Portland

Anthony Ranaudo got his season underway in earnest this week when he was shipped up to Double A Portland. Regarded as the Red Sox' top pitching prospect, the 22-year-old righthander made his Sea Dogs debut Tuesday in an 8-5 road victory over Reading. Ranaudo, a first-round draft pick out of Louisiana State in 2010, did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs on four hits, including a pair of homers, to go with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. "Yeah, there was obviously a little nerves," said Ranaudo, who endured a hectic day of travel Monday, flying from extended spring training in Fort...

Alabama finished the opening round by grabbing a two-stroke lead over Virginia, and Portland Rosen shot a Cavaliers' school-record 6-under 66 in near perfect conditions in the morning to lead the individual standings Tuesday at the NCAA Division I women's golf championship. The Crimson Tide, ranked second nationally by GolfStat, finished with a 2-under 286 led by a 4 under by senior Brooke Pancake. But Alabama only finished with the lead after Elizabeth Brightwell of Virginia was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard about three hours after finishing her round.

Most nights, Congress Street, in the arts district here, is a ridiculous feast of merriment. A free-form food court of food and drink, the neighborhood is a mess of sports bars and dive bars and cocktail bars; of pizza by the slice, Thai street food by the skewer, Southern-style barbecue, Quebecois poutine, and rich ramen all the way until last call. And then there's the music. With full calendars at a dozen different venues, one night it's Snoop Dogg at the State Theater, or Thurston Moore at Space Gallery, or some local hair metal band at Geno's Rock Club.

Police in Portland, Maine, are investigating the disappearance of a 31-year-old Harvard Business School student who was last seen in the city's Old Port section early Sunday morning. Nathan G. Bihlmaier of Cambridge was scheduled to graduate Thursday and was celebrating the end of school with friends at a waterfront bar called Ri Ra. His friends reported him missing when he failed to return to his hotel room, police said in a prepared statement. Divers recovered an article of Bihlmaier's clothing, but the police did not describe the clothing in detail.

Standing in the shadow of the Green Monster, Alex Hassan felt more at home than most minor leaguers. The Portland Sea Dogs left fielder grew up in Milton and played for Boston College High School, just a few miles south of Fenway Park. Hassan also plays in front of a replica Green Monster at Portland's Hadlock Field. Yesterday's Futures at Fenway Double A game between Portland and the Binghamton Mets was a homecoming for the 23-year-old Hassan, who hit a two-run home run to center field in the bottom of the eighth to pull the Sea Dogs even at 2 in a game they lost, 6-4, in...

A standoff at a Portland apartment with a man police say made "suicidal and homicidal" threats has ended peacefully. The standoff on Washburn Avenue came to an end early Friday morning after about 12 hours. Police thought he might be armed, but it was unclear if a weapon was recovered. The man, whose name was not made public, was taken into protective custody. Police in protective armor responded to the building, evacuated some residents and shut off a nearby street after the standoff started at about 3 p.m. Thursday.

Mustaches will be in the spotlight during two days of events in Portland that celebrate whiskers of all shapes and sizes. Dozens of contestants will show off their whiskers for a panel of judges at the fifth annual Stache Pag — short for mustache pageant — Friday night at Port City Music Hall. Contestants will strut their stuff onstage in front of a crowd and judges for awards in three categories. On Saturday, the International Moustache Film Festival includes submissions of short independent and homemade films featuring mustaches.

Portland is famously weird and fiercely proud of it, so things can get a little bizarre when it comes time to pick a mayor. In one local tradition, candidates try to outdo each other in an eating contest at a doughnut shop known nationally for oddities such as oversized, maple-frosted doughnuts topped with strips of crispy bacon. That's politics in a city where the main attraction is culture as opposed to commerce or landmarks. Food carts, fixed-gear bicycles, pot shops and craft beer make Portland a magnet for the young, hip and liberal.

Portland police are investigating after a woman was found stabbed in her apartment. Police responded to the third-floor Cedar Street apartment on Wednesday afternoon and found the woman suffering from stab wounds to the neck and back. She was taken to a city hospital with what were described as serious injuries, but has been stabilized. A knife was found at the scene. A neighbor at the scene when police arrived was questioned but not detained. The victim's name was not made public.

Here are some recommendations for stops on a tour of the Portland night life scene: Space Gallery 538 Congress St. 207-828-5600 space538.org An alternative arts venue featuring national and local acts in a relaxed, loft-style setting. Geno's Rock Club 625 Congress St. 207-221-2382 myspace.com/genosrockclub If you remember clubs like the Rat and CBGB's, you'll be right at home here. Big Easy 55 Market St. 207-775-2266 bigeasyportland.com This intimate concert club books a lot of the best up-and-coming Portland talent.

