Author: Ted Cohen

After TWA Flight 800 exploded in a fiery crash into the ocean outside of New York City, investigators zeroed in on a faulty fuel tank.But despite their suspicion, a former press secretary to President Kennedy tried to peddle his “friendly-fire” theory.Pierre Salinger, a Kennedy insider who later went to work for ABC News, claimed he had a secret document showing that the Navy had accidentally fired a missile at the wide-body aircraft 12 minutes after it took off from JFK Airport on July 17, 1996.Salinger said he had two suspect vehicles that might have carried and fired the warrant missile…

First Tiger Woods thought he could get out of a DUI arrest by telling the cops he had just gotten off the phone with the president of the United States. But now the owner of 15 majors – major “lies” that is – is taking it yet a step further, claiming Trump apologized to him for announcing that Woods would not be playing the Masters. Tiger claims Trump told him he was sorry for publicly stating the golfer would not play in the 2026 Masters tournament. Woods revealed the alleged apology to officers following his recent car crash, claiming Trump…

A Penobscot County woman was jailed after refusing to turn over custody of her two grandchildren whose sibling died three months ago.Michele Dupuis, 53, has been caring for two toddlers whose 1-year-old sister died from hypothermia in December while in custody of her mother’s ex-husband.Dupuis refused recently to let two state child-welfare agents take the surviving kids to see their mother’s ex.She told the state workers the kids had important doctors appointments and that was more important than a scheduled visit with their father.That’s according to Robert Kearns of Bangor who has been helping the family with their challenges.“This is…

The son of U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr. figured it would be funny to announce he was now running for senate instead of governor.But judging from Facebook reactions Maine voters aren’t laughing at Angus King III’s lame attempt at an April Fool’s prank.“Today, after careful reflection, conversations with family, and encouragement from supporters across Maine, I am announcing that I will be a candidate for the United States Senate in the upcoming election cycle,” King posted on his Facebook account.“Not funny,” commented one reader, Marie Barbieri of Brunswick.“And now can you drop out for real?” asked Seth Schuth. “Yeah you’re…

A leading consumer says the Pine Tree State has one of the highest tax burdens in the country.WalletHub compared property taxes, income taxes, sales and excise taxes, basing the state’s total tax burden on the percentage of the average resident’s income.Maine places fifth from the top in living expenses, according to Newsweek reporter Hugh Cameron.Hawaii topped the rankings, with residents paying 13.3 percent of their income to local and state governments. New York followed at 12.4 percent, with Vermont (11.1 percent), New Mexico (10.8 percent) and Maine (10 percent) rounding out the top five.Alaska has the lowest taxes of any…

The island Chellie Pingree farms “organically” has a growing problem – mounds of trash.The few trash attendants North Haven had walked off the job, leaving garbage management to volunteers.“Despite advertising widely through multiple forums, within our local community, and on neighboring islands, we have not yet received interest from any applicants,”  Rebekah Carmichael-Austin, North Haven’s town administrator, told the island newspaper.“As a result, the town has been working to temporarily cover operations while continuing recruitment efforts,” Carmichael-Austin added.So the call goes out to U.S. Rep. Chellie: Forget whatever you’re not doing in Washington, jump on your damn private Democrap plane,…

The bearded oyster running for U.S. Senate has been outed yet again for offensive, off-color cracks.Washington Free Beacon reports a newly discovered Reddit post quoting Graham Platner as describing himself as so “crudely atheist” that he derided Jesus Christ as a “zombie” and the Virgin Mary as “a skank ”In the post, Platner responded to a 2008 lawsuit that claimed a soldier was denied a promotion for not embracing “fundamentalist Christianity.” Platner asked, “What units is this shit in?” and stated that while “I’ve spent 8 years in the infantry … I’ve been about as crudely atheist as one can…

The editor of a Biddeford news outlet has run an open letter to the community disclosing his possessing multiple videos of street dealing.But Joshua Wolfe said he’s reluctant to publish the evidence because the photographers “fear retaliation, both physically and emotionally.”The videos, along with some still shots, show drug use along the street in front of a drop-in site called Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center.Wolfe, who runs the widely followed Biddeford Buzz, said his sources fear potential backlash “from individuals affiliated with or utilizing services” at the community center.“I find it really frustrating that individuals in the community are feeling…

A social-media guy with a sense of humor – or more aptly sense of honor – decided the ultimate way to win a brotherly fight was with a sword.Actually, a huge sword – 15 feet long.(Makes The Maine Wire’s Sword Of Truth tiny by comparison.)YouTube maniac “Handy Geng,” who specializes in constructing crazy machines, pulled out all the stops to win a friendly fight with his brother.Geng, who lives in a rural Chinese province, manufactured a giant sword, which he then attached to a front-end loader.Then he fired up the mechanical beast and started hacking some of his brother’s belongings.“Hey…

The wife of the leading Democrat U.S. Senate candidate from Maine has suddenly come out of hiding to pitch “universal healthcare” amid her out-of-country infertility treatments. Amy Gertner hadn’t been seen for three months until she and candidate Graham Platner apparently decided Wednesday they needed to put an end to her mysterious disappearance.The last time we heard from Gertner was when she was touting her husband’s “great sperm” in a January announcement of their traveling to the country of Norway for IVF treatments.When Graham needed her most, amid opponent Janet Mills recently blasting him for sexual insensitivity, Amy was nowhere…

Pill-popping pro golfer Crash Woods says he’s “seeking treatment” outside the U.S., leaving Vanessa Trump behind to mull whether she’s so done with him.“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in,” Tiger Woods droned in a statement posted on social media. “I am stepping away to seek treatment and focus on my health.”But no focus on, nor mention of, Vanessa, the woman he was planning to marry.Maybe she’s done.On the day Crash got arrested for DUI, Vanessa left him out of a social-media post, talking instead about her daughter.The tabloids are reporting that she gave…

If anyone thinks this competitive fishing thing is something to be messed with, perish that thought.As Maine’s serious bass anglers gear up for the start of the annual fishing tournaments they might heed a lesson well-learned.To wit, B.A.S.S. Nation, of which Maine is a proud member, just banned an Oklahoma fisherman for life after he ‘stalked’ another fisherman.BASS officials voted to disqualify an angler from all future fishing derbies following a violation of the Bassmaster Code of Conduct.“After a thorough review, B.A.S.S. determined that an attempt was made to track a fellow competitor’s movements in order to gain a competitive…

