Author: Seamus Othot

A powerful, pro-solar energy lobby group, the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), is using its national resources to urge Mainers to oppose a bipartisan bill that would mitigate some of the economic hardships caused by pro-solar net energy billing (NEB) policies. [RELATED: Mainers Overflow Hearing to Speak Out on Both Sides of Proposed Net Energy Billing Repeal…] “CCSA strongly opposes providing the PUC broad retroactive rate setting authority for existing projects. Projects that are bound to existing contracts, are already constructed, have paid for the capital expenditures to build the project, and now have debt obligations and other firm…

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home at 6 Wogan Road in Raymond on Sunday following reports of a domestic disturbance involving a firearm. [RELATED: Saco Man Leads Police on Multi-Town Chase…] The alleged victim, whom the Sheriff’s Office did not name, told officers that his live-in girlfriend, Erika Frank, 54, of Raymond, threatened him with a firearm. He was able to leave their home in order to alert authorities. When deputies arrived, Frank refused to leave the residence or be taken into custody, sparking a standoff as she had access to multiple firearms inside the building. During…

Two leading members of the House Committee on Homeland Security began an investigation last week into 215 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) suspected of illegally using taxpayer funds to aid illegal aliens who entered the country under former President Joe Biden. [RELATED: Portland Resettled Nearly 1,000 Migrants in City in 2024, Including Hundreds at $4.5 million per Year Shelter…] “The open-borders, anti-enforcement policies of the Biden Administration, supplemented by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), helped fuel the worst border crisis in our nation’s history,” said the congressmen. Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh…

The Maine House voted narrowly on Friday evening to pass a bill that will ban transgender-identifying males from girls’ sports across Maine schools, with support from three Democrats, just one day after a similar bill failed in the Senate with the help of Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford). [RELATED: Republican Senator Votes to Keep Transgender Policies in Schools While Democrat Senator Recites a Poem…] “I have talked to some of my coaching colleagues, and had numerous conversations with my constituents, overwhelmingly they are against having biological males play on girl’s sport’s teams. The biggest issues are fairness and safety,” said Rep.…

The Portland Police Department arrested two people on Saturday after they allegedly assaulted police officers at the city’s “No Kings” protest held to show opposition to President Donald Trump on his birthday. [RELATED: Portland Resettled Nearly 1,000 Migrants in City in 2024, Including Hundreds at $4.5 million per Year Shelter…] Liberal activists staged No Kings protests across the country, including multiple in Maine, to coincide with President Trump’s birthday and the Army 250th birthday military parade with Washington, D.C. The Portland No Kings protest was held in two locations, Monument Square and Lincoln Park, and the Portland Police Department described…

Maine Civic Action, an organization focused on educating Mainers on free markets and individual liberties, announced on Friday that its inaugural event for 2025 will feature Charlie Kirk, a top conservative influencer and founder of Turning Point USA. [RELATED: ‘It’s So Ridiculous’: Bill Maher And Charlie Kirk Torch Dems Over Wildly Unpopular Stance On Trans Athletes…] “The future of our state and nation depends on training the next generation to be active members of their communities and to advance liberty,” said Maine Civic Action’s announcement. Kirk has been a popular advocate for President Donald Trump among younger voters in particular,…

Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) joined every other House Democrat on Thursday in opposing President Donald Trump’s rescission package that would have codified $9.4 billion in proposed cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting. [RELATED: Pingree Split with Golden and Votes Against Bill to Stop Non-Citizens from Voting in D.C. Elections…] “I just voted against the president’s bill to clawback $9.4 billion in congressionally approved funding, which would have zeroed out funding for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS KIDS educational programming and life-saving emergency alerts at Maine Public,” said Rep. Golden on X. https://twitter.com/RepGolden/status/1933257440419852326 A…

Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) voted with Democrats on Thursday night and became the only Republican to oppose a bill that would have barred transgender-identifying males from women’s sports, locker rooms, and restrooms. During testimony on the same bill, Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec) performed a dramatic reading of his poem “Little Black Girl.” [RELATED: Most Maine Voters Back Trump Over Mills in Transgender Sports Spat…] “We are being asked to decide whether our laws will affirm the dignity of every child in Maine or diminish it,” said Sen. Bennett testifying on the Senate floor. “This legislation isn’t about fairness, it’s about…

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday in co-sponsoring his bill, the “End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act,” which would codify one of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priorities. [RELATED: Angus King Co-Sponsors Bill to Block Trump’s Election Integrity Executive Order…] “With the exception of New Zealand, the United States is the only country in the world where it is legal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs on television. It is time for us to end that international embarrassment. The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription…

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) voted with the majority of House Democrats on Tuesday against a bill that would have stopped non-citizens from voting in local Washington, D.C. elections after a 2022 policy allowed it. [RELATED: Non-Citizens Will be Able to Vote in Washington D.C. Elections This November…] Rep. Pingree was one of 148 Democrats to vote against a bill from Rep. August Pfluger (R-Tex.) that would have repealed Washington D.C.’s 2022 Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, which allowed non-citizens to vote for local positions such as Mayor, City Councilor, and Attorney General. Though Pingree and the majority of Democrats…

The Maine State Police arrested 69-year-old Bonnie Coombs of Garland on Wednesday after she allegedly murdered her 78-year-old sister, Velma Withee, at her home in April. [RELATED: Intoxicated Juvenile Attempted to Gatecrash Oceanside High Graduation before Robbing Vehicle: Rockland PD…] In April, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office discovered Withee dead with gunshot wounds at her home on Canaan Rd in Hartland. Following an autopsy on April 14, the death was determined to be a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation continued until Wednesday, when the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central arrested Coombs at 8:00 p.m. and…

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) returned to one of his favorite legislative priorities during Tuesday’s meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee, advocating for increased spending on directed energy weapons while criticizing the Biden administration. [RELATED: Angus King Invokes Genghis Khan in Renewed Call for Increased DoD Focus on Laser Beams…] “It’s unclear in the budget where the directed energy money is if it’s in there. Those missiles that we’re using in the Red Sea to knock down $20,000 Yemen drones cost $4 million apiece. Directed energy is an incredibly important priority. The prior administration grossly underfunded it. I hope this administration…

The Regional School Unit (RSU) 4 school board voted on Wednesday, near the end of the school year, to remove their “Transgender and Gender Expansive Students” policy that allows transgender-identifying males into girls’ spaces and allows teachers to keep secrets from parents. RSU 4 straddles Androscoggin and Kennebec counties. [RELATED: Gardiner School Board to Hold Vote on Contentious School-Based Medical Clinic On the Last Day of School…] “By permitting and protecting through policy the withholding of information or keeping of secrets from parents regarding their children, the RSU is in direct violation of the Supreme Court and the Constitution of…

