Central Maine News: January 13, 2016

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

(AP) -- Facing an impeachment effort, Gov. Paul LePage is skipping the traditional "State of the State" address to lawmakers. LePage said that it'd be "silliness" to face lawmakers a couple of weeks after some of them tried to impeach him. He said, "I'll send them a letter and call it a day." A group of Democrats plans to press for an investigation that could lead to impeachment when the House convenes on Thursday. They've accused LePage of abuse of power. The governor's office has called the claims "frivolous."

(AP) -- Maine State Police and the state medical examiner's office are investigating the discovery of human remains found in a garage at a home in Fairfield. Police say the remains appear to be the result of a recent pregnancy. Police say detectives were called to a mobile home on Sunday and interviewed the young man and woman living there. Police say they found the remains in an adjacent garage. The remains were taken to the medical examiner's office to be examined.

(KJ) -- Augusta police have arrested a Wisconsin man in connection to two separate burglary complaints received Tuesday. According to the KJ, police identified the suspect as 32-year-old James Wilbur. Police say Wilbur has several warrants from out of state as well as a charge of probation violation in Wisconsin..

(WMTW) -- A Bowdoin woman has been charged with stealing an 8-week-old puppy from an Oxford pet store. According to WMTW, Oxford police issued a summons to Julie Rogers, 44, for theft by unauthorized taking. Officials say Rogers stole the puppy from Mainely Puppies on Saturday afternoon. Surveillance video the store allegedly shows Rogers reaching in a cage and taking the puppy, which is a cocker spaniel/poodle mix. The puppy was located and returned to the store on Monday. The surveillance video was shared across social media, and police say it helped them identify Rogers.

(AP) — A bill aimed at addressing Maine's heroin crisis continues to advance. The Legislature's Appropriations Committee voted 9-4 to advance the bipartisan bill that aims to fight the heroin epidemic through the hiring of more drug agents, along with treatment, prevention, and recovery. Four House Republicans voted against it. Lawmakers had promised to address the governor's request for more drug agents after LePage threatened to call up the National Guard. The governor signaled that he'd object to the bill unless there's competitive bidding for a detox center that's included in the bill.

(AP) — President Barack Obama is urging Americans to rekindle their belief in the promise of change that first carried him to the White House. In his final State of the Union speech Tuesday night, Obama said, "All the talk of America's economic decline is political hot air." South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gave the GOP response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, saying the country is facing its most dangerous security threat since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But she says Americans should resist "the siren call of the angriest voices" in how the nation treats immigrants. Haley, whose parents were born in India, says the U.S. should continue admitting "properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion."

(AP) — Things continue to heat up between North and South Korea. News reports say South Korea fired warning shots after a North Korean drone crossed the border. Yonhap news agency says the North Korean drone returned to the North Wednesday shortly after the South fired. The incident comes following North Korea's nuclear test a week ago.

(AP) — U.S. officials say that Iran has assured them that 10 U.S. Navy sailors being held by Tehran will soon be returned. The sailors and their two small boats drifted into Iranian waters after experiencing mechanical problems. The sailors are expected to be transferred to a U.S. ship in the region Wednesday morning local time.