A Maine sandwich shop got an order so big it just had to be a prank.The caller told George’s Sandwich Shop in Biddeford he wanted “55 sandwiches to go,” immediately bringing to mind a gag once pulled by famous radio jock Don Imus.Imus called a McDonald’s while on the air, telling the fast-food clerk he needed “1,200 hamburgers to go.”When the poor McDonald’s staffer tried to explain “we don’t have enough meat or buns” for such a large order, Imus told him that he was “Sergeant Kirkland of the Army National Guard” and he needed the 1,200 hamburgers for a…

Bets are on that the Democrat congresswoman from southern Maine will be voting for the Republican Senate candidate come November.Yup, it’s Chellie Pingree’s big dream to succeed the GOP’s Susan Collins in the upper chamber after languishing for 18 years in the dreaded U.S. House.Collins told WCSH-TV earlier this week that if she wins re-election this will be her last term.But we’ve heard that one before, such as in 1996 when Collins pledged to serve only two terms when she first ran. Now here we are 30 years later and Collins is running for a sixth term.Angus King, now 82,…

A book about the difficulties of adolescence has just been voted one of the top books ever written.Stephen Chbosky wrote the highly popular “Perks of Being a Wallflower” in 1999 but it’s getting raves still today.Y Entertainment reports the novel won a top cite from the website Goodreads as among the “Best Books Ever.”The recognition “reflects its enduring significance and emotional impact,” said Y reporter Lila Parks.The book’s “honest and relatable portrayal of adolescence, identity and mental health helped it gain attention, attracting a devoted following that continues to grow,” Parks says.Chbosky also wrote a 2019 horror novel, “Imaginary Friend,”…

An Olympic competitor who was born with ‘both genders’ says he/she should be able to compete against women.Caster Semenya is vowing to fight gender testing for the female category at the Olympics, a policy the South African insists “undermines women’s rights.”The International Olympic Committee last week unveiled the policy that is expected to become a universal ⁠rule for female competitors after years of fragmented regulation that led to controversy.Semenya is described as someone with a ⁠”Difference of Sexual Development,” known as DSD.DSDs are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs.Though some people with DSDs are raised…

A federal judge Tuesday ordered President Trump to suspend construction of a $400 million ballroom it demolished the East Wing of the White House to make space for, barring work from proceeding without congressional approval.District Judge Richard Leon granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts Trump’s ballroom project.Leon, nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”“The president is the steward…

Underwater tunnels across the world that depend on rubber gaskets to keep out the ocean were not supposed to leak for 100 years.But a new engineering study says the gaskets are deteriorating much faster than thought due to the underwater pressure and salt-water exposure.Engineers analyzed the rubber gaskets that go between the pre-fabbed steel sections to see how they were faring.They used the 3.5-mile Yuliangzhou Tunnel in China as their example.The underwater tunnel is a six-lane highway spanning the floor of the Hanjiang River.Opened three years ago, it is central China’s first inland river immersed tunnel.The bad news is the…

Maine’s most colorful shore birds are making their trek back to land to do the yearly breeding thingy.“After months at sea, the orange-beaked birds are gathering along coastal cliffs in a short but sensational migration,” reports National Geographic.The Atlantic puffins spend most of their lives out on the ocean, but each April the urge to breed draws the black-and-white creatures back to land in huge numbers.The large coastal colonies breed, nest, and raise a single puffling while socializing and fishing to feed their young.While the puffin population frequents Maine, you can also find them on the coasts of Norway and…

A famous link to the Bush brand in Maine has come down on golf phenom Tiger Woods, calling the ill-fated driver “a loser.”Billy Bush, the nephew of one president, the cousin of a second, and the brother of a Maine gubernatorial candidate, pulled out all the stops Tuesday on his podcast.Bush does his podcast out of midcoast Maine where his family owns property on North Haven.He devoted his latest broadcast to lacing into Woods, who was arrested Friday on DUI charges.“He looks puffy and swollen,” Bush said. “Addiction is unsexy. And I understand it grabs people and it’s a disease…

Note: Subsequent to our publication of this story, the Daily Mail changed it’s story to note that although “Spyros Niarchos appeared in several files relating to Epstein, A representative for Spyros Niarchos has confirmed that he has never met or spoken with Jeffrey Epstein, and that any suggestion of an association or relationship is incorrect.” The Maine Wire’s initial story accurately cited and quoted the Daily Mail’s reporting at the time.A British tabloid has latched onto a Maine candidate’s achilles heel stemming from his allegedly playing fast and loose with the “Epstein files.”Seems Graham Platner has his own Epstein baggage even while…

Pity the plight of winning hundreds of millions in the coveted Powerball sweepstakes.The man who won the $167 million Powerball lottery is back in jail after allegedly burglarizing a Kentucky home, according to court documents.James Farthing was arrested Saturday on burglary and marijuana-possession charges.Farthing broke into the home where a victim said he stole $12,000 that she stored in her home, police said.This is the latest criminal investigation Farthing has been involved in since he won the jackpot last year.Farthing was arrested a year ago in Florida on charges of battery and resisting an officer. He pled guilty earlier this…

In full clown dress, including the telltale red noses, clowns in Bolivia aren’t laughing.In fact, they’re outraged at a new government directive keeping them from going into elementary schools.Dozens of clowns are marching through the streets of Bolivia’s capital protesting against a decree limiting extracurricular activities in schools.While government officials say the kids need more instruction time, the clowns say the ban is threatening their livelihoods.Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered Monday in front of the ministry of education in La Paz to oppose a decree published last month.The new mandate says schools must…

While snowmobiling in Millinocket, Greer Hermann hit a patch of ice, sending his sled into a turbulent roll, subsequently hitting a tree and violently ejecting him.A Baxter State Park ranger who just happened to be riding by called for assistance and rendered medical aid.It took searchers and emergency medical responders two hours to remove Herman from the woods before he was Life-Flighted to a Bangor hospital. Hermann, 22, a plumber and construction worker, remains hospitalized at Mass General in Boston with multiple critical injuries, his family said. They have started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his medical and…

The chief executive of Air Canada has resigned after backlash over a video he released primarily in English after a recent crash at LaGuardia Airport. Canada has two official languages, French and English, and the video was criticized as dismissive of French-speaking Canadians. “Companies have a requirement to communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said, lecturing the airline president. Now the irony – Carney made his statement to the broadcast media in English. Airline CEO Michael Rousseau, victim of French Karens because he can’t speak their language.“Hello. Bonjour. I’m Michael Rousseau, president and…