Both chambers of Maine’s legislature passed a bill on Tuesday banning “doxing” minors that could be applied in future instances such as Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) criticizing transgender-identifying males competing in girls’ sports. [RELATED: SCOTUS Restores Rep. Laurel Libby’s Right to Vote, Enjoins Maine Dems’ Censure of Her…] “I’m just very cautious about this bill because it sounds like one that could be abused, and I’m just in fear of that,” said Sen. Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec). The bill, LD 537, was put forward by Rep. Melanie Sachs (D-Freeport) in February, notably before Rep. Libby was censured in the House after…

Two law enforcement sources, who spoke with the Maine Wire on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the incident, believe that multiple large institutions in Maine suffered from a ransomware-style cyberattack thought to originate from a foreign adversary. [RELATED: Maine Pharmacies Giving Out Prescriptions Without Verifying MaineCare Coverage Amid Weeks-Long System Outages…] Multiple hospitals across the state appear to be suffering from technical issues, possibly caused by a cyberattack. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Central Maine Medical Center’s (CMMC) entire website is inaccessible. St. Joseph Healthcare and St. Mary’s Health System both currently…

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) suffered a legal loss on Tuesday when a federal judge denied his request for an immediate restraining order against President Donald Trump to prevent him from using the California National Guard to restore order in Los Angeles. [RELATED: Gov. Mills Joins Other Democrat Governors Condemning Trump’s Use of National Guard to Restore Order in Los Angeles During Anti-ICE Riots…] U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, appointed to serve as a federal judge for the Northern District of California by former President Bill Clinton, rejected Newsom’s request, arguing that the Trump administration deserved time to respond to Newsom’s…

Both chambers of the Maine Legislature reversed course on a controversial bill this week, ending an effort from Rep. Grayson Lookner (D-Portland) to legalize the possession of psilocybin, often called “magic mushrooms.” [RELATED: Flipping and Tripping, the House Votes by a Margin of One to Legalize Magic Mushrooms…] In House and Senate votes on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, each chamber narrowly voted against the enactment of the bill. Those votes came just one week after the House voted 70-69 and the Senate voted 17-16 to accept the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety’s minority “Ought to pass” recommendation. The…

While a key committee in Augusta moved legislation to the floor that would make it more difficult for police in Maine to cooperate with federal authorities enforcing immigration law, councilors in the Knox County seat of Rockland shot down a similar measure this week in a signal that state and local officials may not be on the same page on the question. The Maine Legislature’s Committee on the Judiciary voted on Monday in favor of a bill aimed at hindering local law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration authorities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on the same day that the Rockland…

As rioters overrun the streets of Los Angeles, California, waving foreign flags while burning cars and assaulting federal officers, Gov. Janet Mills signed on to a statement criticizing President Donald Trump for using the National Guard to restore order. “President Trump’s move to deploy California’s National Guard is an alarming abuse of power. Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state’s governor is ineffective and dangerous,” said the statement from the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). President Trump ordered the deployment of…

Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 11 is poised to approve or deny an extremely controversial school-based medical clinic on Thursday, the last day of the school year, during a special school board meeting. [RELATED: Rep. Soboleski Reveals Gardiner School Is Not Zoned for Controversial Clinic on Site, School Board Balks…] “This is one of the most sleazy, non-transparent school boards I’ve ever seen,” parents rights activist Alvin Lui, president of Courage Is A Habit, told The Maine Wire. MSAD 11, which serves Gardiner, West Gardiner, Pittston, and Randolph, has become embroiled in a variety of controversies in recent months, not…

Jon Fetherston, the whistleblower who exposed the heinous crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Massachusetts’ “Healy Hotel” shelters, requested on Saturday that Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi initiate a federal investigation into the shelter program. [RELATED: Horrifying New Details Emerge on Illegal Immigrant Who Impregnated His 14-Year-Old Daughter While Living in Marlborough, Mass “Healy Hotel”…] “I am writing to you not as a political figure, but as a whistleblower, a witness, and most importantly—as someone who cannot remain silent while criminality, negligence, and fraud continue unchecked under the banner of state-sponsored “humanitarian care,” Fetherston wrote in his letter to AG…

The Satanic Temple’s abortion branch, TST Health, announced the creation of a new telehealth abortion provider serving Maine, deliberately set to open on President Donald Trump’s birthday, June 14, and named to mock the president. [RELATED: NH Satanic Holiday Display Destroyed and Removed Just Days after it was Erected…] The telehealth clinic will be called the “President’s Yuge Most Beautiful Tremendous Satanic Abortion Clinic.” “We hope he receives this clinic’s distinguished title as the magnificent, regal birthday present it is intended to be,” said Satanic Temple executive director Erin Helian in a press release. Helian expressed “heartbreak” over the closure…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a list of jurisdictions with “sanctuary” policies that obstruct immigration enforcement late last week, including three in Maine, before removing the list on Sunday following backlash from cities objecting to their inclusion. [RELATED: Nearly 1,500 Illegals Arrested in Massachusetts as Part of Month Long ‘Operation Patriot’…] “We are exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal law. President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first. Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The now-deleted list…

Long-time U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill famously said “all politics is local,” and he could just have easily been talking about mounting distemper in Maine over school boards and state educational associations that silence parents and promote left-of-center ideologies as the wards of Boston. As Virginia showed the nation four years ago when Loudon County education administrators tried to stifle news about serious abuses of their transgender bathroom policy, school board politics can transform a state. Voter anger about that issue fueled conservative Glenn Youngkin’s victory over Clinton moneyman “Good Times” Terry McCauliffe in the governor’s race. In recent months,…

The FBI arrested two Chinese citizens, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, on Tuesday after they were caught allegedly trying to smuggle a potentially devastating fungal “agroterrorism weapon” into the U.S. [RELATED: China May Be Integrating AI into its Bioweapons Program. What Could Go Wrong?…] “This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk. Your FBI will continue working tirelessly to be on guard against it,”…

