with Canada is a legitimate issue that merits further review. The Wisconsin governor was asked about the idea today on NBC's "Meet the Press." Walker said law enforcement officials in New Hampshire brought up the topic of building a wall along the U.S.-Canadian border during a recent town hall meeting. He says they raised some legitimate concerns. (AP)

"Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream" writer Wes Craven has died at age 76. Craven had been battling brain cancer, and his family says he died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. (AP)

More From B98.5