Maine

SOUTHWEST HARBOR — For years Debby DuBois and her husband, chef Dan Dubois, have been donating their time, energy and their Top of the Hill restaurant to a variety of good local causes, with their special benefit dinners. At least three or four a year, in fact.

But this year the couple decided the best local cause they could help was simply families. Mrs. Dubois says she has noticed that fewer and fewer families are dining out these days.

“They just can’t afford it,” she says. “I figure with gas prices what they are and food prices, families with kids could use a break.”

With that in mind the Dubois have created "Family Nigh," every Wednesday at Top of the Hill, in which each child’s meal off the kids’ menu, when paired with an adult meal, is only 99 cents. (Read the full post about ‘Kids come cheap at Top of the Hill’…)

LOS ANGELES — A lonely little robot made millions of friends during the weekend. (Read the full post about ‘‘WALL-E’ Tops ‘Wanted’ At Box Office’…)

Is Madonna planning a divorce from her husband, Guy Ritchie?

The Times of London reported Friday that the pop singer has met with the divorce lawyer who represented Paul McCartney in his divorce from Heather Mills.

The paper said that the lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, is known as the “Steel Magnolia” for her “tough, but pragmatic negotiation tactics.”

Shackleton also represented Prince Charles in his divorce from Lady Diana.

Madonna and Ritchie — who directed the crime comedies “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” — married in 2000 and have one child together.

The Times estimated Madonna’s fortune at $600 million.

Madonna’s representatives did not return the paper’s request for comment. (Read the full post about ‘Report: Madonna Meets With Divorce Attorney’…)

LANCASTER, Ohio — Authorities have arrested a southeast Ohio man accused of stalking and threatening teen actress-singers Aly and AJ.

Lancaster police said 42-year-old Rex Mettler is charged with felony menacing by stalking.

Police said that he made violent threats against 19-year-old Alyson Michalka and her 17-year-old sister, Amanda Michalka.

Aly starred in the former Disney Channel series “Phil of the Future.” Both appeared in the Disney Channel’s 2006 movie “Cow Belles.”

No attorney is listed for Mettler. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Fairfield County Municipal Court.

A message left with a Disney spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.

Aly and AJ are scheduled to perform Friday night at National City Pavilion in Cincinnati. (Read the full post about ‘Man Accused Of Stalking Disney’s Aly, AJ’…)

The celebrity gossip site TMZ.com said it is being sued for $20 million by Verne “Mini-Me” Troyer from the “Austin Powers” movies, after the site allegedly aired portions of a sex tape featuring Troyer and a former live-in girlfriend.

Troyer filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claiming TMZ.com and TMZ TV show violated his privacy rights and infringed on his copyright and trademark by running portions of the tape, according to the site.

TMZ said that Troyer is also claiming that the site violated his right of privacy and misappropriated his name and likeness, and is seeking an injunction to stop further dissemination of the tape. (Read the full post about ‘‘Mini-Me’ Sues TMZ Over Sex Tape Clip’…)

‘WALL·E’ (G) (out of four)

If you can imagine that a), you can get caught up in a film that’s basically a love story between two machines, b), that you can get engrossed in a movie that for its first half hour contains no human dialogue, and c), believe that the world will be so covered in trash that humans will have to live in space, then get ready for “WALL·E.”

Part “E.T.,” part “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Pixar Animation Studios reaches the height of perfection in creating a lovable star out of a binocular-eyed robot named WALL·E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class). Consumable items have covered the landscape and made a Gotham City built on garbage-formed skyscrapers by WALL·E and others like him. (Read the full post about ‘Review: Out Of This World ‘Wall·E’ Amazes’…)

WALES, Maine — Members of a central Maine farming family said a dog got into their poultry pen in Wales and devastated scores of animals being raised for food.

Amy Tremblay said her sons caught the dog and hooked it to a run, but that by then the husky had wiped out the family’s young flocks of about 105 Rhode Island Red and Cornish Rock chickens.

Tremblay said the dog did not eat any of the fowl, but mangled them.

Animal Control officer Wendell Strout said after the Saturday attack that the husky, which was young and had a shock collar and a tag, was not dangerous to humans. (Read the full post about ‘Loose Dog Mauls Chickens’…)

DURHAM, Maine — One person was in the hospital Saturday evening after an accident at a mud-run in Durham.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. at 257 Old Brunswick Road. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department said between 50 and 100 people were gathered for a mud-run on private property when one of the vehicles got stuck in the run. When participants tried to pull the vehicle out, it rolled over and the driver was ejected.

He was taken to the hospital with serious, but non life-threatening injuries. His name was not immediately released.

Police said alcohol was not a factor and no charges were filed.

PORTLAND, Maine — Portland police said three young men were hospitalized early Saturday after a car crashed into a home.

It happened at about 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of Prospect Street and Glenwood Avenue. Police said Ryan Coyne, 18, of Portland, was driving south on Glenwood Avenue when he lost control of his car and crashed into a home at 176 Prospect St. Coyne and two passengers were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious injuries.

Coyne was in fair condition late Saturday and Daniel Vurns, 18, of Portland, was in critical condition. (Read the full post about ‘3 Hurt After Car Crashes Into Portland Home’…)

SACO, Maine — The city of Saco showed off its artistic side on Saturday.

More than 100 artists and crafters displayed their creations at the 38th annual Saco Sidewalk Arts Festival.

Display booths were spread across downtown from City Hall to Pepperell Square, showcasing everything from jewelry to photography to sculpture.

Organizers credited the good turn out this year in part to the cloudy weather that drove people away from the beach.

The arts festival also coincided with the La Kermesse Franco-American festival, which organizers said also helped boost attendance.