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation celebrating persecuted Christians on June 1, the start of Pride Month, marking a significant change from President Joe Biden’s time in office when the White House held elaborate pro-LGBTQ celebrations. [RELATED: Ogunquit Police Officers Will be Wearing Pride Patches for June…] “Today, I join the Coptic Orthodox Christian community in observing Global Coptic Day—a celebration of the ancient heritage, rich culture, and reverent worship of the Coptic Orthodox Church,” said President Trump. “In 2015, 21 Coptic construction workers were brutally executed by ISIS terrorists in Libya. Like persecuted Christians all around the world, these…

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with the help of multiple federal agencies, arrested nearly 1,500 illegal aliens during the month-long Operation Patriot, which targeted illegal alien criminal offenders across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. [RELATED: ICE Arrests 40 Illegal Aliens, Including MS-13 Member and Child Sex Offender, in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard Sweep…] “Make no mistake: Every person that we arrested was breaking our immigration laws, but most of these individuals had significant criminality. They are criminal offenders who victimized innocent people and traumatized entire communities — murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, child sex predators and members of violent transnational criminal…

A Portland sex offender, Steven Ricci, 61, is set to be released at the end of June despite what the Portland Police Department described as a “high risk to re-offend,” following a lengthy history of sex crimes, many targeting children. [RELATED: Jay Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting a Child Starting When She Was Just Six…] Ricci, who has an extensive history of indecent conduct, is set for release on June 29. The Portland Police warned that Ricci will not be required to appear on the sex offender registry but said that the likelihood of his…

The Maine House narrowly passed a bill on Monday that will make life and work more difficult for Mainers employed in building trades by imposing licensing requirements on residential construction contractors and creating yet another governmental board. [RELATED: Maine’s Private Sector Workers Are Paying the New 1% Paycheck Tax. They’re Also Paying the Tax for State Employees…] “Affordable housing is what we need. This does not help us achieve that at all. The cost of building houses today is only going to go up if we license the contractors,” said Rep. John Blier (R-Buxton) speaking on the House floor. “Do…

It may be a sign of the times that both chambers of the Maine Legislature passed a bill on Monday allowing a limited amount of home distilling of spirits for personal consumption, legalizing it at the state level while it remains illegal federally. [RELATED: Committee Votes in Favor of Home Distilling Law Despite Opposition from Four Skeptical Reps…] The bill, LD 631, was passed in both the House and Senate “under the hammer” without the need for a roll-call vote, with both chambers accepting the majority “ought to pass as amended” recommendation from the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee…

Ogunquit police officers will be wearing new “LGBTQ+ pride patches” throughout June for “Pride Month,” which is typically celebrated through corporate and government publicity activities, parades, and a variety of public events that promote alternative sexual lifestyles. [RELATED: Cumberland Town Council Votes to Paint Crosswalk Rainbow for Pride Month…] “We are dedicated to celebrating diversity and fostering an environment of acceptance and understanding. Our department values the opportunity to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and to promote a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all,” Ogunquit Police Chief John Lizanecz in a Facebook post. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1929603380990607706 According to Chief Lizanecz’s post,…

The Maine Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) sent 42 illegal immigrants out of state for further deportation proceedings on a single flight on May 23, following a record number of arrests in April. [RELATED: Maine Border Patrol Arrests Hit Near Quarter Century High as Southern Crossings Remain at Historic Low…] “Houlton Sector Border Patrol Agents work tirelessly to keep our nation and communities secure. The rise in apprehensions over the course of this year reflects the hard work credited to the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol in carrying out national security priorities with inter-agency partners,” said Acting…

South Portland’s People’s Inclusive Welding (PIW) held a rally with other groups on Friday to protest the arrest of two Brazilian nationals in the U.S. illegally who have been transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and are currently being processed for removal. [RELATED: Worcester City Councilor Assaults ICE Officers in Attempt to Prevent Arrest of an Illegal Immigrant Who Assaulted a Pregnant Woman…] The two Brazilians, Marcos Henrique, 28, and Lucas Segobia (age unknown), were arrested last week when they were pulled over by the Maine State Police while driving into Maine because the officer noticed an off-center…

The Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 52 school board voted Thursday night to send a potential change to its transgender policy for review by its legal counsel, drawing opposition from pro-trans board members and some students. [RELATED: Another Maine School District Removes Pro-Trans Policy after Overwhelming Board Vote…] The MSAD 52 school board, which serves Turner, Greene, and Leeds, voted to instruct the superintendent to consult two law firms about the legal implications of changing school policy to recognize only biological sex rather than self-identification. “What are the legal implications for changing MSAD 52 school board policies to recognize only…

Sen. Susan Collins weighed in on Tuesday on President Donald Trump’s highly controversial “Big Beautiful Bill” spending package, which is currently facing some resistance from both parties in the Senate. [RELATED: “One Big Beautiful Bill” of Tax and Spending Provisions Passes House in Late Night Vote, Condemned by Maine Reps Golden and Pingree…] “I do not want to see a tax increase go into effect for our small businesses, for example, and for middle and lower income families. I want to see the doubling of the child tax credit remain and not revert to where it was. So, there is…

Out Maine, an LGBTQ non-profit that pushes radical gender ideology on children, received three new grants this month to help fund its “Read the Rainbow” program that distributes pro-transgender books to children as young as kindergarteners. [RELATED: Maine Corporations, Once Proud Progressive Donors, Tread Lightly Amid Gov. Mills’ Clash with President Trump…] “This upcoming school year, we’re going to be able to offer an expanded list of diverse stories and book sets across all grade levels. Previously, the program was only offered to Maine public school librarians, but now we’re going to be able to offer it to all public…

The upcoming June 10 election for the Regional School Unit (RSU) 40 school board could have significant consequences for girls in the district, who like many in Maine currently have to share their private spaces with transgender-identifying males. [RELATED: Another Maine School District Removes Pro-Trans Policy after Overwhelming Board Vote…] The school district, encompassing Friendship, Union, Waldoboro, Warren, and Washington, has four school board seats up for election next month, including the seat of board chair Danny Jackson. School board elections across the state have taken on even more significance since the feud between Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) and President…

California made a minor but potentially significant policy change to mitigate the damage done by allowing transgender-identifying males to compete in girls’ sports, in a possible attempt to placate President Donald Trump, who has recently turned his attention to the Golden state. [RELATED: Most Maine Voters Back Trump Over Mills in Transgender Sports Spat…] “Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to. The Governor, himself, said it is “UNFAIR.” I will speak to him today to find out which way he…