Amid great fanfare, the Portland Press Herald not long ago announced it was establishing what it was calling a “fact-checking” team to keep their competitors on their toes.But one would assume that a squad that was created to do nothing but make sure everyone else got the facts straight would at least do the same in-house.Big mistake on that assumption, no pun intended.Judging from the most recent faux pas they can’t even keep their own facts straight at the printing house run by the National Trust for Local Journalism. The fact squad trumpeted its pride this week pointing out that…

Central Maine Medical Center has announced it’s designing a new section to brighten up their kids’ hospital stays.The new “Pediatrics Joyful Space” at the Lewiston healthcare facility will open with a celebrity boost from New England Patriots 2X Superbowl Champ Rob Ninkovich.The grand opening celebration “kick-off” is slated for 3:30 p.m. April 2.“Made possible by a $85,000 grant from the Dunkin’ Joy In Childhood Foundation, the redesigned space features a Maine-inspired mural, interactive experiences, and custom Dunkin’ surprises in the pediatric waiting room,” a hospital spokeswoman said.“Dunkin’ Joyful Spaces”are aimed at transforming sections of hospitals, which can traditionally seem overwhelming…

Maine dog owners are being urged to take steps to protect their pets from a potentially deadly virus.The Midcoast Animal Emergency Clinic in Warren is seeing a significant increase in canine parvovirus cases throughout the midcoast and Augusta areas, according to WABI-TV.Clinic staff also said they have been told about possible contamination at Quarry Hill Dog Park in Portland. Parvi is one of the most serious viruses that dogs and puppies can get.The virus typically causes severe illness in young and unvaccinated dogs.Parvo is spread by contact with contaminated feces. The virus can also live on surfaces that have been…

A six-inch spider from Asia that can travel by air is expanding its “web” presence, penetrating deeper with the potential to invade the northeast.The golden arachnid, dubbed the Joro Spider hitched a ride on a shipping container, reports the Scientific American.“Millions of hand-size Joro spiders are moving up the east coast,” the magazine says. “Don’t panic.”Yeah right.“The spiders are indeed on the move,” reports Stephanie Pappas.They don’t readily bite and don’t kill humans.Oh OK now we feel better. Not!

The polls be damned, Republican Bobby Charles has decided who’s going to be the Democrat gubernatorial nominee in Maine.Charles, clearly leading the GOP field in recent polling, has fired off a challenge – not to Shenna, not to Hannah, not to Angus.But to Nirav Shah.Let the general-election race begin. Now, says Bobby Charles, who besides picking the Democrat winner has also selected himself as the GOP primary victor.“REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER BOBBY CHARLES CALLS ON NIRAV SHAH TO REJECT TIM WALZ, DEMAND MAINE DEMOCRATS CANCEL MAY 1 APPEARANCE”That’s Bobby’s chosen headline and typeface for a letter he’s shot off to Nirav, calling…

A mariner’s association representing boaters is girding for battle with the University of New England over the school’s so-called research pier.The scene of the standoff is the Saco River running between that city and Biddeford in Maine’s southernmost county.“Experienced mariners and commercial fisherman who for many years have legally held moorings on the Saco River, in the same spot where the university wants to build an obtrusive pier, have renewed their permits for another year,” the group announced Sunday.The permits are good for a year, arguably delaying the school’s pier plans for the next 12 months at least. The college…

The state’s largest paper is quite proud itself reprinting stories by New York media outlets about a murderer deciding to plead guilty.But even reprints require at least some semblance of curiosity as to their substance.To wit, the Portland Press Herald is “reporting” that Long Island architect Rex Heuermann, charged with killing Megan Waterman of Scarborough, Maine and six other “sex workers,” has decided to plead guilty. (That’s what the Portland Press Herald is calling them – “sex workers.” That moniker does a disservice to the memories of the seven women who were murdered. (“Sex workers” connotes them as legalized employees…

The numbers are on Tiger Woods’ side – 15 Professional Golf Association (PGA) majors and two Roll Over Association (ROA) majors.The fact that one guy has rolled two cars is as unlikely as one guy winning 15 major golf tournaments. The average person never rolls one car in a lifetime.Imagine the odds against one person rolling two cars in a lifetime.It’s about as unlikely – or more so – as getting struck by lightning.Think about this – have you ever rolled a car? Do you personally know anyone who has ever rolled a car?Have you ever rolled twice?Again, the odds…

“I mean, I have had some plants with a lot of tomatoes on them, but never in my life have I seen a single tomato plant with this much fruit on it. I was completely blown away.”The words are from James Prigioni, who makes popular gardening videos on YouTube.In one, Prigioni wanted to see if he could grow a tomato plant from the seeds of a tomato on a McDonald’s burger.He picked up a Deluxe Quarter Pounder with cheese, pulled out a tomato slice and put it in dirt.Prigioni has never had such good luck with planting tomatoes.“I expected this…

The King progeny running for Maine governor as a Democrat is apparently not all in with his party allowing boys in girls’ locker-rooms.During a debate this week, the son of the state’s junior U.S. senator declined to say whether he will vote with the liberals against the upcoming referendum.“King said athletic associations and schools are capable of handling that specific issue themselves, but that he, too, will stand up for Mainers whose rights are being threatened,” according to an account of the debate in the Portland Press Herald.The candidates were asked to stake a position on the ballot question asking…

When a Secret Service agent assigned to protect a former first lady  accidentally shot himself in the leg Friday there was a doctor in the house.But unfortunately it was a fake one who identifies as “Dr.” Jill Biden.The shooting occurred at Philadelphia International Airport, according to The Associated Press.Not to ascribe any untoward get-me-out-of-this-awful-assignment-at-any-cost motive or anything but agents assigned to first-lady details are considered the runt of the litter.The coveted assignment in the world of the Secret Service is guarding No. 1, aka the president of the United States.Agents shadowing wives of the No. 1’s are essentially the first…

The Skowhegan select-board chairman says town officials had no choice but to remain silent during an investigation of their town manager.Whitney Cunliffe says that amid the police probe of Nicholas Nadeau’s alleged sexual exploitation of a minor “it would not have been appropriate or responsible for me to comment publicly before law enforcement spoke publicly on it.”Nadeau, 32, shot and killed himself earlier this month during a police investigation of whether he had shared graphic, sexually-explicit material with a 14-year-old girl.During the investigation, selectmen didn’t notify the public of Nadeau’s alleged criminality.Cunliffe said police informed him March 19, the day…

