Author: Jon Fetherston

A New York City man has admitted he carried out a years-long scheme that combined mortgage fraud and an illegal marijuana grow operation in Saint Albans, pleading guilty in federal court to charges that could put him behind bars for decades. Federal prosecutors say Ken Yiu, 49, secured an $80,000 residential mortgage from a Maine bank after falsely representing on his loan application that he intended to make the Saint Albans house his primary residence. That declaration, a routine but legally binding requirement for residential mortgage lending was central to obtaining the loan. According to court records, Yiu never intended…

A Wood Road home was leveled Tuesday night after a fast-moving fire tore through the structure, prompting a multi-agency response and an ongoing investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Wayne Fire Department arrived at 29 Wood Road around 6:25 p.m. to find the residence already fully engulfed. Firefighters requested state investigators soon after reaching the scene. All occupants escaped the home, though one individual sustained a minor injury and was transported by Winthrop Ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation. Due to the extensive damage, investigators say the cause of the fire is currently undetermined. The inquiry remains…

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I) of Maine on Wednesday announced their nominees to the nation’s military service academies. Applicants seeking admission to the United States Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, or Merchant Marine Academy must receive a nomination from an authorized source, including members of Congress. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require congressional nominations. “We are proud to have the honor to nominate such an impressive group of Maine students to our nation’s distinguished service academies,” Collins and King said in a joint statement. “The young people we have nominated…

The Federal Reserve enters its latest policy meeting under the heaviest political and economic pressure in years, with Chair Jerome Powell attempting to manage a deeply fractured committee while facing intensifying criticism from President Donald Trump, who has openly questioned Powell’s leadership and interviewed potential replacements. Persistent inflation, weakening job growth, and rising public frustration have split the Fed’s rate-setting board. More fiscally conservative officials warn that another rate cut risks further eroding the dollar’s strength and rewarding federal overspending, while others push for stimulus despite softening economic indicators. Analysts say as many as three officials could dissent from a…

Regional School Unit 24 voted Tuesday night to reaffirm its policy requiring students to use bathrooms and compete on sports teams according to their biological sex, becoming the latest district to hold its ground as the Maine Human Rights Commission pursues a lawsuit targeting schools with similar rules. Comprising Sullivan and a handful of other Hancock County towns, RSU 24 is one of a half dozen Maine school districts that voted to change its policies regarding who participates on what team in school sports, specifically surrounding the question of biologically-assigned gender versus self-identification. RSU 24 joined districts in Aroostook, Androscoggin,…

The political firestorm surrounding Gateway Community Services, the Somali-run nonprofit accused of defrauding Maine’s Medicaid system, is rapidly escalating, and the blast radius now fully engulfs the very legislators who attempted to shift national attention onto former President Donald Trump just days earlier. What began as a whistleblower complaint about fraudulent billing has evolved into a widening probe raising serious questions about the conduct, judgment, and transparency of three Somali-American state representatives, Deqa Dhalac, Yusuf Yusuf, and Mana Abdi, two of whom maintained direct professional ties to the organization now under scrutiny. Rep. Deqa Dhalac, who served as Gateway’s assistant…

Australia has become the first country in the world to impose a nationwide ban blocking children under 16 from using major social media platforms, launching an aggressive new effort to curb the impact of online content on minors. The ban, which took effect at midnight, requires platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat to verify users’ ages and deny access to anyone younger than 16. Companies must prove they have systems capable of screening out underage users or face significant penalties under the authority of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner. Australian officials said the measure is a response to growing alarm…

Another day in Lewiston brought yet another cascade of questions, contradictions, and controversies, from nonprofit leaders refusing to comment, to a school bus driver using a non-residential address on his state-issued license, to an indicted city councilor-elect insisting he will take office despite lingering residency concerns. The day began, for this reporter on Tuesday, with a stop at Gateway Community Services, the Lewiston nonprofit now making national headlines for alleged MaineCare overbilling. Staff appeared visibly unhappy at the sight of this reporter and declined to assist in arranging an interview. A request for comment was dismissed, and contact information was…

Portland’s Planning Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a 30-story tower that would become the tallest building in Maine, clearing the way for a sweeping redevelopment plan in the heart of the Old Port. The proposed high-rise at 45 Union Street, part of the Old Port Square project, would stand about 380 feet tall and include more than 70 residential units, an 88-room hotel, commercial space, and a top-floor restaurant. The project is the first major development to take advantage of Portland’s recent zoning changes allowing buildings of similar height downtown. Public testimony centered on concerns about traffic, the project’s impact…

Cameron Clark, photo from Facebook

A tense MSAD 72 school committee meeting Monday night erupted with calls for accountability after a seven-year-old special-needs student disappeared for more than five hours during district-arranged transportation last week. Kate Joy, the child’s mother, confronted the board with sharp, unanswered questions about where her daughter was taken, why the district failed to communicate with her as the hours passed, and why MSAD 72 continued using First Act, operated by First Transit, for days after the incident. Community activist Tricia Burnell sharply criticized the committee members over their handling of the incident, warning that voters expect transparency and consequences. “We…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is partnering with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) on new legislation aimed at reshaping Affordable Care Act subsidies by extending enhanced tax credits for two years while imposing new limits on who qualifies for federal assistance. The Consumer Affordability and Responsibility Enhancement (CARE) Act would continue the boosted ACA premium tax credits but gradually phase out the COVID-era enhancements to avoid sudden changes in coverage. The bill would also place an income cap on subsidy eligibility and eliminate zero-premium health plans by requiring a minimum monthly payment of $25. “Families in Maine and across the country…

A substitute teacher at Montello Elementary in Maine’s second-largest city is under fire after telling a room of third-graders that Santa Claus is “make-believe,” a moment that left many children in tears and set off a wave of anger among Lewiston parents. According to parents, the substitute “revealed to the class of 9-year-olds that Santa is not real” and even “invoked the wisdom of Siri,” which the teacher used to confirm to the students that Santa does not exist. One child reported that “most of the class was blubbering by the time the bell rang.” Parents told the Sun Journal…

