Author: Jon Fetherston

Houlton Town Councilor Jon McLaughlin resigned Friday, effective immediately, following the arrest of the town manager last week. In announcing he’d be giving up his seat, McLaughlin cited his differences with the town council to keep Town Manager Cameron Clark in his position after his arrest on domestic violence assault and felony witness tampering charges last week. According to his resignation letter, McLaughlin stated that his “perspective differs from that of most of the Council” and that due to this he did not feel he could “contribute effectively” going forward. Later on Friday, Councilor Alexis Brown also announced her resignation for…

Health care entrepreneur Jonathan Bush is expected to jump into the 2026 Maine governor’s race Wednesday in Belfast a move that could upend both parties’ contests amid a swirl of controversy surrounding the state’s top election official – also Democrat candidate for the state’s top job. Bush, a Republican and cousin of former President George W. Bush, has been positioning himself for a run since summer. The Belfast event, which has been promoted as a “major announcement,” is expected to serve as his formal announcement. In recent months, Bush has hosted a podcast entitled ‘Maine for Keeps’ on which he…

A brewing stand-off between political protest and law-and-order solidarity is set for Wednesday, as a Republican organizer has called for a counter-demonstration to an anti-ICE rally slated for downtown Scarborough. Trish Burnell, a U.S. Navy veteran and finance chair of the Denmark, Maine, Republican Town Committee, took to Facebook earlier this weekend to announce she would lead a pro-law enforcement gathering in response to the anti-ICE rally planned by the Scarborough Democratic Committee. [RELATED: Anti-ICE Rally Planned in Scarborough Amid Immigration Enforcement Debate] The anti-immigration enforcement rally is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Oct. 8 the intersection of U.S. Route…

A Southern Maine Community College student has launched a new chapter of Turning Point USA on campus, just weeks after the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying the movement’s message of free markets, limited government and individual liberty must continue. It’s the first Turning Point USA chapter on a college campus in Maine. Peter Bernaiche, a computer science major, was officially recognized by both Turning Point’s national office and SMCC’s administration to establish the group earlier this month. He said the effort grew out of a surge in new chapters nationwide following Kirk’s assassination in September. “Charlie Kirk’s passing…

President Donald Trump on Friday issued a blunt ultimatum to Hamas, giving the militant group until 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan for Gaza or face “all hell, like no one has ever seen before,” a warning he posted on his Truth Social account. In the post, Trump described Hamas as “a ruthless and violent threat” whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel he called a “MASSACRE.” He urged Palestinian civilians in parts of Gaza to move to what he described as safer areas ahead of possible further action. The president said more than 25,000…

Police have arrested two young men in connection with a late-night shooting last week at the Redbank Village housing complex, officials said Thursday. South Portland detectives, joined by multiple law enforcement agencies, executed a high-risk search and arrest warrant on Wednesday at a home on Preble Street in Gorham. Officers took Adam Figueroa-Gomez, 19, of Gorham, into custody without incident. He is the second suspect charged in the case. Figueroa-Gomez faces counts of criminal threatening and reckless conduct, both Class C felonies, along with misdemeanor charges of terrorizing and violating conditions of release. Police had previously arrested Zane Ibrahim, 18,…

WORCESTER, Ma. — A court hearing to consider dismissing charges against Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj has been postponed until Nov. 19, giving the judge additional time to review police body camera footage related to her alleged interference in a federal immigration arrest. Haxhiaj, a progressive Democrat representing District 5 and currently seeking reelection, was charged on June 4 with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a police officer and a common law violation of interfering with a police officer. The charges stem from a May 8 incident during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation on Eureka Street.…

Progressive activists are planning an anti-ICE rally in Scarborough next week, according to a Facebook post by the Scarborough Democratic Committee and a discussion at a Cumberland County Commissioners’ workshop on Monday evening. The demonstration is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and Lincoln Avenue. Organizers say they want to “hold ICE accountable,” but critics argue the rally is part of a broader push to weaken immigration enforcement and undermine local cooperation with federal authorities. The flyer circulated online called for transparency regarding ICE’s Scarborough facility on Manson Libby Road and…

A box containing 250 blank Maine voter ballots was mistakenly delivered to a woman’s home in an Amazon package this week, raising questions about election security and casting a shadow over Secretary of State Shanna Bellows’ newly launched campaign for governor. The story, first reported Wednesday by the Maine Wire, put Bellows on the defensive as she was rolling out her campaign message on protecting voter data and modernizing state services. When asked about the ballots by this reporter Thursday morning, Bellows declined to comment and abruptly walked away. https://twitter.com/BigSteve207/status/1973730050626527386 The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce held a Business Breakfast Speaker…