Central Maine community officials are now trying to deny they failed to alert the public about an alleged pedophile running town hall.Six days after Town Manager Nicholas Nadeau shot and killed himself, Skowhegan selectboard members issued a canned, innocent-sounding bereavement statement.“This is a difficult moment for town government and the community,” the board said. “We extend our condolences to Mr. Nadeau’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those affected by his passing.”Yet a day after that attempt to cover up their knowledge that Nadeau was being investigated for child-sexual exploitation they trotted out their “interim manager” to deny what taxpayers now…

Inhabiting the moon and Mars sounded like a dream but now it might be a nightmare.A new study shows that male sperm and female eggs don’t make a sustainable reproductive match in weightlessness.Scientists took samples of the ingredients for fertilization from humans, pigs and mice (respectively) and tried to join them together in a weightless atmosphere to see if they would reproduce offspring.What they found is that gravity such as we experience on earth is necessary for the fertilization process to work.In what’s known as an atmosphere of microgravity the sperm and eggs just didn’t mesh properly.Development was either delayed…

Faced with an aging fleet of ice-eating monsters, the government is looking to build seven new vessels for the Gulf of Maine.The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking bids for the new boats, which will be used off the New England coast and in the Great Lakes.The specifications require the vessel’s to be able to eat through 12-inch thick ice while moving forward steadily at 3.5 miles per hour.The Coast Guard the new ice breakers will play a critical role in keeping shipping channels open, assisting vessels trapped in ice and reducing the risk of ice jams and flooding that can…

Two Maine colleges are taking home the bacon when it comes to making the national grade in their dining halls.A pair of new nationwide college-food surveys rank Bowdoin College in Brunswick as No. 2 and Bates College in Lewiston as No. 7 when it comes to good eats. The top accolades come from the Princeton Review, which rated Bowdoin’s excellence, and Niche.com, which cited Bates’. So there’s some friendly (but heated) competition going on when it comes to college eats. “When you hear about a school ranking highly on a national list, especially for something like food, it’s one of…

The Chili’s restaurant chain is making sure it doesn’t get confused with a competitor requiring “business casual.”Ruth’s Chris, a steak house mostly in the southern and western U.S., got some serious ribbing from the Chili’s suits over its new dress code.Ruthie went viral on X after a user posted about its dress code prohibiting sportswear and baseball hats, Dallas Morning News reports. The upscale restaurant’s website says “business casual – proper attire” is required and that patrons can not come in “gym wear, pool attire, tank tops, clothing with offensive graphics or language, revealing clothing or exposed undergarments.”Once Chili’s execs…

A California jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued YouTube over her childhood “addiction” to social media.Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old’s mental health, according to the BBC.The woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $3 million in a result that is likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through U.S. courts.Meta and Google said separately that they disagreed with the verdict and would both appeal.”Teen mental health is…

The USS Mason, the command-challenged warship built at Bath Iron Works, is putting its captain’s firing in the rear-view mirror.The guided-missile destroyer assigned to the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group left its Florida homeport in Florida to begin operations in support of an upcoming deployment, the Navy announced this week.The departure comes after months of training, maintenance and certification events as part of the strike group, Pentagon officials said.Mason is among the first destroyers to take on the responsibility of air and surface command, a role traditionally filled by cruisers.With the Navy’s aging cruiser fleet nearing retirement, destroyers are…

The Medal of Valor at the Portland Fire Department has extra significance at this time every year. The medal was created in memory of Joey Cavallaro, who was 26 years old when he died battling a blaze in Maine’s largest city.It happened March 25, 1980, at the Phoenix Nightclub.“FF Cavallaro joined the department in November 1977,” city firefighters announced on Facebook in a memorial to their fallen brother. “Assigned to Engine 1, FF Cavallaro died from burns and asphyxiation while fighting a 3-alarm fire at Box 3-53, the Phoenix Nightclub, at 83 Oak Street.”The department’s “Medal of Valor,” the department’s…

If you are having trouble finding carrots in local grocery stores, you are not alone.Several viewers from all over the state have reported to WMTW-TV seeing limited supplies of carrots, with some stores posting signs about the issue.The shortage is being felt across the country, due to heavy rain and cold weather in key growing regions, especially California.The weather has impacted the crops, reducing yield, delaying harvest, and affecting the quality of the crop. “The impact of weather conditions in several key growing regions has significantly affected the number of carrots available to retailers. This is an issue that’s impacting…

Nothing ever brought Kennebunkport, Maine more international attention than the presence of a presidential retreat.But with the money that all the Bush-loving tourists brought with them to buy trinkets, pay for hotel rooms and drop tip money into waitresses’ aprons came a just-discovered downside. Town officials are now admitting that a local law forbids tax money be used pay for hiring extra police to handle the traffic jams of the annual Christmas Prelude celebration.The annual Prelude tradition is organized and promoted by Kennebunkport businesses who benefit from its public attractions.But for 30 years selectmen have been charging property taxpayers to…

The breathtaking easternmost National Forest in the U.S. – spanning Maine and New Hampshire – is about to get a financial “shot in the arms.”A weapons company has announced it will be selling four exquisite commemorative rifles to benefit not only the White Mountain National Forest but the other 153 across the country.A share of The National Forest Foundation Edition Rifle Series proceeds will go to conservation projects across nearly 200 million acres of public lands nationwide.The four-rifle series by a weapons company called Henry Repeating Arms includes an exact replica of the commemorative firearm produced for display at U.S.…

The Skowhegan town manager who has died unexpectedly was under investigation for alleged sexual exploitation of a minor, a Bangor TV station reports.Nicholas Nadeau was hired less than a year ago after he served as Blue Hill’s town administrator.He previously served as interim town manager for his hometown of Fairfax, Vermont. Nadeau was also a former recreation director in Waterbury, Vermont. WABI-TV says state police had received a tip from a 14-year-old girl in Florida who reported inappropriate online communication with an adult male. The investigation was reportedly in the preliminary stages when Nadeau died by what the medical-examiner office…

The Biddeford Gazette mistakenly blasted its competitor Monday for allegedly claiming exclusivity in republishing a story from Maine’s largest paper.Randy Seaver, the Gazette’s editor, accused the Biddeford Buzz of stealing, and then claiming originality of, a throwaway column that first ran in the Portland Press Herald.Seaver, meanwhile, had taken the Buzz piece without confirming its ownership and reposted it on his website, bogusly labeling it as a Buzz “exclusive.” Yet he’s accusing Buzz founder Joshua Wolfe of a copyright violation?Seaver then apologized to his readers for mistakenly assuming that Wolfe claimed the piece was exclusively his, which was actually not…

A proposed sports arena got the heave-ho from Bangor councilors Monday after taxpayers said it’s too expensive.Besides the $75 million cost, skeptics told the council the project is essentially the same as one now being built by the YMCA downtown.City officials said at this point they would be looking at alternatives to building such a massive facility.The proposed athletic center would have replaced the aging parks-and-rec building on Main Street  as well as Sawyer Arena on 13th Street.Plans for the expensive taxpayer-supported sports complex came amid a $58 million Greater Bangor YMCA project already under construction.