State Sen. Matthew Harrington (R) is demanding immediate transparency from Gov. Janet Mills (D) after what he describes as a troubling pattern of unchecked no-bid contracts, shifting paperwork standards, and weakened oversight within Maine’s procurement system. In a detailed letter sent Monday, Harrington, the assistant minority leader representing the York County municipalities of Sanford, Lebanon, Waterboro and Alfred, said constituents across Senate District 33 have been raising alarms for months about the volume and nature of contracts awarded without competitive bidding under the Mills Administration. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1998095186782732578?s=20 Harrington said the latest concern involves a quiet but significant change to the state’s…

A growing chorus of frustrated Lewiston residents is demanding accountability from City Hall, accusing city leaders of failing to enforce basic residency laws as the controversies surrounding Councilor-elect Iman Osman continues to escalate. A new petition launched December 6, directly calls out the Lewiston City Clerk and Mayor Carl Sheline for what residents describe as a stunning lack of oversight. At the center of the petition is Osman’s use of 210 Blake Street as his registered address, a building condemned and ruled uninhabitable in October 2024 after a drug raid. Despite the property’s status, City Clerk and Registrar of Voters…

A Maine man who admitted to gunning down a Westbrook couple as their children watched from the backseat has been sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 50 years for attempting to kill one of the children. Marcel LaGrange, 26, appeared virtually Thursday for his sentencing at the Cumberland County Courthouse. He pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Brittney Cockrell, 36, and Michael Hayter, 41, in June 2023 while the couple sat in a vehicle with their 7- and 11-year-old children. Investigators said LaGrange had no connection to the victims. “They did not provoke or initiate this violence into their…

Five people were arrested Thursday in connection with a months-long drug trafficking investigation in Livermore Falls, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency said Friday. Agents with the MDEA’s Western District Task Force said the arrests followed an inquiry into a drug trafficking organization operating in the area. Officials said community tips and intelligence from local law enforcement helped lead investigators to a residence on Monroe Street. A search warrant was granted for 8 Monroe St. on Thursday. Before executing the warrant, agents stopped a vehicle tied to the residence and found 102 grams of suspected cocaine, officials said. Tanya Hill, 38,…

Bates College faculty have unanimously voted to delay a sweeping new mandatory curriculum on race, power, privilege, and colonialism, pushing implementation back three years after growing concerns about the timing and potential fallout. The requirement, known as RPPC, was originally approved in 2023 and scheduled to take effect for the Class of 2030. Faculty have now postponed it to the Class of 2033, citing what they called an “ethic of care” amid heightened national scrutiny of campus diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Under the plan, students would be required to take two RPPC-designated courses, including at least one within their…

An MSAD 72 elementary school student being transported to an out-of-district placement by a substitute van driver went missing for several hours Wednesday, prompting a police search before she was ultimately located safe. District officials called the incident “deeply concerning” and said the transportation company involved will no longer be used. MSAD 72 serves Fryeburg, Denmark, Sweden, Lovell, Stoneham and Stow, as well as Chatham, New Hampshire. According to a post the girl’s mother made on a private Facebook page, her special-needs child disappeared for roughly six hours while en route to her placement school in the Augusta area. She…

Lewiston residents will get a new primary in how the criminal justice process and local politics can intersect as a recently-elected, but not yet sworn-in, city councilor has been charged with the theft of a firearm. When a person is indicted, it means a grand jury has formally charged them with a crime after reviewing evidence in a closed proceeding. The indictment is not a determination of guilt, but it does signal that jurors found probable cause to believe a criminal offense occurred. That process is now unfolding for Lewiston Councilor-elect Iman Osman, whose indictment Wednesday on gun-related charges has…

A Cumberland County judge has rejected the state’s push to impose a sweeping 500-foot buffer zone around the Planned Parenthood clinic on Congress Street, dealing a setback to state officials seeking to restrict an anti-abortion street preacher who has protested outside the facility for years. The state had argued that John Andrade Jr.’s long-running Friday demonstrations, which included preaching and playing religious music through an amplified speaker, disrupted patient care and violated the Maine Civil Rights Act. Prosecutors said the noise routinely interfered with appointments and created challenges for clinicians working inside the building. Justice Darcie McElwee agreed the testimony…

In a seismic move that has rattled Democrats and immigration activists nationwide, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to birthright citizenship — a longstanding interpretation of the 14th Amendment that critics say has been exploited for decades to fuel illegal immigration and strain American communities. At the heart of the case is a simple but politically explosive question: Should the children of non-citizens, including those who cross the border illegally, automatically become U.S. citizens the moment they’re born? For more than a century, Washington has treated the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” as a blanket…

As Lewiston plunges deeper into the scandal surrounding councilor-elect Iman Osman, attorney and Democratic legislative hopeful Kiernan Majerus-Collins is once again emerging as one of the most pugnacious figures in the city, reviving a long trail of controversies from his years in local politics, school governance, and statewide activism. Majerus-Collins had already thrust himself into Osman’s defense just before the councilor-elect faced felony gun charges during the residency investigation stemming from his claim of living in a condemned building. When Majerus-Collins appeared before the Lewiston School Committee to pressure members into halting their residency review, without disclosing that he was…

A Republican candidate for governor is pushing back after the Maine Democratic State Committee accused him of racism in response to his recent criticism of alleged fraud within MaineCare and other state programs. In a lengthy video on social media, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles said Democrats are attempting to discredit him for calling attention to what he described as millions of dollars in taxpayer losses tied to improper billing, uncompleted contracts, and a lack of accountability across multiple state systems. He said his focus includes alleged fraud within MaineCare, in the state Legislature, and in publicly reported cases involving…

The fallout from the indictment of City Councilor-elect and school committee appointee Iman Osman continued to spiral Friday, triggering a fresh round of internal conflict among Lewiston School Committee members and exposing deep fractures inside city leadership. What began as a routine email exchange erupted into a public controversy after School Committee Chair Megan Parks accused unnamed individuals of “encouraging chaos” and said she had received threats against herself and her family. Parks told colleagues she intended to report the threats to Lewiston police. But by Friday afternoon, the Lewiston Police Department confirmed no threats had been reported by any…

