AUGUSTA — Maine employers would have new powers to test and discipline employees for drug or alcohol use on the job under a sweeping overhaul of workplace drug-testing law introduced Wednesday by Republican lawmakers and backed by the administration of Gov. Paul LePage. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, and an official from the […]
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Some Maine lawmakers push to delay legalization of marijuana sales
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine lawmakers on Tuesday started discussions about how long to delay retail marijuana sales while lawmakers continue to work on regulations needed to get the industry up and running. A ban on retail pot sales technically is in place until Thursday, but the state hasn’t set up a way for marijuana retailers […]
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Maine lawmakers advance bill to stop sex offenders from photographing youths, posting images
AUGUSTA — A bill sponsored by an Augusta state legislator that would make it illegal for registered sex offenders to photograph minors in public and post those images online has cleared its first hurdle. Rep. Matthew Pouliot, R-Augusta, said the bill received unanimous approval from the Legislative Council to move forward. Pouliot, who introduced the […]
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Paul LePage says long-delayed opioid antidote rules don’t need his OK
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage said Monday he is opposed to a new law that allows pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a prescription because it gives people as young as 18 access to the overdose antidote. LePage also told a New England Cable News reporter that rules for the new law developed by the Maine […]
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Maine bill would allow unloaded guns to be carried in cars on school grounds
AUGUSTA — For the second year in a row, and one day after a deadly shooting at a Kentucky high school, Maine lawmakers will consider a bill that would allow people picking up or dropping off students at schools to have unloaded guns in the car. A public hearing on the bill will be held […]
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Maine lawmakers to consider lowering minimum wage
AUGUSTA (AP) — A legislative panel will start considering a bill to soften the minimum wage hike approved by voters in 2016. Republicans and some business groups have pushed to reverse a law they argue will harm Maine’s economy in the long-term. Lawmakers last year agreed to remove the voter-approved minimum wage hike for tipped […]
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Coast Guard prepares for ice-breaking on Kennebec
Two ice-breaking tugs were on the Kennebec River on Tuesday ahead of a larger vessel later this week, a U.S. Coast Guard official said. The unusual midwinter effort comes more than a week after a sudden ice jam caused destructive flooding in low-lying areas in Augusta and Hallowell. Lt. Matthew Odom, chief of the Coast […]
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Augusta police: Reports of sex offender taking photos under review, but no laws broken
AUGUSTA — Reports of a registered sex offender taking photographs in multiple stores and other public places in Augusta has numerous parents expressing outrage on social media and placing hundreds of calls to authorities, but police said Wednesday they’ve investigated the complaints and found that no crime occurred. Augusta police Lt. Kevin Lully said that […]
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Flooding puts areas of Augusta, Hallowell under icy water
HALLOWELL — An unexpected ice jam overnight Saturday caused severe flooding that damaged several downtown Hallowell hot spots and destroyed nearly 20 vehicles on Wharf Street following a thaw that brought heavy rain, then a return to winter cold. The seesaw weather pattern created ice dams in the Kennebec River, flooding out low-lying areas along […]
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Belgrade 10-year-old nails cheese-to-bread ratio to win grilled cheese contest
AUGUSTA — A standard grilled cheese sandwich has two slices of bread and a slice or two of cheese. Simple, right? For Jade Eastman, Chase Daigle and Ethan Hobart, making a grilled cheese Wednesday was a lot different. The trio participated in the first-ever “get Real. get Maine.” cooking contest at the Agricultural Trades Show […]