The largest-ever mat of a thing called sargassum is headed west across the Atlantic toward Florida’s east-coast beaches.Sargassum is the term for giant patches of floating algae that originate in the Atlantic then head west on currents toward Florida and the Caribbean.Scientists say they are getting bigger every year – and now comes King of Sargassum, headed for Florida.The algae mat is estimated to weigh 12 million tons, the biggest one marine researchers have ever seen.Small sea creatures love to hide in it from predators when it’s floating in the ocean.OK, so far so good.But once it washes up on…

The wagering has begun among political junkies over who will succeed Donald Trump as the Republican national standard bearer.The latest polling shows U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has gained a staggering 40 points over Vice President JD Vance.Vance’s likelihood as the next GOP presidential choice is now under 40 percent, the lowest since gamers began rolling the dice on 2028.He has lost 20 points in the polls while Rubio has gained 20 – a shocking flip of fortunes.The vice president still leads Rubio in the GOP top-job sweepstakes, 37 percent to 27, but Rubio is continuing to narrow the…

It’s apparently news to Maine’s largest newspaper that police investigators often need secrecy to do their jobs.The Portland Press Herald with an assist from Cumberland County’s top prosecutor published a takeout reading like a Watergate journalistic exercise.“Portland police are using an encrypted app with disappearing messages for stakeouts, investigations,” read the newspaper’s breathless headline.Knock me over with a feather.Cops using a secret messaging app to keep you safe from harm.What should they do – publish their stakeouts?District Attorney Jackie Sartoris, arguably elected to prosecute criminals, joined the newspaper’s concern.“Cumberland County’s top prosecutor said the use of Signal raises questions about…

Since author Herman Melville in 1850 wrote about a fictional whale attack on a fishing vessel in his famous novel, everyone has wondered whether whales really attack ships.Finally the question is moot – they do.Scientists from University of St. Andrews in Scotland have aerial drone footage showing sperm whales using their heads as virtual ramrods.In Moby Dick, a whale head-butts a fishing boat in 1820 off the Galápagos Islands, destroying the 90-foot vessel.In an amazing juxtaposition of history, now a modern drone is confirming something that everyone wondered for centuries was reality or fiction.The answer is now verifying that Melville…

Looks like President Trump won’t be the July 4th invitee du jour at the Maine summer home of the country’s chief justice – 250th celebration of U.S. Independence or not.John Roberts, who besides being the nation’s top judge, owns not just one but two houses on Hupper Island in midcoast Maine, just east of Rockland.Roberts is also, apparently, Trump’s self-appointed conscience and babysitter, judging from the latest lecture he gave Trump for criticizing federal judges.Though not naming Trump by name, the St. George, Maine summer-island judge in a speech last week warned that personal criticism of federal judges is dangerous…

A petition has been initiated designed to prevent online giant Amazon from building a Gorham distribution center.The campaign has already amassed hundreds of signatures from across the state, not only in the town where the warehouse would be located.“Amazon is a bad deal for Gorham,” says the headline on the signature effort.The company is seeking town approval for a 158,000-square-foot facility on municipal property along Main Street.Amazon is slated to pay the town $4 million to buy the land.“Amazon’s proposal runs in direct conflict with Gorham’s Comprehensive Plan, which states that ‘our vision of Gorham is a neighborly community and…

A Brunswick woman who had been missing two months was found dead Saturday following an exhaustive search, authorities said.Rebecca Dorr, 56, disappeared in late January, the second time she recently walked away from her house.Brunswick Police, Maine Warden Service, Maine Search and Rescue Dogs and the Maine Association for Search and Rescue were looking for her. Dorr’s body was located Saturday morning in a wooded area near a network of trails, according to WMTW-TV.Mark Latti of Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said that the death is not considered to be suspicious.Dorr had first disappeared last year after walking away…

Two Maine mayors who made lame attempts running their leftist, troubled city for decades combined are suddenly claiming their time in office transformed it into a jewel in the state’s crown.A column by former Biddeford mayors Alan Casavant and Martin Grohman published  in the Portland Press Herald calls the impoverished mill city a “dynamic community” suddenly free of “urban decay and fractious politics.”Grohman, whose city’s crime rate is multiple-times worse than the state average, lost his mayoral reelection bid four months ago after succeeding Casavant.“My opponent is making backroom deals with city councilors to guarantee them coveted committee assignments, in…

A 9,600-ton Bath Iron Works’ destroyer with missile-defense and anti-submarine warfare is on a new mission.The USS Gonzalez, launched 20 years ago from Bath, has officially set sail from Naval Station Norfolk to strengthen naval operations in the Atlantic, the Navy reports.The vessel’s deployment from Virginia comes after months of intensive training, maintenance, and certification.The destroyer and its 300-member crew will operate as part of the U.S. 2nd Fleet. As tensions mount in the Middle East, the Gonzalez’s mission highlights that the U.S. is also focused on other international threats from potential foes like Russia, reports InterestingEngineering.com.The deployment is designed…

Cummings Baldwin ran for governor on his record – literally.In 1986, the 32-year-old Auburn resident said he believed his own life on the streets and three prison terms had given him a unique perspective on Maine – a view that would allow him to try to improve conditions in the Pine Tree State.”Another candidate hasn’t got enough street education to know what’s going on,” Baldwin said in a newspaper interview 40 years ago.”How can he have an education on that? Read it out of a book? You can’t read it out of a book.”Baldwin served a two-year term for burglary,…

When bucks are scraping trees with their antlers during mating season, they may be leaving a UV light message for their potential love interests, a new study shows.A wildlife researcher suspecting the scrapings may be a clue into male rutting confirmed his suspicion using a spectrometer, an instrument that measures the amount and wavelength of light that a surface emits, to examine deer scrapings on trees.Daniel DeRose-Broeckert found that the markings produce a significant glow under UV light, according to Wildlife.org. He knew that white-tailed deer are sensitive to shorter wavelength light – the kind of light responsible for blues,…

