Things You Need to Know Today: Madison + Vassalboro Residents Had Their Say on Pot Sales

Here are the things you need to  know today......

Friends of Messalonskee, the group  that works to preserve Messalonskee Lake, wants to install some kind of signage in the lake’s north bay that will warn people about the thin ice there. According to centrlamine.com they are investigating what can be put in that does not violate any rules.

The Skowhegan Rite Aid pharmacy was robbed Monday. According to centralmaine.com the second time in two years. Police have identified a suspect but were not releasing a name. Another person, described as a “person of interest” was interviewed by authorities and released.

Madison residence voted for 180 day moratorium on marijuana sales or social clubs. Centralmaine.com reports it is to give the town the time it need to what approach to take in regulating those types of business. Vassalboro went a different direction and residents simply voted to ban recreational marijuana establishments.

From the Associated Press:

Anthem has agreed to pay $225,000 to settle an investigation by Maine's insurance superintendent over its failure to adequately track and respond to customer complaints. Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa said failure to respond in a timely manner is a "serious issue." The company said the responsible parties "are no longer with the company."

Maine's governor will attend the state's annual agricultural show in its capital city. The 76th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show is scheduled to take place at the Augusta Civic Center from Tuesday to Thursday. Gov. Paul LePage is slated to attend on Tuesday and is expected to tout the importance of agriculture to Maine's economy.

Retail gas prices in northern New England have gone up a bit. Gas price website GasBuddy's survey says the average retail gasoline prices in Maine have risen 1.8 cents per gallon in the past week. They now average $2.40 per gallon. In New Hampshire, average prices have gone up nearly a penny per gallon, to $2.31. Princes in Vermont remained flat at $2.40 after a big increase the week before.

Republican Gov. Paul LePage's administration has presented his $6.8 billion budget to legislators who've rejected similar ideas before. Republican leaders said Monday they're open to delving into LePage's ideas, which include a flat income tax by 2020 and broadening the sales tax. Democratic leaders said they'll make sure the tax burden isn't shifted to property owners and that the budget addresses the opioid crisis.

State police in Maine say a New Hampshire man getting roadside assistance died when he was struck by a tractor trailer alongside Interstate 95 in Pittsfield. The crash occurred on Sunday evening and killed 27-year-old Dustin Smithurst of Gorham. He was standing alongside the passing lane as a wrecker was assisting him when he was struck by the tractor trailer.

Senate Democrats will challenge President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, when he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a rare instance in which a senator testifies against a colleague seeking a Cabinet post, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker says he'll testify against Sessions on Wednesday. Booker says Sessions has a "concerning" record on civil rights and criminal justice reform.

More and more Republicans senators are becoming concerned about dismantling President Barack Obama's health care overhaul without having a replacement. Replacing the health care law has become a GOP top priority, but they've never been able to rally behind an alternative.