An Iraqi national living unlawfully in the United States was arrested in Ellsworth after federal agents say he attempted to buy firearms, including a 9-mm pistol and an AK-47, using falsified information on required background-check paperwork. U.S. Border Patrol’s Houlton Sector said the man was taken into custody on October 20 in the parking lot of a Home Depot store, following an investigation that began in Holden before he traveled to Ellsworth. Agents say the man had overstayed his visa and was prohibited from possessing or purchasing firearms. It remains unclear for what purpose the Iraqi was seeking the weapons,…

President Donald Trump scored another major political victory Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas to move forward with a congressional map designed to expand Republican power in the 2026 midterm elections. In a sharply divided ruling, the Court halted a lower court decision that found the map likely discriminates against Hispanic and Black voters. The conservative majority said the lower court acted too close to primary season and overstepped its authority. “The District Court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign,” the majority wrote, accusing the judges of disrupting the federal-state balance in election oversight. Justice Elena…

Children in town of Hallowell, on the Western bank of the Kennebec River, are asking Maine Governor Janet Mills for just one Christmas gift this year: clean drinking water. The request comes as the community remains under a “do not drink” advisory that has been in place since the spring, following test results showing elevated levels of PFAS — so-called “forever chemicals” — in the city’s public water supply. The Hallowell Water District has reported PFAS levels around 20 parts per trillion, exceeding the state’s regulatory standard and prompting months of growing frustration among residents. With long-term remediation not expected…

In what authorities are calling a brazen and costly theft, a Falmouth oyster farmer has lost years of work and nearly $20,000 in product after criminals made off with 14 aquaculture cages and roughly 40,000 oysters growing near The Brothers Islands in Casco Bay. Maine Operation Game Thief is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case. Portland farmer Michael Scafuro discovered the theft on November 22 when he checked his aquaculture site and found the cages, many holding oysters ready for sale, gone. Marine Patrol officers searched the area to determine whether the…

A political firestorm in Lewiston is intensifying as Councilor-elect Iman Osman, now indicted on theft-related charges, insists he will take office in January despite mounting public pressure, residency questions, and calls for his removal from multiple city bodies. Osman has been ordered to appear for arraignment on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the courthouse on Lisbon Street. The indictment, handed out Wednesday, adds yet another layer to a controversy that has consumed city government for weeks. Osman’s attorney, Kieran Majerus-Collins, issued a statement Thursday declaring that Osman “denies these charges and intends to fight them” and “has…

Maine’s Revenue Forecast Committee delivered a fresh projection Monday showing state revenues continuing to climb over the next two fiscal years, setting the stage for another bitter fight over spending priorities when lawmakers return to the State House in January. The report caps a turbulent budget year in Augusta, where lawmakers clashed repeatedly over spending and revenue policy. The Legislature failed to pass a bipartisan supplemental budget in the spring, followed by both a biennial budget and a supplemental budget advanced on strictly party-line votes. Those divisions are widely expected to carry into the 2026 session, with both parties already…

A Lewiston man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm, adding yet another case to the city’s growing list of gun-related incidents at a time when a newly elected city councilor faces indictment on separate firearms charges. Thirty-five-year-old Kulmiye Abukar Idris received the federal sentence on November 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine announced. The term will run consecutively to the 42-month state prison sentence Idris is already serving for a 2024 gross sexual assault conviction. He will also serve three years of supervised release. According to prosecutors, Lewiston…

Four members of the Lewiston School Committee on Thursday called for Ward 5 representative Iman Osman to resign following his indictment on stolen gun charges, adding to mounting pressure now echoed by the city’s mayor. The statement, signed by committee members Janet Beaudoin (Ward 2), Craig Charpentier (Ward 4), Meghan Hird (Ward 6), and Donna Gallant (Ward 7) — said Osman’s indictment makes his continued service untenable at a time when Lewiston is confronting rising gun violence, school disruptions, and strained community resources. “With the federal indictment now public, it’s clear that Iman Osman must resign,” the members wrote. “Our…

A suspect accused of placing two pipe bombs near the U.S. Capitol on January 5, 2021, is in federal custody after an investigation that stretched nearly five years, federal law enforcement officials said Thursday. The FBI arrested the man, who lives in Virginia, early Thursday morning, according to officials familiar with the case. Authorities discovered the devices outside both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters on the eve of the January 6 certification of the 2020 presidential election. The bombs were found around the same time thousands of protesters began gathering several blocks away at the…

The political firestorm surrounding councilor-elect Iman Osman exploded this week after he was federally indicted on charges of receiving stolen firearms, an escalation that prompted Mayor Carl Sheline to break with tradition and publicly call for his resignation. Osman, who won the Ward 5 seat on Nov. 4, faces serious gun-theft charges that threaten not just his political future, but also the legitimacy of his recent election. The indictment was filed Wednesday. Compounding the legal jeopardy are longstanding questions about Osman’s official address: the condemned building at 210 Blake Street. The structure was ordered condemned by the city in October…

Lewiston, Maine, once stood as a monument to American resilience, a booming mill city powered by the Androscoggin River, strengthened by generations of hardworking immigrant families, and anchored by institutions like Bates College and the Saints Peter and Paul Basilica. Its French-Canadian heritage, its historic architecture, and its tightly woven working-class identity defined Maine’s second largest city for more than a century. Today, many residents look around and barely recognize the city they once knew. Crime and rampant drug abuse abound in Lewiston which, tragically, became the site of Maine’s first mass shooting just over two years ago. A City…

An early-morning fire at the former Noble Barbeque building on Forest Avenue brought a full Portland Fire Department response Wednesday, briefly blocking traffic and drawing attention to the long-vacant site. Crews arrived just before 7 a.m. after a smoker inside the building caught fire. Firefighters were seen moving in and out of the structure as they worked to contain the blaze. Traffic in the area was halted during the response but returned to normal shortly afterward. No injuries were reported, and firefighters cleared the scene soon after. The extent of the damage has not yet been determined. The incident adds…