Anthony Ranaudo got his season underway in earnest this week when he was shipped up to Double A Portland. Regarded as the Red Sox' top pitching prospect, the 22-year-old righthander made his Sea Dogs debut Tuesday in an 8-5 road victory over Reading. Ranaudo, a first-round draft pick out of Louisiana State in 2010, did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs on four hits, including a pair of homers, to go with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. "Yeah, there was obviously a little nerves," said Ranaudo, who endured a hectic day of travel Monday, flying from extended...

Anthony Ranaudo got his season underway in earnest this week when he was shipped up to Double A Portland. Regarded as the Red Sox' top pitching prospect, the 22-year-old righthander made his Sea Dogs debut Tuesday in an 8-5 road victory over Reading. Ranaudo, a first-round draft pick out of Louisiana State in 2010, did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs on four hits, including a pair of homers, to go with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. "Yeah, there was obviously a little nerves," said Ranaudo, who endured a hectic day of travel Monday, flying from extended spring...

Most nights, Congress Street, in the arts district here, is a ridiculous feast of merriment. A free-form food court of food and drink, the neighborhood is a mess of sports bars and dive bars and cocktail bars; of pizza by the slice, Thai street food by the skewer, Southern-style barbecue, Quebecois poutine, and rich ramen all the way until last call. And then there's the music. With full calendars at a dozen different venues, one night it's Snoop Dogg at the State Theater, or Thurston Moore at Space Gallery, or some local hair metal band at Geno's Rock Club.

Portland is famously weird and fiercely proud of it, so things can get a little bizarre when it comes time to pick a mayor. In one local tradition, candidates try to outdo each other in an eating contest at a doughnut shop known nationally for oddities such as oversized, maple-frosted doughnuts topped with strips of crispy bacon. That's politics in a city where the main attraction is culture as opposed to commerce or landmarks. Food carts, fixed-gear bicycles, pot shops and craft beer make Portland a magnet for the young, hip and liberal.

Occupy Maine is planning a rally backed by labor groups in Portland to call for a better health care system. Occupy's rally in Monument Square is to show support for health care as a human right. Workers' groups also sponsoring Thursday's rally include the Maine AFL-CIO, the Southern Maine Workers Center and the Maine Labor Group on Health.

Portland police are investigating after a woman was found stabbed in her apartment. Police responded to the third-floor Cedar Street apartment on Wednesday afternoon and found the woman suffering from stab wounds to the neck and back. She was taken to a city hospital with what were described as serious injuries, but has been stabilized. A knife was found at the scene. A neighbor at the scene when police arrived was questioned but not detained. The victim's name was not made public.

A Portland woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend in November has been held on $50,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty to manslaughter. Prosecutors say 48-year-old Lisa McDonald stabbed 47-year-old Carlos Ramos in his apartment on Nov. 28. He was declared dead at a hospital of a single stab wound to the chest. Neighbors described their relationship as volatile. McDonald's court-appointed attorney says there are questions about the case, including the possibility of self-defense and mental health issues.

The Portland Trail Blazers had to settle for a near-perfect December. The Blazers' 13-game winning streak ended last night with a 111-101 loss to the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, Portland's first defeat since Dec. 2. "It was a great month for us. We lost the first game of the month and the last game of the month. Any time you do that, I think that's a sign of a young team maturing," said Brandon Roy, who scored 17 for the Blazers. "You can't win all of them. It's an NBA season.

Scared and feeling out of options, the father of a Portland teenager called the FBI in 2009 and warned that his son was considering flying to Yemen and committing violent jihad, an FBI agent testified Tuesday. That call and a subsequent meeting set off a 15-month investigation that culminated with the arrest of the teenager, Mohamed Mohamud, the FBI said. He is now 20 and charged with attempting to detonate a weapon of mass destruction at a Portland Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

PORTLAND, Maine - Daisuke Matsuzaka worked with his usual deliberateness while in short sleeves on the Hadlock Field mound Saturday, exposing his surgically repaired elbow to a brisk, 46-degree chill and his varied repertoire to the Reading Phillies. In a rehab start with the Double A Portland Sea Dogs, everything worked out well for the Red Sox righthander. It was his second minor league outing - coming six days after he threw four innings for Single A Salem - in his bid to return from the Tommy John surgery that was performed on his right elbow last...