The Maine Department of Corrections (DOC) has denied access to the Supervised Community Confinement Program (SCCP) for Mark Cardilli, a veteran serving a seven year prison sentence following a manslaughter conviction that he maintains was self-defense, according to documents and Cardilli’s family. [RELATED: Crimes Committed by Perpetrators on Bail or Early Release Continue as Some Seek More Leniency…] “He’s at the time where he can apply for SCCP, and they don’t want him out. We don’t know why. Why don’t they want my son out? Everybody else is getting out,” said Cardilli’s mother, Sue Cardilli, told The Maine Wire. The…

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to celebrate Maine fishermen and to discuss his work to remove Obama-era restrictions on fishing off Maine’s coast, while hinting at resistance from Maine’s political leaders. [RELATED: New England Fishermen Celebrate Trump Executive Order Aimed at Restoring the U.S. Seafood Industry…] “I approved FULL Fishing Rights in the Ocean Waters, directly off the Coast of Maine, that were viciously taken away from them by the Obama/Biden Administration. They were not allowed to fish in those waters, and it would take them more than a day to get into areas, less fertile,…

Kenneth Marin, 61, of Jay, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday following a February conviction for repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl, starting when she was just six years old and continuing until she was 12. The crimes occurred in Augusta, court records show. [RELATED: Topsham Teacher Under Investigation But the School is Providing Scant Details…] Superior Justice Daniel Mitchell issued the 25-year sentence, with no time suspended, making it likely that Marin will actually spend the next 25 years in prison. There is a good chance that Marin will die in prison, as he will be…

Maine State Police arrested the husband of a Hermon Middle School teacher, Aaron M. Pinette, 42, on Friday on child pornography charges after executing a search warrant. [RELATED: Topsham Teacher Under Investigation But the School is Providing Scant Details…] Hermon School Superintendent Barbara Sargent sent a letter to parents, obtained by WABI, addressing the arrest of the spouse of one of their teachers. Sargent reportedly confirmed in the letter that Pinette had not volunteered at the school in the last two years, suggesting that he might have volunteered there in the past. She affirmed that all school employees undergo strict…

Topsham’s Mt. Ararat High School is losing its athletics director at the end of the school-year, according to a resignation letter submitted on Thursday, just days after the school revealed a police investigation into a different, now former, teacher. [RELATED: Topsham Teacher Under Investigation But the School is Providing Scant Details…] “This is not a decision I have made lightly, but I feel it is best for me and my family that I step aside from the rigors of this very demanding position and pursue other professional opportunities,” said athletics director Geoff Godo in his resignation letter. “I look forward…

Reya N. Jasmin, 36, a transgender-identifying New Hampshire man, is facing charges for allegedly stabbing his wife to death on Sunday in an apparent murder-suicide attempt. He had previously headlined the local library’s “Ask a Transgender Woman Anything” event. [RELATED: NH School Officials Are Trying to Hide DEI Material from The Public Eye…] The NH Attorney General’s (AG) office first reported the incident through a Sunday press release, explaining that local law enforcement responded to a home on Old Country Road in Plaistow, NH, and discovered a deceased woman, Margaret Jasmin, 39, and Reya Jasmin who was suffering from injuries.…

Special agents with the FBI in Boston arrested Brian Hargraves, 54, of Albany, New Hampshire, on Tuesday after he allegedly posed as a teenager online to solicit sexually explicit images from a teenage girl. [RELATED: Topsham Teacher Under Investigation But the School is Providing Scant Details…] Law enforcement received a citizen complaint regarding Hargraves in April. On April 29, officers searched one of Hargraves’ multiple cell phones and, according to charging documents, discovered sexually explicit images and videos of a 16-year-old girl. Hargraves allegedly met the girl online and posed as a teenage boy while communicating with the victim. He…

The Mount Desert Island (MDI) Hospital is taking disciplinary action against five nurses who participated in a Maine State Nurses Association (MSNA)/National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNU) union protest on May 8 against the hospital’s decision to close its labor and delivery unit. [RELATED: Reagan Paul’s Bill Would Count Unborn Children as Persons When It Comes to Prosecuting Violent Crime…] “Instead of working with nurses toward solutions that could save Bar Harbor’s obstetrics unit, MDI Hospital’s management is resorting to lowbrow tactics. Labelling a peaceful assembly of nurses and community members as an ‘unruly mob’ is an attempt to distract from…

Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) approved a series of financial orders between May 13 and 14 to keep payrolls and other government programs funded through the end of the fiscal year on June 30 in the face of an impending budget deficit. [RELATED: Mills Approves Financial Orders to Address Payroll Shortfalls, Fund State Programs…] In the two-day period, Gov. Mills approved 60 financial orders, surpassing last month’s flurry of 40 orders, approved for many of the same reasons as the most recent batch. Last week’s orders also focused primarily on meeting payroll needs, largely due to unbudgeted collective bargaining agreements that…

Democrats on the state legislature’s Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety (CJPS) teamed up on Monday to kill a bill from their fellow party member Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot) that would have instituted harsher penalties for parents who negligently harm children by allowing them to be exposed to deadly fentanyl. The committee ultimately voted to neuter the bill by creating an amendment to study the possibility of increasing penalties without actually increasing them. [RELATED: Reagan Paul’s Bill Would Count Unborn Children as Persons When It Comes to Prosecuting Violent Crime…] “I talk about my experience with my cases and…

Governor Janet Mills (D-Maine) is signaling her disapproval of the Trump Administration’s rocky relationship with Canada by using taxpayer funds to put up welcome signs in French for Canadians in the hope that the welcoming message will encourage them to vacation in Maine. [RELATED: Mills Admin Gave $1B+ Contract to Out-of-State Firm Now at Severe Bankruptcy Risk and NASDAQ Delisting, Prompting Lawsuit from Maine-based NGO…] “Maine and Canada share deep cultural, economic, and family ties. As uncertain federal policy and harsh words toward Canada test those ties, we want our Canadian friends to know that they are always welcome in…

The Portland Police Department arrested 20 pro-Palestine protesters on Wednesday afternoon after they allegedly refused to stop blocking a major road, despite multiple warnings that they would be arrested if they did not comply. [RELATED: ‘March Against Mills’ Draws Large Protest to Augusta…] The protest began at roughly 3:45 p.m. and encompassed Commercial Street and Pearl Street. Protesters chose the location because of the U.S. Customs House that lies at the intersection of the two streets. A group of protesters began blocking Commercial St. with traffic cones and sitting in the road. At 4:15 p.m., police warned the protesters that…

