News Minute: Here is the latest Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont news from The Associated Press

Posted: Updated:

MAINE:

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) - A Maine hospital group is suing to get more details about a proposed new insurance plan being put together by Anthem Blue Cross and MaineHealth. The state has allowed Anthem to keep details of the plan to itself but a Central Maine Healthcare spokesman tells the Sun-Journal the public has a right to know what's in the plan.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - The state House has given a tentative OK to hiking registration fees for snowmobiles in Maine. Money raised by the hike would go toward maintaining state snowmobile trails. Republicans criticized the plan as another Democrat-backed fee hike.

BINGHAM, Maine (AP) - Opposition is quickly building against the proposed First Wind wind farm along Route 16 in Somerset and Piscataquis counties. One environmental group says the 62-turbine project isn't needed and would mar the landscape.

AUGUSTA, MAINE (AP) - The last few weeks of sun one day, rain the next appears to suit Maine's strawberry farms. Growers say their berries are almost ripe enough to begin picking and tell the Kennebec Journal they like what they've seen of the weather, with hot days interrupted by some showers the best for the fruit.

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Legislative negotiators have reconciled differing versions of a medical marijuana bill. The House will drop a provision in its measure allowing patients to grow their own pot, in exchange for having an oversight board start work on the issue as soon as the bill is enacted.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Governor Maggie Hassan and other officials are set to detail the state of hunger across New Hampshire. Officials will go over new numbers released by the group Feeding America, along with how the issue affects state residents. The session is part of a food bank event called "Map the Meal Gap."

GREENFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A Keene man has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing his younger foster brother while the two lived in Massachusetts. Authorities tell The Recorder newspaper Joshua Matthews assaulted the then-7-year-old in 2007.

WINDHAM, N.H. (AP) - Dodgeball could be poised to make a return in Windham. A study committee is recommending school officials allow dodgeball-style games in phys ed classes. The Eagle-Tribune reports the district school board banned such games earlier this spring over concerns about bullying and student safety.

VERMONT:

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A former state police sergeant doing prison time for padding his timesheets will never again be allowed to be a police officer in Vermont. A criminal justice panel has voted to decertify Jim Deeghan, with one police official telling the Burlington Free Press Deeghan is the first full-time officer in Vermont to be decertified.

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A former fire chief in the Bennington area has pleaded not guilty to fraud and other charges over a department-sponsored raffle. Police say some people who won prizes in the raffle never got them and money paid for raffle tickets never went to the department. An attorney tells the Bennington Banner Joseph Hayes is a victim of department politics.

NEW HAVEN, Vt. (AP) - A New Haven man who claims he fired several rounds at a man to stop him from cutting a neighbor's trees is now facing reckless endangerment charges. Police say David Milson claims he was simply trying to get Bradly Sprague's attention. Sprague wasn't hurt in the incident last weekend.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Governor Peter Shumlin and his counterpart in Quebec say they're designating an electric car charging corridor between Burlington and Montreal. The two also say they hope to eventually install similar corridors on other cross-border routes.