Maine

VASSALBORO, Maine — A proposed topless coffee shop may receive a dressing down from some residents of rural Vassalboro.

The town, which borders Augusta, is set to take on the matter at a planning board meeting scheduled Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Video: Proposed Topless Coffee Shop Draws Mixed Reaction

The proposed topless coffee shop would take over the former Mac Daddy’s Pub at the Fat Cat Grille along busy Route 3. (Read the full post about ‘Topless Coffee Shop Sparks Rousing Debate For Rural Town’…)

NEW YORK — Netflix is coming up with another way to get movies to people without having to send DVDs through the mail.

Netflix is partnering with LG Electronics, which will start selling high-definition TV sets that stream Netflix videos directly from the Internet.

No additional device will be needed.

The deal marks the first time Netflix will have its streaming service embedded in a television. The head of Netflix said it’s the natural evolution of the service.

Tim Alessi, the director of product development for LG Electronics USA, said the broadband TVs will sell for roughly $200 to $300 more than a regular HDTV set.

Netflix now offers about 12,000 movies and TV shows for instant streaming over the Internet. (Read the full post about ‘New LG High-Def TVs To Stream Netflix’…)

LOS ANGELES — Friends, family and Trekkies have gathered to bid a final farewell to “Star Trek” actress Majel Barrett Roddenberry.

More than 250 people came to a Los Angeles cemetery Sunday for the funeral of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry’s widow.

Known to many as “The First Lady of Star Trek,” Barrett Roddenberry died of Leukemia Dec. 18 at her Bel-Air home. She was 76.

Among the mourners were veteran actors Nichelle “Lt. Uhura” Nichols, George “Mr. Sulu” Takei and Walter “Mr. (Read the full post about ‘‘Star Trek’ Stars Mourn Barrett Roddenberry’…)

The original casket used to the bury singer of the rock ‘n’ roll classic “Chantilly Lace” will soon be up for bids.

According to the Enterprise of Beaumont, Texas, the family of J.P. Richardson, also known as The Big Bopper, will put the casket on eBay in the next few weeks.

The 28-year-old Richardson died on Feb. 3, 1959, in the crash of a small plane in a field near Clear Lake, Iowa, that also killed 1950s rock stars Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

Rocker Don McClean penned a memorial tune, “American Pie,” about the tragedy — a line in the song lead to the tragedy being dubbed, “The Day the Music Died.”

The 16-gauge steel casket held The Big Bopper for 38 years until he was exhumed in 1997 so experts could answer questions about his death and move his body to a new site. (Read the full post about ‘Classic Rocker’s Casket To Be Auctioned’…)

A funeral home official said Jett Travolta death certificate lists “seizure” as cause of death.

Travolta Thanks Fans For Support

The 16-year-old son of actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston was found dead Friday at his family’s vacation home in Freeport.

Reports Friday indicated that Jett Travolta had a history of seizures, which may have been a contributing factor in his death.

Travolta’s lawyers, Michael Ossi and Michael McDermott, told TMZ.com that the seizures the boy suffered were “frequent and extremely serious.” They told the celebrity gossip site that “each seizure was like a death,” with Jett losing consciousness and convulsing.

TMZ also reported that to treat the seizures, Jett Travolta previously took Depakote, which the site described as “a strong anti-seizure medication.”

The site said that reports that John Travolta refused to give his son anti-seizure meds because of his Scientology beliefs were not true.

The police superintendent in the Bahamas has said a caretaker found Jett Travolta unconscious in a bathroom Friday morning. (Read the full post about ‘U.S. Coroner To Assist In Travolta Autopsy’…)

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci this week presents the details of his two-year state budget for Maine — and the spending blueprint is sure to drive much of the legislative agenda in the months ahead.

The governor has scheduled a news conference for Friday. The state’s top fiscal officials, as well as the heads of the departments of Health and Human Services, Corrections and others will also be present.

The governor has said that the two-year budget must account for a projected revenue decline of $330 million, plus an additional $508 million in requests to keep state government running at its present level. (Read the full post about ‘Budget Talks On Tap In Augusta’…)

PORTLAND, Maine — Mariners are being urged to buy new digital emergency distress beacons for the upcoming arrival of the digital age at sea.

Beginning Feb. 1, satellites that scan the Gulf of Maine and other ocean waters for emergency distress signals will stop listening for analog tracking transmitters.

That means the older analog beacons that are mandatory on ocean-going fishing boats and other commercial vessels will become obsolete.

The Coast Guard said the changeover to digital has been in the works for years, but officials are concerned that some mariners have put off the expense of buying the newer digital beacons until the last minute.

PERU, Maine — Maine game wardens are warning snowmobile riders to keep quiet.

Property owners who live near sled routes in Fort Kent, Greenville, Rangeley and Peru have already posted their land “off-limits” to snowmobiles due to noise complaints.

Drivers who exceed the legal noise limit is 78 decibels risk being ticketed by game wardens.

The Maine Snowmobile Association executive director Bob Meyers said all it takes is a few riders with souped-up engines to ruin it for everybody else who abides by the laws.

LOS ANGELES — Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and their little dog haven’t lost their box office bite.

Their family dog tale “Marley & Me” remains No. 1 at the box office for the second straight weekend with $24.1 million in ticket sales. (Read the full post about ‘‘Marley & Me’ Remains Top Dog With $24M’…)

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. — Pat Hingle, a veteran actor whose career included a recurring role as Commissioner Gordon in several Batman movies in the 1990s, has died. He was 84.

Family friend Michele Seidman said Hingle died at his home in Carolina Beach shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday.

Seidman said he decided to settle in the coastal town after shooting the movie “Maximum Overdrive” in the area in 1986. He lived there for more than 15 years.

She said Hingle had battled multiple health problems over the last several years.

His career in movies and television spanned six decades, and he was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1958. (Read the full post about ‘Veteran Actor Pat Hingle Dies At 84′…)