A widely-followed international foodie website is glowing over a Maine gas station’s high-octane pizza.Good pizza at a gas station?Not only good but great, according to Mashed.com.A radio guy named “Kid” at i95Rocks.com reports that Mashed singled out J Brothers Variety in Cumberland and Arundel as the go-to gas station for pizza.“The website Mashed is the ultimate destination for food lovers,” according to Kid.“When you think of getting pizza from the same place that you get gas, it probably doesn’t compute,” says the Kid. “No one ever thinks to eat pizza from a gas station or convenience store.”So when Mashed chose…

Amid the growing George Mitchell/Epstein files scandal, two more Maine organizations are reviewing plans to rename projects currently bearing the former senator’s name.√ University of Maine is forming a committee to explore renaming The Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and the UMaine Mitchell Peace Scholarship.√ Maine transportation officials are considering naming a new Islesboro ferry for someone other than Mitchell, who was their original choice.The possible rebrandings are the latest in a string of attempts by both Maine and international institutions to distance themselves from Mitchell’s connections to the so-called Epstein files.Though Mitchell has repeatedly denied he had any contact…

The U.S. Men’s Hockey Team player who had complained that NHL officials stole the “golden puck” from him is suddenly skating backwards.Golden boy Jack Hughes says he now can see the wisdom in his winning puck staying in a glass display case at the NHL Hall of Fame museum.“It’s an honor the puck is there,” he told reporters Thursday. “It’s like the most special place in hockey. I’m honored that it’s there.”Only a day before, Hughes said the fact that the NHL had taken his winning puck was “bullshit***.”He had said he wanted to give his father the priceless puck…

A taxpayer-financed $75 million rec center and ice arena is being proposed by Bangor city officials.The controversial city project will hinge on a council vote whether the city needs two similar sports arenas – one of which is run by a non-profit entity, the YMCA.Bangor planners say their project would require an annual tax increase estimated at $300 on a $250,000 home.The city rec center and ice rink is slated for a 40-acre Griffin Road lot across from Husson University.The new athletic center would replace two city facilities – the aging parks-and-rec building on Main Street  as well as Sawyer…

A “rogue” staff member at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services changed the automated phone greeting on one of the agency’s numbers to imitate a pizza shop message after an influx of protest callers flooded its lines.White Coat Waste Project, a MAGA-friendly group advocating against tax dollars being used for animal testing, recently rallied its supporters to call DHHS and demand it “cut funding for cat testing” at a National Institutes of Health-funded lab at the University of Missouri, according to Mediaite.The social-media post encouraging the phone campaign specifically named DHHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and included…

United States Postal Service officials say things have gotten so bad it may be out of business by the end of the year. Unless someone comes up with a better funding mechanism or the service becomes a private company, mail delivery will soon be a thing of the past, they said. In a nutshell, the post office has become a victim of the internet – no one is writing letters anymore. And that means of course that no one is buying stamps.Email and Facebook messaging, both of which cost users not a penny, have become the go-to method for communicating…

The Maine Trust for Local News needs to be schooled on the meaning of “conflict of interest.”A new restaurant review in the state’s largest daily newspaper listed Miss Portland Diner among the 32 best eateries in Maine’s largest city. The diner is owned by – drum roll – Stefanie Manning, who when she’s not flipping eggs is the trust’s top executive.The food experts picking the paper’s 32 best food joints include restaurant owners, chefs and “food publicists.”The owners of Fore Street and Leeward are among the “experts.” What a shock that Fore Street and Leeward made the cut.But when the…

A behemoth great white shark last heard from off the North Atlantic coast is now lurking off the Florida shore.Named Goodall, the female great white measures just over 13 feet and weighs nearly 1,400 pounds.Goodall, whose radio transmitter last pinged just north of Portland, Maine 6 months ago, was spotted pinging about nine miles off Florida on St. Patrick’s Day, marine scientists report.The huge great white named for wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall was first tagged on September 30 before being released off Nova Scotia. The razor-toothed giant now joins its shark pack, as the species usually heads south along the…

Laurie Grant has one message for curious members of the public trying to figure out what the cops are doing crawling all over her home. “Stay off the property,” she told WGME-TV’s Sam DeCoste when he asked her what her message to the public is. Grant’s property has apparently been inundated with curious gossips wondering why police for the past two weeks have been poring over her Main Street property.To his credit, DeCoste got an exclusive interview with the woman who lives there with her son, daughter and boyfriend.The small landlocked town of Waterboro, located in the heart of York…

A third contender – claiming a mantle of bureaucratic reform – has emerged in what until now has been a two-way primary contest aimed at dethroning Maine’s five-term GOP senator.David Costello, a Democrat living in Brunswick who submitted the qualifying nominated petitions this week, likely can’t beat Janet Mills or Graham Platner.But the one thing he can do is spoil the race that so far has been all about them.The polls seem to give Platner a comfortable lead against Mills in the race for the GOP seat held by Susan Collins.But the unpredictable in the equation is what could make…

The wife of Democrat U.S. Senate contender Graham Platner – potentially his best defender against a new anti-women campaign assault – has mysteriously disappeared when Platner needs her most.The question is “Where In The World Is Amy Gertner?” Last we heard from Gertner was two long months ago when she announced a fertility journey that would take her and Graham to the country of Norway for IVF treatments. The trip’s announcement from Gertner and her Senate-hopeful husband came amid a campaign ad in which she famously touted his “great sperm.”But since then we’ve heard nothing from her. https://twitter.com/JanetMillsforME/status/2033861065289732184?s=20 Gertner was…

The state’s No. 3 standing nationwide as a top maple syrup producer apparently isn’t good enough for one of the nation’s largest discount outlets. Costco as it turns out isn’t even buying its popular pure organic syrup domestically but from … Canada.Mashed.com did an investigation of “the five best Costco products that fly under the radar.”It found that Costco’s maple syrup is among the five.Then, realizing how popular the chain’s syrup is, Mashed investigators began trying to figure out where Costco gets it from.Two Canadian companies – Citadelle and Lantic Maple – are the culprits that allow our northern neighbor…

How in the world could you leave out Bette Davis?That’s the burning question for the denizens of editors at the state’s largest newspaper. The Portland Press Herald in honor of Women’s History Month ran a stand-alone feature on “five women who made Cape Elizabeth history.”Not one of the five names would mean a thing to any of the readers. Not one.But the one name that would have, nowhere to be found in the story?Actress Bette Davis.Davis lived for years in the Cape with her husband, actor Gary Merrill, and their children.And it’s not like the Press Herald was unaware of…