Former Market Basket CEO Arthur “Artie T.” Demoulas has filed a countersuit against the supermarket chain, escalating a legal battle over his dismissal earlier this year. Demoulas claims the company breached his employment contract and acted in bad faith. Market Basket has alleged misconduct and mismanagement as justification for the firing. Both suits were filed this week in Massachusetts Superior Court. The countersuit accuses the company of withholding compensation, wrongful termination and damaging Demoulas’ professional reputation. It seeks damages and either reinstatement or compensation equivalent to his expected earnings. Market Basket contends Demoulas failed to meet performance expectations, misused company…

Vice President JD Vance and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a joint briefing on Wednesday afternoon, intensifying pressure on Senate Democrats as the federal government shutdown continued. Vance and Leavitt framed the standoff as a clear choice: reopen the government now, then negotiate policy. They said Democratic demands to tie funding to expanded benefits for noncitizens undermine American workers and threaten core services. GOP lawmakers say nearly all House Republicans and many Senate Republicans have already voted to reopen the government. They are urging moderate Democrats, some privately critical of their leadership’s approach, to join them. Union leaders…

Maine highway safety officials are urging drivers and pedestrians to exercise caution this month as shorter days and increased foot traffic heighten risks during the fall season. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is observing October as Pedestrian Safety Month, citing national statistics showing 3,304 pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2024, a 48% increase since 2014. In Maine, pedestrians accounted for 14% of traffic fatalities over the past four years. “Pedestrian safety is a two way street,” Bureau Director Lauren Stewart said. She urged drivers to slow down in high traffic areas while encouraging pedestrians to wear reflective…

President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his blistering attack on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, posting a fiery message on Truth Social that accused Powell of undermining the U.S. economy and failing to act boldly on interest rates. In the post, Trump once again lambasted Powell, writing “I really believe that Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell is an OBSTRUCTIONIST!”, asserting that the Fed chair’s reluctance to move aggressively has inflicted serious harm on American families and businesses. The president has said in the past that Powell is “hurting the economy badly” and warned that unless dramatic rate cuts are implemented “very…

Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, saying they triggered the crisis by insisting on taxpayer-funded health care benefits for immigrants in the country illegally. Appearing on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Vance said federal workers and military families are suffering because Democrats refused to separate health care policy demands from budget negotiations. “Let’s reopen the government, fix the core issues for our country, and then negotiate,” Vance said, accusing Democrats of “holding the economy hostage.” Vance said the Biden administration revived programs directing federal funds toward emergency hospital services for immigrants in the…

YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump, marking another major victory for Trump in his long running fight against what he has called politically motivated censorship by Big Tech. The settlement, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Northern California, ends a four-year battle over YouTube’s decision to suspend Trump’s account following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The company restored his account in 2023, after years of pressure from conservatives who argued that banning a sitting or former president amounted to an unprecedented assault on free speech. Under the agreement,…

PORTLAND, Maine — Community activists are urging Cumberland County Commissioners to terminate the jail’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but Sheriff Kevin Joyce told the board Monday that he is bound to follow the law and cannot selectively enforce it. At the commissioners’ workshop, immigration advocates and progressive groups argued that the county jail should stop housing ICE detainees, despite an agreement that provides the county with nearly $2 million annually. As of Monday, the jail held 63 detainees under the contract, which pays $150 per person per day. Joyce pushed back on claims that the county could…

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A lockdown at Southern Maine Community College was lifted Tuesday morning after police persuaded an armed man to surrender on campus, authorities said. South Portland police said officers were alerted shortly after 9 a.m. to a 51-year-old Westbrook man near the Spring Point Lighthouse who was threatening to kill himself with a handgun. The man then entered the SMCC campus with a loaded firearm and told authorities he intended to take his own life. The college went into lockdown around 9:15 a.m. as officers responded. A police negotiator reached the man by phone and, after a…

The Department of Homeland Security last week sharply rejected allegations from Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, that immigration officials were blocking detainees from meeting with attorneys, calling the claims false and politically motivated. “Congresswoman Pingree is lying for likes and fundraising dollars,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Any allegation that ICE is blocking illegal aliens from having legal counsel at immigration appointments is FALSE. These types of smears are contributing to our officers facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them.” McLaughlin added that “DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels.” Pingree’s office last week accused U.S.…

Bailey Island, Maine — Authorities are looking into threats made against the owners of a Bailey Island restaurant after one of them was identified as the driver of a car bearing a bumper sticker that read “MAKE ASSASSINATIONS GREAT AGAIN.” The car reportedly belongs to Susanna “Ray” DeSilva, 32, a Topsham resident and LGBTQ activist who co-owns the Fishnet Café on Bailey Island with spouse Ashley DeSilva, who was born female and now goes by Ray, confirmed ownership of the vehicle when asked Sunday by The Maine Wire. DeSilva said police had advised not to comment publicly, describing the backlash…