More than 500 Portland-area high school students walked out of class Wednesday and marched through the city’s downtown in a coordinated protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), rallying in support of two classmates and their family who were recently detained by federal authorities. Students from Portland’s public high schools and the private Waynflete School gathered in Monument Square before marching to City Hall, chanting slogans opposing ICE enforcement and calling for “justice” for the detained students. Extra school buses were arranged to transport participants downtown. The demonstration followed the detention of siblings Joel Andre, 16, and Estefania Andre,…

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Scallon issued a forceful statement Wednesday denouncing President Donald Trump’s recent comments about Somali immigrants, comments that the White House has tied to Trump’s broader agenda on immigration enforcement, national security, and cultural assimilation. Scallon’s message comes as he continues to face mounting criticism over his own administration following a contentious Portland School Committee meeting on November 2. Trump’s remarks, made during a December 2 cabinet meeting, targeted Somali immigrants directly. He said he does not want Somalis in the United States, referred to the immigrants from Somalia as “garbage,” declared that their home country…

With temperatures expected to plunge into dangerous territory beginning Thursday, Portland officials will activate the city’s winter warming center, a facility located well outside the downtown core and accessible primarily by shuttle. The warming center, housed at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway, will open on any night when temperatures fall to 15 degrees or below or when 10 inches or more of snow is forecast. On activation nights, the facility operates from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. and can serve up to 60 adults needing emergency overnight shelter. The site, already used as an migrant shelter, doubles as a winter refuge…

A Portland man accused of stabbing his roommate to death has pushed his bail hearing into next year after refusing to appear in court Wednesday, telling officials he didn’t want the public seeing him on television in jail-issued clothing. Domingus Nobrega, 49, has been charged with murdering 43-year-old Matthew Merrick on November 30, 2024, inside the pair’s West End apartment. Nobrega declined to enter the courtroom after learning members of the media were present, forcing the hearing to be rescheduled for January. He will be allowed to appear in civilian clothes at that time. The case has already included stark…

A Lewiston city councilor is sharply criticizing the city’s School Committee after it voted last Monday to block an investigation into whether member Iman Osman legally resides in the district he represents. That decision, which hinged on a single vote, paired with clear conflict-of-interest concerns and triggered frustration among residents, which prompted Councilor Tim Gallant to accuse the school board of failing its duty to provide transparency. “They failed the public,” Gallant said on Tuesday. The School Committee’s decision last Monday has become the latest flashpoint in Lewiston’s ongoing debates over ethics, residency requirements and proper parliamentary procedure. Osman Votes…

Iman Osman, 36, who was elected in November to represent Ward 5 on the Lewiston City Council, was indicted Wednesday on two counts involving the alleged theft of two firearms between November 2023 and October 2024. The charges compound an already volatile situation surrounding whether Osman legally resides in the ward he is set to represent. Condemned Blake Street Building at Center of Residency Dispute Osman’s voter registration and candidate affidavit both list 210 Blake Street as his residence, a building that was condemned in October 2024 following a police drug raid. The structure was stripped of its certificate of…

Trump administration officials said Tuesday they will move to withhold SNAP food aid from recipients in most Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless state officials turn over basic information on who is receiving the benefits. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Cabinet officials that the action is underway because those states are refusing to provide requested data, including names and immigration status of aid recipients, information she said is necessary to detect fraud and protect taxpayer dollars. Democratic governors, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), have instead taken the issue to court in an effort to block the requirement. About one…

Federal authorities are preparing a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota aimed at Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the United States, a development announced just as President Donald Trump delivered his strongest public criticism yet of Somali migrants during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. The planned operation, confirmed by a person familiar with the federal strategy, is expected to begin in the coming days and will focus on individuals in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area with final deportation orders. Immigration agents are set to fan out across the Twin Cities in what the source described as a “directed, high-priority sweep.” The plans…

The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a fire that broke out Monday evening at a home on Andrew Ham Road killing one elderly man, authorities said. Fire investigators responded to 133 Andrew Ham Road at about 5:10 p.m. on December 1 at the request of the Cambridge Fire Department, which had been battling the blaze together with neighboring departments. During early fire-suppression efforts, crews found a deceased person inside the home, officials said. The victim is believed to be the homeowner, 75-year-old Stuart Howe. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta will conduct an autopsy to confirm…

Residents in Lyman say tractor-trailers continue to travel down Route 35 southbound despite the road being clearly closed as crews work to replace a bridge, prompting renewed frustration and safety concerns in the community. According to residents, trucks have repeatedly bypassed 11 posted signs warning that the road is shut down. State Rep. Wayne Parry (R-Arundel), the ranking member of the Maine State Legislatures’ Transportation Committee, said the situation has become increasingly difficult to ignore. “It’s obvious that the road is closed, it’s not like you don’t know,” Rep. Parry said, adding that the only way to curb the problem…

A sweeping new childhood savings initiative backed by President Donald Trump is set to launch in 2026, offering millions of American children federally seeded investment accounts and attracting one of the largest philanthropic contributions in U.S. history. The program, known as “Trump Accounts”, provides a $1,000 federal deposit to every U.S. citizen born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028. Supporters say the effort marks one of the most ambitious attempts in decades to boost family savings and provide every eligible newborn with a financial asset from the start of life. https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1995958155910808053?s=20 Financial analysts say the early seed money…

Three people with connections to Maine were killed over the weekend in a high-speed boating crash in the Florida Keys, authorities said. The victims, identified as Rebecca Knight, Brenna Millet, and Craig Millet died after the vessel in which they were riding struck a channel marker near Key Largo, according to local officials. The crash occurred late Saturday, and investigators said the impact threw all occupants into the water. Knight, a former Maine resident, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brenna and Craig Millet, who also had family and community ties in Maine, were transported to a nearby hospital, where…

Nearly $40 million in long-awaited home heating aid is finally headed to Maine after the Department of Health and Human Services released a major round of LIHEAP funding, following a written request led earlier this month by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). DHHS authorized $39,780,472 for Maine, including $38,321,610 for statewide assistance and $1,458,862 for the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Mi’kmaq Tribes. The release comes after delays tied to the recent federal government shutdown. Sen. Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Sens. Jack Reed of Rhode Island (D) and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (R), along with 28 other senators,…

