Many veterans struggle with substance use disorders. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 3.9 million veterans have a substance use disorder or mental illness. Substance use disorders significantly increase suicidality among veterans ages 18 and older. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are common among veterans ages 18 to 49.
Alex Lear
A Maine native and Colby College graduate, Alex has been covering coastal communities since 2001. He lives in the Portland area with his wife Lauren, 4-year-old daughter Alaina, and 7-year-old bulldog Walter. He has released four CDs of original music and does occasional research work for Marvel Comics' collected editions.
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Posted inLetters, Opinion
Barbara Hersom: Stand up to landlords, stand up for Mainers
I am really concerned that there isn’t enough housing available. More and more people are being left homeless. The lists for housing are way too long, and people come to believe that it won’t ever be their turn to have affordable housing. One reason I am worried is that I have a friend who has […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Kim Bosse: ‘Aborting a viable baby is infanticide’
I testified against LD 1619 on May 1. I got to the Maine State House at 9 a.m. and did not testify until 11 p.m. Here is my testimony: “I am the grandmother of identical twin girls who were born alive and well at 28 weeks old, and they are still alive and well 11 […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Rich Lowry: New industrial policy, same as the old industrial policy
President Biden is spending a massive amount on infrastructure and green initiatives in an economy where green regulation has made it increasingly difficult to build anything, certainly not in a cost-effective or timely manner. What the new industrial policy gives with one hand, the old industrial policy — and its attendant red tape — takes away with the other.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Roxy Kai: Paid medical leave program would reduce stress on families
This legislative session, I hope Maine creates a strong paid family and medical leave program. I have multiple chronic health conditions. One, called diastasis recti, makes me prone to hernias. I currently have two unfixed hernias, and one that was fixed in April 2022. It would have been a game changer if my family had […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Craig Anderson: Lawmakers should back Maine Trails Bond
The Maine Legislature is considering a bill, LD 1156, that would — for the first time — put a Maine Trails Bond on the ballot to provide $30 million for the construction and maintenance of trails throughout Maine. We could really use this investment to boost outdoor recreation in the Lewiston area and fix up […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Renee Fortin: Mainers should speak out for the most innocent
Advocates for abortion call me anti-abortion. I am pro-life; here’s why. Before we are born, or conceived, we already have a God-given destiny, and all our days are written in a book. Isn’t it wonderful that we are known, even before being formed in our mother’s womb? Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, […]