Bowdoin College is now facing a civil rights complaint from the Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed on Wednesday, after it allegedly discriminated on the basis of race and sex in 18 separate scholarships and programs. [RELATED: House Committee Demands Answers from Bowdoin College Over Antisemitism Concern…] “Bowdoin should know better than to run scholarships or programs that treat students differently based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Where were the administrators and staff whose jobs supposedly are devoted to preventing discrimination? Why was there no intervention to uphold the legally required equal access to education,” said EPP founder William…

The Maine House passed a bill on Tuesday that will allow providers of chemical abortion pills, such as mifepristone, to put the name of their medical facility, rather than their own name, on the labels of prescription bottles. The Senate passed the same bill on Wednesday. [RELATED: Rep Paul Proposes New Restrictions on Chemical Abortions, Scripts by Mail and Handling of Unused Pills and Fetal Remains…] “This is not a neutral administrative change, it is a deliberate move to shield prescribers from accountability and in doing so, in compromises patient safety, regulatory oversight, and public trust. Every other category of…

A new poll from the Congressional Leadership Fund, first released to Notus on Wednesday, gives former Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage a notable lead over incumbent Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) in the race for Maine now highly contested Second Congressional District (CD2) House seat. [RELATED: Rep. Golden Will Fight to Hold His 2nd District Seat Against Former Gov. LePage’s Challenge…] The poll found that Gov. LePage is leading Rep. Golden by five points among likely voters. Forty-eight percent of respondents said they would support the former governor, while just 43 percent said they would vote for the incumbent. The Republican…

Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport) presented a bill at a public hearing on Monday in the Judiciary Committee, which would define unborn children as persons in the criminal code for charging and adjudication in murder, manslaughter, and assault cases. [RELATED: Calling America a Democracy Undermines Our Republic and Erodes Individual Liberty: Reagan Paul…] “This bill closes a glaring gap in Maine’s criminal law by protecting unborn children at every stage of gestation, from conception to birth. By defining an unborn child as a ‘person’ under sections 201 to 203 and 207 to 208-F, it holds perpetrators accountable for harming both a…

A public hearing on two bills aimed at hindering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Maine drew dozens of in-person testimonies and hundreds of written testimonies on Thursday in the Judiciary Committee. [RELATED: Democrats Opposed to Immigration Enforcement Put Forward Bill to Stop Local Police from Aiding Feds…] The Judiciary Committee held a joint hearing for Rep. Deqa Dhalac’s (D-South Portland) LD 1971 and Rep. Ambureen Rana’s (D-Bangor) LD 1259. Both bills aim to severely limit the ability of local police departments to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement authorities. Though both bills aim at the same thing, Rep. Dhalac’s…

Mainers on social media are voicing their acute disapproval of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) in response to a Monday hiring ad posted on Facebook after a former game warden revealed the department’s left-wing agenda. [RELATED: Former Game Warden Calls Out the Political Agenda Taking Hold of Maine’s Fish & Wildlife Service…] “My son wants to be a game warden but I told him no one wants to work in that hostile environment the best applicant should get the job no mater there [sic] sex or race or how gay they are,” said one Facebook user, Travis…

A Topsham teacher at Mt. Ararat High School and Middle School is no longer a school employee after the Portland Police Department began an investigation into alleged misconduct at the start of the month. The school didn’t comment on the situation until Monday. [RELATED: Waterville Teacher Calls on the Secret Service to Assassinate Trump, Says She’d Do It Herself if She Could…] “To be very clear, as of today, this person no longer works for the district. They have not been charged with a crime, and we are told the police investigation is ongoing. After we were notified, the person…

Sen. Matt Harrington (R-York) presented a bill on Thursday that would prevent Maine from using financial institutions’ merchant category codes (MCCs) to track and potentially freeze purchases at firearm dealers. [RELATED: Maine’s Gun Grabbers Propose New Legislation to Crack-Down on Firearms, Including a Ban on Magazines That Hold Over 10 Rounds…] “If a firearm-specific MCC were to be put into place, any large purchase could be flagged as suspicious by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen); and transactions could be denied,” said Sen. Harrington during his testimony. “Lawful transactions made by law-abiding gun owners could be reported…

Former Maine Assistant Attorney General James M. Cameron, 62, was released from a Colorado prison on Friday, where he had spent the past 11 years following numerous child pornography charges and a cross-country escape attempt. [RELATED: Portland Homeless Man Arrested While Selling Stolen GPS Is Lifetime Sex Offender Who’s Free Thanks to Lax Sentence…] The Maine State Police began an investigation into Cameron, who primarily prosecuted drug-related cases, in 2007 while he was still a prosecutor. Cameron uploaded, received, and transported child pornography, sometimes trading his images with other pedophiles for child sexual abuse material in their possession, court records…

The Maine State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on Friday for a “common sense and natural order” bill from Rep. Elizabeth Caruso (R-Caratunk) that would codify into law the fundamental right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing, education, and care. [RELATED: Hearing Held on Three Republican-Led Bills Aimed at Protecting Students and Increasing Parental Rights…] “[The bill] seeks to establish that parents have the right and the responsibility to make decisions that are in the child’s best interest without undue interference from the government. It’s the parents, not governments or industries, who know and love their individual…

Rep. Josh Morris (R-Turner) appeared on the Ray Richardson radio show on Monday morning and sharply criticized former Democratic Senate President and newly announced gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson. [RELATED: Holy Smokes, Batman: Troy Jackson Is Running for Governor!…] Richardson and his guests discussed the 2026 gubernatorial election that is now beginning to intensify. As the number of declared candidates for the Blaine House grows, Jackson formalized the start of his anticipated campaign on Monday. “This guy admits that he didn’t read a freaking mortgage document, didn’t understand what he was signing, and he wants to be governor? You don’t think…

Two 18-year-olds have been arrested on arson charges, the Maine State Fire Marshal announced on Thursday, and are suspected of involvement with a string of seven arson incidents that took place between November and March. [RELATED: Homeless Man Charged with Arson for Fire that Caused $20,000 in Damage to Bangor Building…] Authorities arrested Jacob Kaiser, 18, of Biddeford on Tuesday for an alleged March 1 arson incident that destroyed a vacant single-family home at 14 Madeleine Point Road, Yarmouth. Kaiser was transported to the Cumberland County Jail and has since been released on bail. The Marshal also announced the March…

Portland Police officers arrested a homeless man on Thursday night after they received a report of a stabbing incident. [RELATED: Man Stabbed Multiple Times on Portland Street: Portland PD…] Officers received a call around 9:15pm, and arrived to find a 56-year-old man suffering from a knife slash wound to the base of his skull. Following a brief investigation, police identified the homeless 57-year-old Jay Larose as a likely suspect, and arrested him. Larose allegedly approached his victim from behind before slashing him in the back of his skull with a knife. The Portland Police Department did not release any details…