Maine leaders are sounding alarms over a federal effort to tighten commercial driver’s license rules, but their warnings focus on workforce shortages, not the growing body of national evidence showing how lax CDL oversight, fraudulent trucking schools and English-proficiency failures have contributed to deadly crashes across the United States. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s interim rule would bar many non-U.S. citizens from obtaining or renewing CDLs, a move the Biden-era bureaucracy long resisted but that federal regulators revived after a string of high-profile accidents involving drivers who could not read or understand English, a requirement that has been federal…

The White House said it is “very optimistic” as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepare to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday in an effort to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Kremlin said Tuesday the meeting was expected to begin at about 5 p.m. local time, or about 9 a.m. ET, and that Special Envoy Witkoff and Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, were expected to speak with Russia’s president. The high-stakes sit-down follows a series of meetings between top U.S. and Ukrainian officials, during which the parties sought to revise the original peace-plan proposal presented by the…

Portland has issued a full, overnight street-parking ban, due to the winter snow storm, beginning at 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 2, effective until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 3, officials announced.  Vehicles left on city streets after the 10:00 p.m. deadline may be ticketed or towed at the owner’s expense. Residents are urged to move their vehicles as early as possible into one of the approved snow-ban parking lots. This winter, six additional lots have been added, offering over 750 extra spaces. Designated snow-ban parking areas include: –Dougherty Field Skate Park lot; –Deering Oaks (on Tennis Court Road, left side only);…

The controversy surrounding Ward 5 school committee member Iman Osman’s residency erupted into a full-scale public reckoning Monday night, as residents and even fellow school committee members accused the board of deliberately avoiding accountability and refusing to enforce its own basic eligibility rules. While the Lewiston school committee narrowly voted last week not to investigate whether Osman legally resides in Ward 5, the backlash has only intensified, and Monday’s meeting revealed a deeper crisis of trust. Reporter Asks Osman Where He Lives — He Refuses to Answer Before the meeting began, this reporter approached Osman, shook his hand, and asked…

The Trump administration’s sharp escalation of immigration enforcement is creating new uncertainty across Maine’s immigrant and refugee communities, recent reports suggest. A confluence of factors is leading to this new pressure. Federal officials have slashed refugee admissions, increased deportations and detention actions, and began reviewing immigration cases approved under the previous administration. At the same time, a large fraud scandal involving Somali-run nonprofits in Minnesota is adding pressure and scrutiny that community leaders in Maine say could have lasting effects. Maine is expected to receive only about 50 refugees in 2026 after the administration set the nationwide refugee ceiling at…

In a dramatic escalation of U.S. pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s socialist government, President Donald J. Trump declared over the weekend that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety,” a move that immediately triggered outrage from Caracas and renewed international scrutiny of the regime’s ties to drug-trafficking networks. Trump issued the directive on his social-media platform, warning airlines, pilots, “drug dealers” and “human traffickers” to avoid Venezuelan airspace. The declaration followed weeks of increased U.S. military and surveillance activity in the Caribbean, part of a broader effort to disrupt narcotics routes long associated with the…

An 81-year-old man from Kennebunk was seriously injured Tuesday evening when the Ford F-150 he was driving went veering off the road and crashed into a stone wall, authorities said.  According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred just before 5:15 p.m. near 404 Bridgton Road. The man reportedly lost control on the soft shoulder, over-corrected, crossed both lanes of traffic and struck the wall. He was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious injuries. Deputies said alcohol appears to have been a factor. Charges are pending and the crash remains under investigation. Don’t be a…

Portland ushered in the holiday season Friday night as crowds filled Monument Square for the city’s annual tree-lighting ceremony. The centerpiece this year: a 40-foot red spruce donated by Portland Housing Authority, which was installed in the square last week. Portland Downtown’s executive director, Cary Tyson, described the event as “one of the biggest parties in downtown Portland,” noting that each year’s celebration grows in scale and spirit. “We try to shake it up a little bit,” he said. “This year, we’ve got an extraordinary tree for you.” For those who were unable to attend in person, Portland Downtown streamed…

President Trump delivered one of the most direct and forceful warnings of his presidency this weekend, issuing a stark ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro: flee the country immediately or face potential U.S. land operations, according to details first reported by Fox News. In a high-stakes phone call mediated by U.S. officials, Trump offered Maduro, his wife, and his son safe passage out of Venezuela, but only if he resigned on the spot. Maduro’s negotiators pushed for what they called “global amnesty” and demanded to maintain control of the Venezuelan military, conditions the United States immediately rejected. After the talks…

A Harrison man was taken into custody Thursday after leading police on a lengthy high-speed chase that began in Maine and continued across state lines into New Hampshire, authorities said. According to police, the pursuit began when officers attempted to stop a vehicle in Maine on Thursday afternoon. The driver refused to pull over, accelerating instead and prompting a multi-agency response as speeds climbed and the chase moved through several communities. Maine State Police said troopers pursued the vehicle as it headed toward the New Hampshire border, where additional law enforcement agencies joined the effort. Authorities said the driver continued…

Portland Mayor Mark Dion is sounding the alarm over the city’s worsening homelessness crisis, warning that the state’s largest city can no longer shoulder the burden alone as public safety concerns escalate. Dion, who has repeatedly pointed to growing encampments and rising shelter demand, said Portland is attempting to confront a problem that has far outpaced the city’s capacity. In recent remarks, he noted the city provided shelter to roughly 2,000 individuals last year, with more than 600 people filling Portland’s three primary shelters on any given night. Despite the opening of a 250-bed facility in 2023 on Riverside Street…

South Berwick police arrested three suspects after a reported home invasion and assault early Thursday morning, authorities said. Police responded to a residence on Agamenticus Road just before 1 a.m. for a report of a break-in and attack. Officers said the suspects forced their way into the home and assaulted the resident before fleeing the scene. According to police, the suspects were located a short time later and taken into custody. All three are facing charges connected to the break-in and assault. The resident was evaluated for injuries, police said. The incident remains under investigation.

