AUGUSTA, Maine – Gov. Janet Mills has ordered United States and State of Maine flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22, in honor of three fallen public servants.
The flags will be lowered statewide from sunrise to sunset on the days of their respective memorial and funeral services.
On Thursday, May 21, flags will be lowered in honor of the Honorable Gerald Talbot, Maine’s first Black legislator and a prominent civil rights leader, as well as Maine Game Warden Joshua Tibbetts, who died in the line of duty.
Talbot’s legacy as a trailblazing public servant and civil rights advocate helped shape Maine history, while Tibbetts’ death marks the loss of a law enforcement officer who served the state through the Maine Warden Service.
On Friday, May 22, flags will again be lowered statewide in honor of Andrew Cross, a Morrill volunteer firefighter who died following the deadly mill explosion in Searsmont.
Cross was among those who responded to the emergency at Robbins Lumber, where the explosion left multiple people injured and prompted an ongoing investigation.
The two days of remembrance will honor three Mainers whose lives reflected public service, sacrifice, and commitment to their communities.
