Officials eye a public forum to answer questions about Riverfront Performing Arts and Events at the Franco Center.
Steve Collins
Columnist
Steve Collins became an opinion columnist for the Maine Trust for Local News in April of 2025. A journalist since 1987, Steve has worked for daily newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Maine and served as the State House reporter for the Sun Journal since 2016. The Maine Press Association named him Maine's Journalist of the Year in 2022. Among his other awards are the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2016 Ethics in Journalism Award, the I.F. Stone Whistle-Blower Award in 2015 and the Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award from the New England Newspaper & Press Association. Steve is a founder and board president of Youth Journalism International, a charity that teaches students around the globe about news writing, media literacy and issues of the day. His wife, Jackie Majerus, serves as its executive director. Born in Massachusetts, he grew up in a military family that took him to Norway, Ohio and Virginia, where he earned a degree in history from the University of Virginia. He and Jackie live in Auburn. They have two adult children, two collies and not enough time.
Bid for a union at Bates College remains stalled in Washington
National Labor Relations Board has yet to rule on Bates’ contention that support staff and faculty should not be in the same union.
Turner seeks legislative help to detour state traffic signal plans
Local officials want the state to delay project for a new signal at the junction of Routes 4 and 117.
France weighs in on controversial name change of former Franco-American Heritage Center
Opponents hope support from the French consul general will sway the Riverfront Performing Arts board to restore the former name.
Lewiston property taxes would rise sharply under proposed city budget
Taxpayers would see their bills go up by 21% if the City Council goes along with the spending plan.
Paper mill in Jay is no longer making any paper
A town that relied on paper mills faces a future without them for the first time in more than 130 years.
Bates’ ‘overjoyed’ president-elect speaks at the college for first time
Garry Jenkins hails the magic and transformative power of a liberal arts education
Bill would require audits of private schools that receive public tuition
Legislators weigh whether to mandate annual audits of many Maine private schools whose finances are mostly secret.
Bill would hide home addresses of congressional candidates
Maine lawmakers consider measure to keep residential addresses off campaign paperwork for contenders for U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
New Bates president vows to work closely with community
LEWISTON — The man chosen to serve as the next president of Bates College said Wednesday it’s important to him to deepen the longstanding ties between the college and Lewiston and Auburn. “We thrive together, the college and L/A,” Garry Jenkins said. He said that strengthening the “deep and important” connections between the college and […]