An Army veteran from East Machias has entered the race for Maine’s Second Congressional District, joining the field challenging Democratic Rep. Jared Golden. James Clark , an Army Veteran, announced his candidacy this week. Clark, who operates a small business in Washington County, said he decided to run because he believes the district needs stronger leadership and a representative who better reflects the concerns of rural Maine. The East Machias man told The Maine Wire that he is “committed to serving only three terms, not trading stocks while in office, and maintaining total transparency.” The Second District, which covers much…

A rare and often misunderstood vomiting disorder tied to long-term marijuana use has gained formal recognition from global and U.S. health authorities, a move experts say could help clinicians better diagnose and track a condition that has quietly surged in emergency rooms nationwide. Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, was officially added to the World Health Organization’s global diagnostic manual on October 1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now adopted the same coding in the United States, offering a standardized way for hospitals and doctors to classify cases. The change is expected to improve reporting accuracy, strengthen data…

Residents of Shady Oaks Mobile Home Park in Arundel are bracing for a sharp rent increase set to take effect December 1, raising fears that dozens of seniors and low-income homeowners could be forced out after the town declined to intervene. Roughly 70 households own their mobile homes but rent the lots beneath them, currently paying between $530 and $680 a month. Tenants say they were notified that rents will rise by as much as $130 per month – a jump many say they simply cannot afford. Longtime resident Jennifer Moreau, who relies on a fixed income, warned that “a…

A Portland man has been charged in connection with robberies at Walmart stores in Biddeford and Falmouth earlier this month, authorities said. Biddeford police said officers responded to a Nov. 9 robbery at the Biddeford Walmart, where a suspect fled the scene in a vehicle. Investigators later identified a potential suspect and vehicle through the department’s Criminal Investigations Division. On November 15, officers arrested 40-year-old Brian Gallerani of Portland on an outstanding probation revocation warrant with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies. He has been charged with robbery in the Biddeford case, and additional charges are pending. Police said further…

President Donald Trump declared Friday that he is nullifying a broad slate of executive actions issued under President Joe Biden, asserting in a social media post that any document Biden signed using an autopen is “terminated” and no longer valid. In a statement posted Friday afternoon on his Truth Social platform, President Trump claimed that Biden used the autopen to sign “approximately 92 percent” of executive documents and argued the device cannot be used without explicit presidential approval. Trump said he was canceling “all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed” by Biden, alleging without evidence that…

A 27-year-old Warren man suspected of robbing a Scarborough bank was arrested in New Jersey after being involved in a car crash, police said Wednesday. The Scarborough Police Department said Thomas Sawyer was taken into custody in Laketown, New Jersey, following the crash. His arrest came shortly after authorities responded to a report of a robbery at the Chase Bank at 1 Hannaford Drive. Dispatchers received a 911 call just before 1:40 p.m. reporting the robbery. When officers arrived, they learned the suspect had fled in a maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer with out-of-state plates. Witnesses later reported that a vehicle matching…

A house on Oakland’s Lakeview Drive exploded Thursday afternoon, injuring a man and scattering debris across the neighborhood, officials said. The Oakland Fire Department said it received a report of the blast around 3:40 p.m. The State Fire Marshal’s Office also responded. A middle-aged man was inside the home at the time of the explosion. He was taken to Thayer Hospital in Waterville and later flown by LifeFlight to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Authorities have not released information about his condition. “There was one person inside the house at the time, everyone else has been accounted for,” Oakland Fire…

Single-family homes in Cumberland County, Maine became significantly more expensive in October, underscoring a growing inventory and persistent demand in coastal Maine, according to data released Tuesday.  The county’s median sale price jumped 10.79 percent, from $559,600 in October 2024 to $620,000 in October 2025.  Over the same period, the number of single-family homes sold rose 7.08 percent, signaling not just higher prices, but more transactions as well.  Leaders of the Greater Portland Board of Realtors pointed to growing inventory as a key factor in the market’s resilience. “The Greater Portland market is continuing to benefit from more inventory on…

Greater Portland Metro has won a $4.25 million federal grant to modernize its bus fleet and expand service, the transit agency announced Tuesday.  The award comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Buses and Bus Facilities Program.  Under the plan, Metro will acquire six new 35-foot buses, three to replace aging vehicles that have logged more than 500,000 miles, and three to support expansion into new areas including Scarborough and potentially South Portland.  “Receipt of this federal funding is an important step toward modernizing Metro’s fleet and meeting the region’s growing mobility needs,” Executive Director Glenn Fenton said. “These buses…

Scarborough police are searching for a man who robbed the Chase Bank on Hannaford Drive Wednesday afternoon before fleeing in a maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer with out-of-state plates. The robbery was reported around 1:40 p.m. Police said no weapon was shown, but the suspect escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash. Authorities described the man as a white male in his late 20s with blond hair and stubble. He was wearing a gray sweater, black sunglasses, jeans and tennis shoes. Not long after the incident, a vehicle matching the suspect’s was reportedly involved in a hit-and-run crash on Gorham Road near…

Hancock County Commissioners have approved a four-day workweek for county employees but agreed to keep operating hours unchanged to preserve public access to services. Commissioners unanimously backed the plan at their most recent meeting, allowing employees to compress their hours into four days while maintaining the same customer-facing schedule for residents. The hours of operation for county services such as the Registry of Deeds, Registry of Probate and the Treasurer’s Office will not change. Those will still be available five days a week, eight hours a day, according to Josh Griffin, the county personnel manager. “Unlike many of the cities…

The State of Maine has joined a coalition of 20 other states in suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), accusing the federal agency of illegally restricting access to long-term homelessness support.  At issue is a policy overhaul of HUD’s Continuum of Care grant program, which traditionally helps fund permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Maine and the other states argue that new rules sharply limit how much of the grants can go toward permanent housing and renewals. The complaint also alleges HUD has imposed new, unlawful conditions on funding eligibility. These include requiring providers to…

Portland officials are launching a community survey aimed at gathering broad public input on city programs and services, inviting residents to share feedback that may help guide future policy decisions. The City of Portland is partnering with the ETC Institute, a national survey research firm that specializes in municipal-level assessments, to administer the effort. Officials said all responses will be anonymous and confidential. ETC will analyze the findings, present them to the City Council, and publish the full results on the city’s website. Because the firm conducts similar surveys across the country, Portland’s data will also be compared regionally and…

A portion of U.S. Route 302 in Westbrook was shut down Monday after a fire broke out in a building in the city’s Prides Corner neighborhood, police said. According to the Westbrook Police Department, the closure was announced at about 12:25 p.m. and affected Bridgton Road (Route 302) between East Bridge Street and the intersection of Pride and Brook streets. Traffic reopened shortly after 2 p.m., about 90 minutes after the road was closed. No further details about the fire were disclosed by police.

