BANGOR, Maine – The owner of Spanky’s Pizza fears being driven out of business by the stench of cigar smoke, which customers say is mixing with the familiar smells of pepperoni, cheese and garlic.

Philip Nadeau said last month’s opening of a smokers’ lounge at the Cigar & Smoke Shoppe next door coincided with the arrival of the new scent. A thin wall separates the two businesses.

“The smell is atrocious,” Nadeau said. “It’s more than atrocious, it’s horrible.”

Frank Coglitore said his cigar shop has a sophisticated air purification system and believes the pizza shop’s exhaust fan directly above the oven is causing the problem. The two businessmen say they’re working on a solution.

“I’m not trying to point blame, I’m trying to fix the problem,” said Nadeau.

Truck leaks grease on road, causing four car accidents

ACCOMAC, Va. – A waste truck leaked poultry fat along 20 miles of roadway Tuesday, causing at least four crashes and making a stinky mess.

Virginia State Police said a truck hauling a waste product of poultry grease from a Perdue Farms plant left a valve open, and the fat leaked onto U.S. Route 13 from the plant to the Maryland state line.

At least four crashes and several spinouts were reported Tuesday morning on northbound Route 13, said Sgt. Joe Bunting. One injured person was taken to a hospital, he said.

Bunting described the consistency of the grease on the road as a “glassy film” and said crews were sanding the road surface.

From Associated Press reports