Former Alna town clerk Karen L. Smith, 52, of Edgecomb resolved her latest legal troubles February 4. She pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, had another charge dismissed, and held onto her deal from an earlier criminal mischief case.

For the new criminal mischief conviction, involving an October 2012 incident near her home, Smith received a $250 fine.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wright dropped a charge that alleged Smith violated a condition of her release by failing to avoid criminal conduct. Sheriff's officials have said Smith dumped about five gallons of oil into a gravel pit on a neighboring property, a couple months after she made the deal in the first case. That one stemmed from a 2011 fire at her home, and had started out as an arson charge.

The criminal mischief charge to which she pleaded guilty in August 2012 could still drop down to a misdemeanor of failure to control a fire if Smith meets the first deal's conditions. The only change made February 4 to that deal is the addition of another 25 hours of community service and more time to complete it if she needs it.

Smith remains free on $1,000 unsecured bail following Monday's proceeding in Lincoln County Superior Court.

Smith was Alna's town clerk for about a year between 2008 and 2009. She later sued the town of Edgecomb in a dispute over the gravel pit, which she owned at the time. Selectmen settled the suit out of court, after learning the town's insurance did not protect them individually.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.