The South Portland Police Department arrested a potentially dangerous burglary suspect on Tuesday, following a case of mistaken identity that led to a SWAT team briefly detaining a high school student at gunpoint. [RELATED: Maine DEA Nabs Narcotics Trafficker Found with One Pound of Fentanyl, Plus Cocaine and Guns…] “As a parent myself I completely understand how this incident could be very upsetting for innocent young people caught in the middle of a police action. I’m grateful to school administrators for providing resources to anyone affected by this incident. I believe our officers acted reasonably and appropriately given the circumstances…

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took to social media on Thursday to announce a successful Mexican government raid against three “large-scale” synthetic drug labs in the nation’s Sinaloa region. [RELATED: Maine Border Patrol Arrests Hit Near Quarter Century High as Southern Crossings Remain at Historic Low…] https://twitter.com/ICEgov/status/1922673217941999964 The operation was conducted by Mexican government units that had been vetted by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fiscalía General de la República, Agencia de Investigación Criminal (FGR-AIC), the Mexican Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), and the Secretaría de Marina. ICE did not specify what drugs were being produced…

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) arrested Abdirahman A. Abdullahi, 26, of Portland, during a drug bust on Wednesday, seizing enough fentanyl to kill over 260,000 people along with significant amounts of cocaine base. [RELATED: Portland Police Nab Grant Street Shooter…] The MDEA Cumberland District Task Force and the Portland Police Department’s Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) stopped a Ford Escort on Portland’s Ocean Avenue. Law enforcement officials had been watching the driver, Abdullahi, as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking operation across the Greater Portland area. Officers arrested Abdullahi without incident and found him allegedly in possession of…

The Portland Police Department executed a sting operation on Thursday that led to the arrest of the homeless lifetime sex offender registrant, Jessie J. Gehrmann, 38, for allegedly trying to sell a stolen GPS system. [RELATED: Sex Offender Convicted on Child Porn Charges was Living Prohibitively Close to a South Portland School Without Law Enforcement’s Knowledge…] Police responded to Union Wharf on Tuesday after receiving a report of a GPS system having been stolen from a ship docked there. After an investigation, officers determined that the GPS had been stolen between May 9 and 13, and then they found an…

Seven Republicans in the Maine Senate voted with Democrats on Wednesday against a GOP-led bill that would have stopped the state from depositing non-citizens in municipalities without their consent, helping to kill the measure. [RELATED: Maine Republicans Push Bill to Curb State’s Migrant Resettlement Authority…] “This is about local control. Municipalities can better determine the heavy burden and impact of relocating noncitizens within their borders. Oakfield, Maine is drastically different Portland, Maine,” Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) said in the bill’s defense. “Population, taxes, housing, municipal services all vary from town to town. We should not have a one-size-its-all…

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) arrests in the Houlton border sector, encompassing all of Maine’s border with Canada, reached a 24-year high last month as a result of stricter enforcement activities across the state. [RELATED: Maine’s Chief Border Patrol Agent Retires as Houlton Sector Leadership Shakeup Continues…] “Here in Maine, Border Patrol Agents are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to keep our border secure. If you attempt to cross the border illegally, you will be apprehended. If you are present in the United States without a legal status, you will be detained and removed in accordance…

A sex offender convicted on child pornography charges has allegedly been living illegally within the 750-foot exclusion zone around South Portland’s Holy Cross School, apparently without the knowledge of the South Portland Police Department, despite his address being public information. [RELATED: Lifetime Maine Sex Offender Found Guilty Again of Unlawful Touching and Indecent Conduct, Out on Bail Pending Appeal…] Kent S. Moser, 61, was convicted in New York for possession of child pornography and has been living as a Tier I registered sex offender in South Portland. He is required to re-certify his registration every year for ten years. According…

Josh Polland, a former Maine game warden, sat for an interview with the Christian Civic League of Maine that was released on Monday, detailing the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s (DIFW) support for radical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices and his personal battle against false harassment allegations and biased brass. [RELATED: Maine Pushes State Sponsored LGBTQ “Outdoor Extravaganza”…] “When Governor [Janet] Mill’s [D-Maine] came in, she made it very clear, you can do the research, that she was going to make putting females in roles one of her goals, and you’ll see that with a lot of her…

A bill that would have allowed Mennonites to self-insure their vehicles so that they could comply with a religious prohibition on commercial insurance narrowly failed in the Maine House on Thursday, after one Democrat changed her vote at the last minute after initially voting in favor. [RELATED: Anti-ICE bills, Insurance for Mennonite Drivers and a Possible January 6th Showdown: Legislative Scouting Report for May 13…] “Mennonites are a group of people that believe very strongly that they are to take care of themselves and provide for their own. One of the tenets of their faith is that they do not…

A group Democrats, led by Rep. Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland), put forward a bill late in the current legislative session aimed at helping illegal immigrants remain in the country and stopping local law enforcement from assisting federal efforts to enforce immigration laws. If passed, it would hand-cuff Maine police from cooperating with federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which have stepped up their activities in Maine and nationally in recent months. [RELATED: Anti-ICE bills, Insurance for Mennonite Drivers and a Possible January 6th Showdown: Legislative Scouting Report for May 13…] The bill, LD 1971, is titled An Act…

The Worcester, Mass., Police Union is calling City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj “unfit to serve” and demanding an ethics investigation after she allegedly tried on Thursday to physically prevent local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from arresting an illegal immigrant accused of assaulting a pregnant woman. [RELATED: Newly-Declared Massachusetts Transgender Sanctuary City Rolls Out New DEI Training for Firefighters…] “This councillor participated in the conduct of the unruly crowd, and eventually assaulted both Worcester police and federal law enforcement officers on scene. Her behavior also emboldened others to act in this manner. The conduct of this anti-police activist…

A Portsmouth, New Hampshire assistant track coach was arrested last month in South Portland as part of a child prostitution sting operation after he allegedly tried to solicit sex from a 14-year-old girl. [RELATED: New Hampshire School Teacher Arrested in Sting Operation After Soliciting Sex from a 12-Year-Old While on the Job…] Joseph Auger, 27, allegedly brought $150 in cash to a Best Western hotel in South Portland, intending to use it to purchase sex from a 14-year-old girl. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents posted a fake advertisement on a website known for child sex trafficking, along with a…