The Pine Tree State’s most famous lifestyle icon says she may be about the only one who can afford a lobster roll this summer.“Lobster rolls are going to be more hideously expensive, like $60 each,” Martha warned. “This winter was cruel to the lobster production, and I just read that lobster rolls are going to be about $50 or $60.”Stewart, who owns a home in Downeast Maine, just opened her first New England restaurant, in Connecticut.“So I don’t think we’re going to be having (lobster rolls) at The Bedford,” the hospitality icon told MassLive.com, drawing a laugh.Haha.Marrha spoke to the…

The Portland Press Herald apparently feels it isn’t burning through enough cash trying its darndest not to break any stories.So it’s come up with a new scam called “Google News Initiative.”Google says it will be writing a $35,000 check to the Maine Trust for Local News for “innovative journalism.”Fret not, innovative news doesn’t entail actually covering the news. God forbid.It entails simply talking about covering the news.“The Google News Initiative works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources, and build a diverse and innovative news ecosystem.”Three reporters are going to split the cash embarking on projects they think…

A top Amazon official is lauding the company’s massive proposed warehouse, pointing out its economic benefits.But some Gorham residents are protesting the 146,000-square-foot distribution center as an alleged threat to their village’s quality of life.The facility is slated for a 94-acre town-owned Main Street plot zoned for industry it’s buying for $4 million.“Beyond improving delivery service for Gorham-area families and businesses, this facility would bring new jobs and contribute to the community’s economic growth,” Amazon spokesperson Amber Plunkett told WMTW-TV. “We look forward to partnering with the town and residents to continue the conversation about the positive impact this facility…

Democrat Graham Platner mistakenly thought he made points Tuesday countering Janet Mills’ attack ad.The otherwise-usually-charming U.S. Senate hopeful looked absolutely impotent, even forlorn, at his own news conference. And where was his wife when he needed her most? Apparently among the missing…Platner apparently thought the way to reply to a recent Graham-is-pro-rape fusillade from his primary opponent was to get a bunch of gals standing behind a lectern talking about what a great friend to women he is. But he failed to include his wife in the lineup. Platner looked uncharacteristically nervous, and downright scared, lurking on the sidelines as…

The Democrat U.S. Senate candidate from Maine known for offensive tattoos and great sperm now has a new claim to fame.His overalls.The New York Times says Graham Platner is now a fashion plate.The paper did a feature on the new thing in men’s fashion – overalls – and named celebs who are making a statement, including Rob Rausch, who frequently wore denim overalls during his recent appearance on the reality competition show “The Traitors.”“Others recently seen in overalls include Graham Platner, the oyster farmer running as a Democrat for Senate in Maine,” The Times says. “His campaign has released a…

The player who won historic gold last month for USA Men’s Hockey with a stunning overtime goal wants the puck.But NHL HOF officials say it’s theirs to protect and preserve.NJ Devils player Jack Hughes beat Team Canada with a shot at 1:41 of overtime to give the U.S. men their first Olympic gold since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980.The Hockey Hall of Fame began displaying both Hughes’ overtime “golden goal” puck and that of Megan Keller, whose overtime goal delivered Olympic gold to the U.S. women’s hockey team in Milan.”I don’t see why Megan Keller or I shouldn’t have…

Maine native Patrick Dempsey says his latest acting role is a secret way to publicize a cancer center in his home state.Dempsey, who became an acting legend on Grey’s Anatomy, is now starring as a contracted killer battling early onset Alzheimer’s in a Fox psychological thriller.But Dempsey said fans still associate him with his long run on Grey’s, even with his new role in another series.“It gives me a platform to help talk about the Dempsey Center and the work that is being done there,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.“Grey’s Anatomy was “a blessing because it gives me visibility and…

A planned Maine data center could be canceled due to legislation that would ban such projects in the state, developers say.The facility is set to be built at the site of a former paper mill belonging to International Paper in Jay, a town in Franklin County.Developer JGT2 Redevelopment has reportedly reached a deal with Sentinel Data Centers to occupy 1 million square feet, according to DataCenterDynamics.com.However, the project may now be under threat due to the proposed bill, sponsored by state Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Feeeport.The bill includes a two-year to development moratorium while the impacts of large data centers are…

Of the 85,000 registered snowmobilers in Maine, how many have ended up?Ended up – stranded on an ice floe.If you can think of your worst day on a sled, consider the plight – or flight – of your brethren in Mackinac, Michigan.Seems a snowmobile operator got stranded on ice near Mackinac Island. An aerial rescue was first attempted but blizzard conditions prevented local or Coast Guard helicopter teams from taking flight.The resourceful Coast Guard then went to Plan B.Guardsmen cautiously maneuvered a vessel to the edge of the ice, deploying a rescue team.The snowmobiler was experiencing mild hypothermia at the…

A fitness center has announced it’s vacating the Maine Mall, becoming the shopping mecca’s fourth loss in three months.The Orangetheory Fitness location at the South Portland mall is planning to close permanently on April 10, reports WCYY.com.The Maine Mall Orangetheory is inviting all current members to continue their fitness at the Westbrook location, part of the Rock Row development.Orangetheory Fitness initially opened at the Maine Mall more than seven years ago in what was once the Old Country Buffet space.Leggings Home departed the Maine Mall at the beginning of the year. Francesca’s and Eddie Bauer announced their store closures due…

The name Frank Lloyd Wright evokes structural design at its best in the world of architecture.But you homeowners will be gratified to know Wright was no more an expert than you when it came to making his houses leak-proof.The best example of the famous architect’s success and failure both is  “Fallingwater,” a house in the Pennsylvania woods built over a  waterfall. The dramatic house attracts nearly 140,000 visitors each year despite its remote location. Wright built the eye-catching structure in 1939 and architecture buffs are so enamored of it they’ve been trying to preserve it from, well, falling into the…

The age-old species known as horseshoe crabs is declaring a win over the drug companies.Two major pharmaceutical giants – Amgen Inc. and Abbott Laboratories – have announced they will no longer take blood from the crabs for research.Instead, they will shift toward using synthetic blood.It’s a big win not only for crabs but for shore birds along the Maine coast whose diet includes the chelicerates’ eggs.“Conservationists” have been complaining that taking the blood from crabs is a cruel and unusual punishment, and for what exactly?They argue that once a crab’s blood is taken and the creature is tossed back into…