Portland Public Schools are facing a growing backlash from current and former staff, students, and community members who say the district’s ongoing restructuring under Superintendent Ryan Scallon has destabilized classrooms, weakened student support systems, and driven out multiple educators of color. Those concerns boiled over at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, where speakers accused district leadership of making sweeping changes without transparency or accountability. Adding to the tension, the district’s two student representatives announced they plan to stage a walkout on Tuesday, December 2, an action the school board chair openly encouraged, prompting critics to note that such an endorsement…

A Mexican national with a lengthy history of unlawful entries and repeated removals appeared in federal court Tuesday, pleading not guilty to a felony illegal reentry charge and waiving his right to a detention hearing. Edgar Mandujano-Aguilar entered the plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Wolf in Portland. By waiving a hearing of detention, he will remain in custody while the case proceeds. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 5, 2026. Mandujano-Aguilar was arrested on Nov. 6 after he contacted the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office from a job site and asked deputies for assistance returning to Mexico following…

The Lewiston School Committee on Monday conducted a closed door executive session listed on the agenda as “to enter into an executive session to discuss a complaint regarding a public official, Title 1 M.R.S. 405(6)(A).” After returning to public session, member Janet Beaudoin moved to open an investigation into the residency of fellow committee member. During the discussion and right after Beaudoin’s motion, committee member Elizabeth Eames stated she was Iman Osman’s campaign manager for his run for city councilor, effectively indicating the motion was concerning Osman. With Eames declaring her role in his campaign, some are questioning why she…

Southern Maine Community College’s new Turning Point USA chapter made its public debut Monday, hosting its first tabling event amid a surge of national attention surrounding the organization following the death of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. A “tabling” event refers to setting up a table in a heavily-trafficked area of a college campus to draw discussion and debate. The chapter set up a red tent and branded tablecloth in one of the busiest spots on the South Portland campus, directly in front of the student center and the Seawolves Café, where chapter president Peter Bernaiche debated students and passers-by for…

A homeless encampment that appeared this week nearby Portland High School has renewed concerns about student safety, marking yet another incident in a year filled with encampments, discarded needles, and public-safety complaints across Maine’s largest city. Police asked individuals living along Lancaster Street to leave the site on Monday. The area sits directly beside a popular parking location for Portland High School students, heightening alarm for parents, residents, and school officials. Neighbors told local media they no longer feel safe walking in the area and want the city to step in. The city made the decision to remove the encampment,…

The school bus driver involved in a collision that killed a 12-year-old RSU 13 student Friday afternoon has been placed on administrative leave as state and local officials continue investigating the incident. The collision occurred around 2:20 p.m. at the intersection of Broadway and Eliza Steele Drive in Rockland. The student, identified by his family as Brayden Callahan, was first taken to a local hospital before being airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he died from his injuries on Saturday. On Monday, the Rockland Police Department confirmed that 65-year-old bus driver Jeffrey Colburn has been removed from duty…

Maine’s largest union representing state employees has filed a formal complaint accusing the Mills administration of refusing to negotiate in good faith, escalating an already tense standoff over expired labor contracts. The Maine Service Employees Association Local 1989, which represents roughly 10,000 state workers, filed its grievance Monday with the Maine Labor Relations Board. The union says the administration violated state law by prematurely declaring an impasse in negotiations and refusing to engage on multiple unresolved proposals. According to the union, the administration halted talks last month without addressing its key priorities, including long-standing recruitment and retention issues tied to…

Conservative activist Nicholas Blanchard, known to many online Mainers as “Corn Pop”, is pushing ahead with a bid for the Augusta School Committee even as he challenges his recent arrest and the sudden suspension of his Facebook account. Blanchard has become a prominent figure in local education battles, frequently confronting Augusta school officials over parental-rights issues and student-policy decisions. His organizing efforts have included a petition to remove the Cony Middle and High School principal and regular appearances at school board meetings where he has pressed administrators on transparency and accountability. “Corn Pop from Maine”‘s profile grew further after an October…

Federal prosecutors on Thursday moved to dismiss charges against a woman who was shot multiple times by a Maine-based Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation on Chicago’s southwest side last month. Marimar Martinez, 30, had been accused alongside co-defendant Anthony Ruiz, 21, of using their vehicles to ram and box in the SUV of Border Patrol agent Charles Exum on October 4 during the federal crackdown in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood. Agent Exum, who is stationed in Maine, exited his vehicle and opened fire on Martinez, striking her seven times. He was in Chicago as part of…

President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mandami met at the White House on Friday in a session that both men described as far more cordial and more productive than many observers had anticipated. The two leaders said they found surprising common ground on issues ranging from housing to energy costs, with both identifying affordability in New York as their shared top priority. Asked about Mandami’s past criticisms, including calling him a “despot,” Trump brushed off the remarks. “I’ve been called worse… We get along very well,” he said, adding that he viewed the mayor-elect as “a fine…

The month-long dispute over Mt. Blue Middle School Principal James Black’s Halloween costume reached another tense moment Tuesday, November 18, as dozens of supporters dressed in black packed the RSU 9 school board meeting to show solidarity. Many spoke publicly, urging the district to move on from the controversy. Friday morning, Superintendent Christian Elkington confirmed in writing (below) to The Maine Wire that Black has been back at work for two weeks, a fact not previously shared publicly and not mentioned at the meeting because the matter remains classified as a personnel issue. Good Morning! Principal Black is at school…

State officials are investigating the deaths of two people discovered inside a Wade residence Tuesday, where authorities say carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected. Maine State Police and Emergency Medical Services responded to a welfare check at 505 N. Wade Road around 11:15 a.m. and found both occupants deceased. Investigators with the Office of State Fire Marshal were called to the scene. According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, the furnace exhaust pipe inside the home had been improperly installed and had become disconnected, allowing exhaust fumes to vent directly into the living space. Evidence at the scene indicates the two residents…