An activist group in Dexter has secured enough signatures to force a recall vote for two conservative Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 46 school board members, which will be held during the town’s next local election on June 10. [RELATED: Another Maine School District Removes Pro-Trans Policy after Overwhelming Board Vote…] “Three people on this committee ran for the school board seats last fall and lost their bids. Now they are attempting to reverse the will of the people. They have with some success attacked my family, my church, my businesses and my husband’s credentials,” School Board Member Alisha Ames…

The Waterville teacher, who made international headlines late last month after publicly calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump and his supporters, issued a strange apology on Facebook. She blamed insomnia, rape, and domestic abuse for her outburst calling for violence before deleting the apology. [RELATED: Waterville Teacher Calls on the Secret Service to Assassinate Trump, Says She’d Do It Herself if She Could…] “I had a mental breakdown due to severe insomnia and the stress of trying to cope with trauma inflicted on me by a domestic abuser and rapist, but I have sought the help I needed…

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has selected Lewiston’s Maine Resiliency Center to receive an $8,526,240 grant to aid in their work for the victims of the October 25 Lewiston shooting. [RELATED: Maine Community Foundation Faces Scrutiny After Directing Nearly $2 million in Donations for Lewiston Shooting to Varied Local Nonprofits…] “The Lewiston shooting robbed the lives of 18 innocent people and shook the community and our entire state to its core. A year and half later, others injured are still recovering from that horrific day. As the community works to rebuild, the Maine…

Detectives from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people early Friday morning after they were allegedly caught tearing down overhead Consolidated Communications cables for the copper in the wires, which presumably they would have sold for scrap had they not been apprehended. [RELATED: Convicted Murderer who Fled Brazil to Illegally Enter and Hide in US Under Biden Admin Arrested by ICE…] The Sheriff’s office has been engaged in a weeks-long investigation into a string of cable thefts in the Midcoast area that Consolidated Communications estimates have amounted to $230,000 worth of lost profits and damages. Detectives arrived at Jefferson…

Maine’s Regional School Unit (RSU) 24 school board voted on Tuesday to join the Hodgdon School Board in defying Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) by revoking its transgender policies, including those allowing students to use bathrooms and other facilities based on gender identity rather than biological sex. [RELATED: Hodgdon School Board First to Defy Mills and Comply with Federal Law by Barring Males from Female Sports…] “In a 7-1 vote RSU 24 voted to rescind its previous transgender policy (pictured here) which also included recognizing the student’s identity even in defiance of the parent’s wishes. I applaud and support the Board’s…

Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orono) presented a bill before the Committee on Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday that would establish what appears to be discriminatory LGBTQ drug recovery housing that must be operated by LGBTQ-identifying recovering addicts. [RELATED: Maine Pushes State Sponsored LGBTQ “Outdoor Extravaganza”…] “The goal of this bill is to address the shortage of safe and affirmative recovery housing options for LGBTQIA Mainers.” said Rep. Osher, presenting her bill. Osher lamented that, out of the over 900 recovery residences across the state, only eight explicitly state that they serve LGBTQ people. Existing anti-discrimination laws require any of those…

The Maine District of the U.S. Marshals Service issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Kristofer G. Haken, 46, an allegedly dangerous biker gang member wanted federally as well as in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Haken, of Londonderry, New Hampshire, has a November 8, 2024, arrest warrant for two counts of elevated aggravated assault and one count of criminal conspiracy from the Portland Police Department. The initial incident leading to the arrest warrant took place on July 30, 2024, on Forest Ave. in Portland. During that incident, numerous suspected members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club were arrested in connection…

The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted unanimously last month in favor of a bill from Rep. Arthur Bell (D-Yarmouth) that would prohibit the sale of an array of new appliances that fail to comply with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules. [RELATED: Trump Ends War on Water Pressure with Executive Order to ‘Make American Showers Great Again’…] “At its heart this bill is about efficiency: efficient use of dollars spent on electricity, gas and water. This bill will save Maine ratepayers approximately $3 million annually in 2030, and up to $9 million annually in 2040. These are dollars…

Rep. Katrina Smith (R-Palermo) presented a bill on Monday on behalf of House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), addressing vague Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) language by requiring agencies to define what they mean by “equity.” [RELATED: AI Startup Reveals DEI-Related Language Embedded in Maine Education Laws…] “At its core, LD 1593 is about transparency, accountability, and public trust. It does not seek to interpret the social or political intentions behind equity initiatives. Instead, it seeks to ensure that when public institutions invoke the term ‘equity’ to justify actions such as adopting personnel policies, awarding contracts, or shaping…

An unidentified man was caught on camera allegedly keying a Tesla on Sunday outside a Portland Hearts of Pine soccer game, and the vehicle’s owner is offering a $500 reward to anyone who can identify the alleged vandal. [RELATED: Alleged ‘Queer’ Tesla Vandal Charged In Connection With GOP Firebombing…] “Last night at the @hearts_sc game, my car was keyed. It was parked in Deering Park near the tennis courts. Thanks to Sentry mode, Mike found footage of the individual keying the car. I’m unsure if this person attended the game, but I did find a couple of photos from the…

Sen. Anne Beebe-Center wants to limit celebrations and curtail Mainers’ fun with a bill to reduce the hours allowed for commercial fireworks usage and increase penalties for violations that came up for public comment during a public hearing on Monday. [RELATED: Lewiston Democrat Wants State Workers to Get Days Off for Muslim Holidays…] “I submitted this legislation on behalf of a constituent of mine, who had reached out because he was frustrated with the amount of fireworks that were constantly going off in my district over the summer. While I am one of countless people who enjoys a good fireworks…

Maine Attorney General (AG) Aaron Frey has joined a group of twenty attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. challenging his mass firing of over 10,000 HHS employees. [RELATED: Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Frey, Orders Trump Administration to End Freeze on Education Funding…] The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island and is led by Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha, New York AG Letitia James, and Washington AG Nick Brown. The case is set to be heard by District Judge Melissa R. DuBose,…

Once again, a Maine transgender-identifying male athlete seized victory over girls at a high school track meet on Friday, as Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) continues to resist President Donald Trump’s executive order barring males from girls’ sports. Meanwhile, the Maine Principals’ Association insists the state’s policy does not discriminate against girls and is consistent with Title IX, and recently offered a legal memo from a powerful law firm in the state that counsels school districts on how to forestall parental engagement in their policies in support of their position. [RELATED: Maine School Districts Must Allow Male Athletes in Girls’ Sports,…

