Maine put on hurricane alert

Forecasters issued a rare tropical storm warning and hurricane watch Saturday for parts of coastal Maine as Hurricane Kyle roared toward the region, threatening conditions similar to a New England nor’easter.

Authorities expect the state to see the worst late today or early Monday, with wind gusts as high as 60 mph and waves of 15 to 20 feet, said Robert McAleer, Maine Emergency Management Agency director.

Authorities have advised Mainers living on coastal islands to evacuate if they depend on electricity for medical reasons, because ferry service will probably shut down today, McAleer said. Significant power failures on the north coastal region of the state were also expected, he said.

It was Maine’s first hurricane watch in 17 years, the National Weather Service said.

Los Angeles

13 million-digit prime number found

Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13 million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize.

The group found the 46th known Mersenne prime last month on a network of 75 computers running Windows XP. The number was verified by a different computer system running a different algorithm.

“We’re delighted,” said UCLA’s Edson Smith, the leader of the effort. “Now we’re looking for the next one, despite the odds.”

Juneau, Alaska

Bear spray behind airport evacuation

The airport serving Alaska’s capital city doesn’t have to worry about bears coming around anytime soon.

Juneau International Airport had to be evacuated Friday afternoon because of an accidental discharge of anti-bear spray.

The chemical comes in a canister like pepper spray but is used to defend against attacking bears.

Fire Chief Eric Mohrman says the spray spread through the building via the ventilation system. The terminal had to be cleared and the building aired out. One person was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

The airport reopened after about an hour and a half.