Lewiston City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath has appointed longtime police veteran Carly Conley as the city’s next chief of police, selecting the 25-year Lewiston Police Department officer after months of public listening sessions, candidate reviews and guidance from a five-member advisory panel. Conley, who has served in nearly every division at the department since joining in 2001, presented her vision as she accepted the top post at Maine’s second-largest municipal police force on Monday. Kaenrath said the appointment reflects not only Conley’s extensive record but also the priorities residents expressed during the city’s months-long search process, citing repeated public concerns about…

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines told a large crowd in Maine that allowing transgender women to compete in girls’ and women’s sports is unfair, unsafe and a betrayal of the female athletes those categories were created to protect. Speaking at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland during a rally for the Protect Girls Sports Maine ballot initiative, Gaines mixed humor with pointed criticism of college sports officials, campus leaders and state politicians as she recounted how competing against Lia Thomas, whom she repeatedly identified as “Will Thomas,” a male, turned her into a prominent activist. “Oh my gosh. I hope…

More than 700 people turned out Sunday for the first annual “Tailgate for Common Sense,” the event held at Aquaboggan Water Park and Drive-In that combined football, food, and a live auction as supporters looked ahead to the 2026 election cycle. The event featured the New England Patriots vs the Cincinnati Bengals game broadcast on multiple large screen televisions, drawing attendees into tents and seating areas as organizers described a high-energy, family-friendly atmosphere. Football fans, concerned citizens and candidates mingled throughout the afternoon. Several Republican candidates for governor, David Jones (R), Ben Midgley(R) and Jim Libby (R) attended the tailgate,…

Maine’s northern border continues to see elevated levels of illegal crossings and apprehensions, marking a historic trend that began during the Biden administration, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. While overall illegal entries are down nationwide, officials say an increased number of Border Patrol agents deployed to the field is leading to higher apprehension rates between ports of entry. In Maine, Border Patrol agents recorded a 24-year high in apprehensions during fiscal year 2025, which runs from October 1 through September 30. During the first six months, agents in the Houlton Sector apprehended 113 people entering illegally from…

Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) on Saturday called for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded that its agents be brought before congressional hearings and held accountable, saying “people need to go to prison.”  Speaking at a town-hall event in the southern Maine town of Windham, Platner said the American public deserves transparency and accountability from federal enforcement agencies. “We need to have public hearings, public, frankly, probably trials down the road,” Platner told attendees. “Because the American people deserve to know what the hell is going on right now, and how the people doing…

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is ending deportation protections for Somali nationals living in Minnesota, effective immediately. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the protections were being terminated because Minnesota had become, in his words, a hub of fraudulent financial activity, alleging that Somali criminal networks were operating in the state. The protections stemmed from the federal Temporary Protected Status program, which allowed certain Somali nationals to live and work legally in the United States due to instability in their home country. According to the announcement, the decision followed an investigation that alleged millions of dollars…

President Donald Trump faced sharp pushback from Maine’s congressional delegation after he accused several Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior … punishable by death,” the latest in a series of statements that critics say pushed the boundaries of political rhetoric. First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) offered the sharpest criticism calling Trump’s comments both “disgusting” and “terrifying.” Earlier this week, two U.S. senators and four members of Congress released a video entitled ‘Don’t Give Up the Ship’ directed to active duty military personnel and intelligence officers suggesting they follow no order they believe violates the Constitution. WATCH: https://youtube.com/shorts/Fk9Gh3qwW4I?si=5J44dwmI_kej_AbN In doing so,…

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has enacted a major regulatory change that will bar undocumented immigrants and other non-qualified foreign nationals from receiving several key refundable income-tax credits beginning in the 2026 tax year, according to documents released Thursday. The rule reclassifies the refundable portions of the Earned Income Tax Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Tax Credit, and Saver’s Match Credit as federal public benefits a designation that makes them unavailable to individuals who lack lawful immigration status. The move follows a legal opinion from the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel determining the credits fall…

A 75-year-old woman has died after being struck by a vehicle at a busy crossing in Portland, police said Friday.  The incident occurred about 7:10 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Franklin Street and Marginal Way, when the woman was crossing the street and was hit by a vehicle driven by a 48-year-old Portland man. According to witnesses, the woman was running with a group of people and they all crossed the street against the signal just prior to the crash. The woman was taken to Maine Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and later died, though authorities have not yet…

A panel of education researchers, clinicians and attorneys warned Thursday that Maine’s school-based health centers may be facilitating gender-related services for minors without parental consent, and blamed state laws that grant broad medical autonomy to adolescents with what they described as limited oversight. The forum, hosted by former state Rep. Heidi Sampson and the Maine Education Initiative, drew parents, school board members and elected officials. Republican gubernatorial candidates Jim Libby and David Jones were among those in attendance. Presenters included child psychologist Dr. Tom Moyer, Maine Policy Institute research fellow Jonah Davids and Children’s Health Defense general counsel Kim Mack…

A Cumberland County judge is now deciding whether the state can force a longtime street preacher to stay 500 feet away from Portland’s Planned Parenthood clinic – a request critics say amounts to an extraordinary restriction on free speech and peaceful protest in a public space. For six years, street minister John Andrade Jr. has stood outside the Congress Street clinic, preaching with a microphone as part of his pro-life outreach. His presence has drawn complaints from Planned Parenthood and its supporters, prompting the Maine Attorney General’s Office to take the unusual step of seeking a court-ordered buffer zone. Prosecutors…

Maine’s Democratic leadership slammed the brakes Thursday on a slate of Republican proposals aimed at cutting taxes, improving public safety, and expanding educational opportunity, including a high-profile push to force Maine into full conformity with the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Gov. Janet Mills (D) has already refused to honor. In a series of party-line votes, the Legislative Council rejected multiple bills sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) and Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin). Republicans called the move a clear demonstration that top Democrats will not even consider broadly popular, low-cost reforms if they originate from the…