Central Maine News: Dec 11, 2015

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

(AP) — Federal government figures show that the total amount of goods and services produced in Maine grew 4.2 percent during the second quarter. The state had seen a sharp decline during the first three months of the year. That number is similar with that of other New England states and a faster pace than the national average. The report showed that real estate, rentals and leasing performed particularly well in the state, while the manufacturing of non-durable goods educational services, and entertainment and recreation, struggled.

(AP) — A Maine man whose wife operated a day care center has been accused of bribing children with candy and gum to get them to expose themselves. Prosecutors say children who attended Just Us Kids day care center in Parkman told their parents. They say the incidents happened at the day care center between June and October. Most of the children are between the ages of 4 and 12. One is between 12 and 14. David Russell has been charged with seven counts of visual sexual aggression against a child. He was released on Wednesday on $2,500 bail. His wife voluntarily surrendered her license in October.

(AP) — The lone health insurance cooperative to make money last year on the Affordable Care Act's public insurance exchanges is now losing millions and cutting off individual enrollment for 2016. Maine's Community Health Options lost more than $17 million in the first nine months of this year, after making $10.9 million in the same period last year. A spokesman said higher-than-expected medical costs have hurt the cooperative. The nonprofit's announcement casts further doubt on the future of insurance cooperatives devised during the ACA's creation to inject competition in insurance markets. These co-ops immediately struggled to build their businesses. More than half of the 23 created have already folded.

(AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has received the endorsement of a New England union that represents police and corrections officers. The New England Police Benevolent Association's executive board voted Thursday evening to support Trump. The backing comes as Trump remains under scrutiny for his call for a ban all Muslims from entering the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."Union executive director Jerry Flynn says the benevolent association represents nearly 5,000 members from about 200 locals across the region.

(WABI) -- A Gardiner man, accused of giving marijuana to a 13-year-old girl and raping her, plead guilty to charges in court Wednesday. According to WABI, 35-year-old Joshua Smith will spend 3 years behind bars. The Kennebec County District Attorney says he pled guilty to unlawful sexual contact and having illegal drugs. According to court documents, Smith sexually abused the girl for about 8 months, starting in June of last year. It took place in Gardiner and Vassalboro. Smith’s accused of giving the girl pot during that time, too. Once released from jail, Smith will have to register as a sex offender.

(KJ) -- Recycling in Augusta may be changing. The city’s current curbside recyclables collection program might be headed for the scrap heap. According to the KJ, it remains to be seen whether it would be replaced with a single-stream curbside pickup program or if the only way for residents to recycle will be to take their items to drop-off locations. A council subcommittee recommended to councilors that the city not spend $50,000 to put a new body on the city’s recycling truck needed to keep the current curbside recyclables collection program. Use of the once a month service has dwindled since the city started a drop-off single-stream recycling program at three sites across the city.

(KJ) -- Maine’s overall health ranking improved in 2015 and public health experts are crediting much-improved immunization rates for toddlers as a big reason why. According to the KJ, Maine’s health ranking jumped from 20th in the nation last year to 15th in 2015, according to the America’s Health Rankings report released Thursday. The report measures each state’s health by examining 27 factors. Hawaii had the highest ranking and Louisiana the lowest. All of the New England states ranked ahead of Maine, with Vermont checking in behind Hawaii at No. 2.

(AP) — Two large groups of Syrian refuges have arrived in Canada, which plans to take in 10,000 over the next year with the support of all 10 of Canada's provincial premiers. Members of the opposition, including the Conservative party, attended the welcoming.

(AP) — The haggling continues near Paris as negotiators from China, the U.S. and other nations try to seal a climate deal on the final scheduled day of the talks. The sticking point, as it has frequently been, is how to share the burden of fighting climate change and paying for a trillion-dollar transition to clean energy on a global scale. Some delegates says a deal is in sight.

(AP) — Organizers in New York City are trying to build a more sober SantaCon this year to try to avoid past SantaControversies. After several years of defending the massive, costumed Christmastime bar hop, organizers publicly released the planned route days before their romp through Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan. The also worked with police and got a permit to assemble in a park.