The Maine Legislature’s Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife voted on Wednesday in favor of a bipartisan proposed constitutional amendment from Rep. Elizabeth Caruso (R-Caratunk) that would secure Mainers’ right to hunt and fish. [RELATED: Blue Hill Rep’s Bid to Restrict Coyote Hunting Season Fails in Committee, Regardless of Whether There Are Any Deer in Northern Maine…] “If your house is like mine, hunting and fishing is our way of life. It’s the meat that fills our freezer and feeds our family all yearlong. For many Maine communities, it’s also a pillar of our local hospitality and tourism economies,” said…

Have you ever been in the middle of a binge session of Real Housewives and heard your stomach grumble? If so, you might have thought what a drag it would be to waddle to the store to cash in your SNAP benefits on a jumbo bag of chips and some Yoo-hoo to wash them down, and you’re right. Well, worry no longer, help is on the way, and its name is UBER. Since Fall 2024, anyone receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, has been able to use the taxpayer-funded program to have groceries delivered…

A violent male criminal using the name Ashley Lynn Bushey, 54, is currently being housed in a women’s prison following a series of drug trafficking and assault arrests. [RELATED: Trans-Identifying Murderer Given Taxpayer-Funded Sex Change Drugs Alleges Mistreatment and Wants Sentence Reduction and Transfer to Women’s Prison…] According to the Maine Department of Corrections (DOC) records, Bushey has previously gone by the names Jason Robert Bushey and Dale Michael Norwood. Bushey, a six-foot-two man, is serving a minimum five-year sentence at the Maine Correctional Women’s Center in Windham following an April 25, 2024, arrest for burglary, elevated aggravated assault, criminal…

A group of Democrat legislators, headed by Rep. Mana Abdi (D-Lewiston), would take away Mainers’ say in their local school budgets, opening the door for schools to secure potentially massive spending and tax increases without taxpayer approval. [RELATED: Westbrook Voters Approve $51 Million School Budget with 13% Property Tax Hike by 138 Votes…] “The intention behind budget referenda was to ensure accountability, but in pratice they have become costly, low turnout exercises that do not reflect the will of the broader public,” said Rep. Abdi. Rep. Abdi put forward LD 1579, “An Act to Abolish School Budget Referenda,” with support…

Rep. John Edar (R-Waterboro) is working to ensure that Maine schools never repeat the dangerous precedent set during the COVID-19 pandemic again, with a bill to prohibit schools from adopting mask mandates. [RELATED: Maine AG Frey Sues HHS Secretary Kennedy Over Termination of $11 Billion in COVID-Era Federal Grants…] “While masks were implemented with good intentions to protect the health and safety of our students and staff It’s essential to recognize the negative effects they brought to our educational environments,” said Rep. Edar, presenting his bill. “One of the most significant challenges masks pose is their impact on communication and…

The Manchester, New Hampshire school district is working to conceal its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) related materials from the public eye after the district drew complaints from parents for giving students a handout on the “Wheel of Power and Privilege.” [RELATED: Waterville Teacher Calls on the Secret Service to Assassinate Trump, Says She’d Do It Herself if She Could…] Last week, the Manchester School District sparked outrage when eighth-grade students of the Henry J. McLaughlin Middle School returned home with a packet titled “Cultural Fluency 2.0: Microaggressions,” from their Language Arts class unit on the Holocaust. Despite being nominally…

An English teacher at Waterville Senior High School took a break on Tuesday from instructing students on grammar and syntax to publicly call for the Secret Service to assassinate President Donald Trump and his supporters. [RELATED: Transgender-Identifying Waterville City Councillor Resigns, Blaming Trump for Her Decline in Health…] “The Secret Service has the perfect opportunity, if they choose to step up and take it. You are the ones with power. Coordinate. Take out every single person who supports Trump’s illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts. Look at the sycophants and give them what they’re asking for. Every other country sees what’s happening…

Is the generous application of bail in pre-trial criminal cases, or early release when it comes to convicted and incarcerated criminals putting society at greater risk? Encountering what appears to be an uptick in arrests of individuals whose alleged crimes are compounded by the charge of “violating conditions of release,” The Maine Wire recently reviewed hundreds of cases in search of an answer. This review comes at a moment when policy-makers are seeking to expand early release and soften the sentencing guidelines in Maine state law. Maine legislators, particularly Democrats, have pushed over the current session for increasingly lenient criminal…

A bipartisan group of Maine representatives joined together on Thursday to kill a “Defend the Guard” bill from Rep. Benjamin Hymes (R-Waldo) that would have protected National Guardsmen from foreign combat deployments unless Congress formally declared war. [RELATED: Maine Legislature Debates Bipartisan Defend the Guard Bill to Prevent Casualties in Undeclared Wars…] “I think really the biggest challenge to defending the Guard in Maine is people not really understanding the way the Constitution is written, and when we’re supposed to go to war, and who’s supposed to have the authority to do that,” said Rep. Hymes speaking to The Maine…

The New Hampshire Free State Project (FSP) hosted its annual NH Liberty Forum this past weekend, featuring presentations from a variety of pro-liberty speakers, including a number of Mainers headlined by Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), who spoke on the importance of free speech and education freedom. [RELATED: Rep. Laurel Libby Files Emergency Appeal in Lawsuit Against Speaker of the House Over Censure Fallout…] “I think for most of us, free speech is just it’s like breathing, right? It’s something that just is there. It’s assumed, and so we hardly notice it, or at least I hardly noticed it until someone…

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda is moving forward with a new road map announced this week for phasing out synthetic, petroleum-based food dyes from the nation’s food supply. [RELATED: FDA Bans Cancer-Linked Food Dye Ahead Of RFK Jr’s Confirmation Hearing…] “If they want to eat petroleum, they ought to add it themselves at home, they shouldn’t be feeding it to the rest of us without out knowledge or consent,” said Sec. Kennedy during a Tuesday press conference. “We are going to get rid of the dyes, and…

President Donald Trump an executive order on Thursday to end “disparate-impact liability,” which essentially compels employers to consider race when hiring or risk legal penalties, and restore meritocracy to hiring in areas where the federal government has discretion. The goal of the action, his order reads, is to “guarantee equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.” [RELATED: Here’s How Democrats Want to Integrate More Race-Based Education into Public Schools…] A bedrock principle of the United States is that all citizens are treated equally under the law. This principle guarantees equality of opportunity, not equal outcomes. It promises that people are treated as individuals,…