Terry Karkos, Sun Journal | Monday, December 10, 2012

RUMFORD, Maine -- Local police will be conducting impaired driving patrols through the holidays, thanks to a $9,900 grant to the Rumford Police Department, Chief Stacy Carter said Thursday night.

The Bureau of Highway Safety grant will allow the department to provide extra patrols.

Throughout the year, the department receives grants to fund extra patrols in order to combat impaired driving. But this new grant is different.

"Generally, those grants are for a short period, but this is a year-long grant, so hopefully, we can best utilize it to keep the roads safe for our citizens," Carter said.

In other police news, Carter said he has accepted applications to hire an officer to fill the vacancy left last month when officer Donald Miller resigned.

Although he said applications have been slowly trickling in, a few good applications have arrived in the past few weeks.

He informed selectmen that a second officer has resigned. The chief didn't name the officer at the time, but the officer in question is Joe Sage, who has returned to the Livermore Falls Police Department.

"So, I'll be looking to bring two names to you, hopefully at the next meeting," Carter said.

Selectmen Chairman Greg Buccina asked Carter about Rumford's parking ban, which went into effect on Dec. 1 since there were no measurable snowstorms before that.

"The first three nights, we issued warning cards as we usually do," Carter said.

"We have started issuing tickets, so hopefully, people will very quickly get the message and stay off the streets. When we do have a storm, it makes it that much easier for the town crew."