The Maine Trust For Local News, which this week ran not only one but two stories on maple sugaring, has now published a piece about its hard-hitting journalism.The paper says it won “several New England Newspaper & Press Association awards in the reporting, photojournalism, advertising and special section categories.”The prizes were part of the 2025 New England Better Newspaper Competition announced at the group’s annual convention.There’s a reason they call it the “better newspaper competition’ – because winners need to get a whole lot better.That was the same convention at which the keynote speaker talked about what a dying industry…

Jane Fonda, known as much for hopping on an enemy tank during the Vietnam War than any movie she’s made, is aiming her guns now at Barbra Streisand.Anti-war activist Fonda is sulking that Streisand hogged all her time eulogizing Robert Redford at Sunday’s Oscars.“I wanna know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford?” Jane quipped to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. “She only made one movie with him, I made four. I have more to say.”Streisand’s eulogy for Redford, who died in September at 89, is being panned by others…

The braintrust in Maine’s welfare capital just paid a consultant big money to ask taxpayers how unhappy they are.Portland officials with full cynicism on display paid $40,000 for the poll of city residents.The results: Half of the property owners aren’t happy with city spending. Maybe they wish the city were spending more? (LOL)Seventy-five percent said housing is too expensive. News flash. “I’m so glad we made the funds available to complete this work as this data will go far in helping us direct our policy work,” Mayor Mark Dion told the Portland Press Herald with a straight face.Too bad the…

The state’s junior U.S. senator is clutching his fake pearls blasting President Trump for a “damn lie” whitewashing of slavery by removing historic signs from national parks.But when Angus King decided to literally whitewash his own political record eight years ago by clandestinely going after Twitter accounts critical of his own history, all was above board.Like, seriously, when King took to the Senate floor recently emotively blasting Trump for removing park signs about slavery, he had to be kidding.But actually it was just another show from the Virginia transplant whose Maine political career was built on a taxpayer-financed TV show…

When Steve Collins first got hired by the Maine newspaper that publishes paid content from the state’s Democrat governor, he came out of the closet.Collins, upon his appointment as political columnist, announced he was a Democrat.“Since I’ll be writing a fair amount about state and local politics in this new role, I should tell you up front that I’ve been a Democrat since day one,” Collins proudly boasted a year ago.Not that it was a surprise by any means.“No party commands my loyalty,” he promised readers – or however many subscribers the Maine Trust for Local News still claims.Yet all…

It’s “old home days” for an Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer – the newest in the Navy – built in Bath, Maine. The USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124) floated March 13 into Boston Harbor for a scheduled port visit. During the layover, sailors assigned to the ship participate in community-engagement events and host public tours. “Our arrival in Boston is a meaningful milestone as our crew prepares to commission the Navy’s newest destroyer and bring this warship to life,” said Cmdr. Ben Cantu, commanding officer. Next month in Norfolk, Virginia, the U.S. Navy will commission the Barnum, the first vessel…

The legacy media is sworn to fear – else they would be asking New England Patriots officials about a star wide-receiver’s criminal charges.The Pats released wide receiver Stefon Diggs earlier this month, making him a free agent.But not because he’s charged with attacking a woman.The move was supposedly financially motivated, saving the team roughly $16 million in salary-cap space.But for some strange reason the Pats suits won’t talk about why finances – not an alleged felonious strangulation charge against Diggs – are at the root of his dismissal.They’re even not ruling out returning him to the team.Diggs has pleaded not…

Things are really going downhill when the state’s largest paper uses the whole front page to write about one of its own employees.The Maine Sunday Smellogram dedicated the entire cover of its Maine/New England section Sunday to a man who claims he’s visited every town in Maine – yet another thumbsucker feature.Since there were no other stories on the cover of the Maine/New England section, the Maine Trust For Local News is telling its dwindling readers this is the most important event or issue in Maine and New England. But wait, it gets better.The news staff didn’t independently verify how…

Funny how the very newspapers that are failing are the same ones that don’t cover news.The annual convention of the New England Newspaper & Press Association featured a speaker who said that “for the first time in American history, trust in journalism is now lower than Congress, which until recently held the lowest level of trust among the people.”That gem of recycled wisdom came from Rufus Friday, executive director of the Center For Integrity In News Reporting. For using that tired old boring line comparing failed institutions to Congress ought to be grounds for arrest.“Integrity In News Reporting”Apparently if you’re…

A midcoast Maine House seat is looking to go red after eight years trending blue, with no announced liberals so far in the race this year. Ray Thombs of Union announced he’s seeking the GOP nomination for House District 44, which represents Warren, Hope and Union. Thombs becomes the second announced Republican, the other being Brady Clark of Hope.”Many families and small businesses are feeling squeezed by rising costs and increasing regulations,” Thombs said. “We need leadership focused on restoring the conditions that help Maine thrive.”Thombs grew up in rural Maine and said his upbringing shaped the values that guide…

Registered nurses at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor say they’re walking off the job March 23.The strike notice to hospital administrators is the nursing union’s first since 2015.The RNs say they are protesting management’s alleged refusal to address their “concerns about safe staffing and nurse retention.”The nurses, whose contract expired in September, have been bargaining for a new contract since July.Nurses say that unresolved bargaining issues include safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, protecting nurses’ health insurance benefits from potentially exorbitant increases and ensuring all nurses receive same benefits.EMMC President Ava Collins said the Bangor facility provided the union…

Having run the state’s successful medical-marijuana campaign, Jonathan Leavitt has found a new calling – theater.Leavitt has now written, and will be directing, a show called “An Evening at Dave’s Sauna,” based on “a legendary Maine hotspot,” leather thongs, straps and jock-style harnesses included!The play, which has experimented at small venues, is slated to debut in full production this May at Stevens Square Theater in Portland. The show is based on some of the sauna’s regular customers, such as “Dave and Nancy – once had sex in a Walmart parking lot,” and “Masshole who once drove from Saugus, Massachusetts all…

The annual Maine Fungi Fest suddenly ain’t so annual.To wit, the Mainers who like shrooms have yet to find a facility willing to host their yearly get together this spring.Jonathan Leavitt, who has previously organized the fungi fest, decided after last year’s convention he would focus on other professional pursuits.First held in 2022, Maine Fungi Fest is an annual event celebrating “All Things Fungi, Plant Based Healing, and Evolving Consciousness.” As a sponsored project of Creative Oxford Hills, the festival convenes mycologists, foragers, chefs, and artists to learn and network.The event for the past four years has been hosted at…