AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage says a new team has been assembled to improve the state’s business climate and help Maine businesses survive and grow. The governor’s newly formed team of account executives is now up and running in the Department of Economic and Community Development. Commissioner George Gervais says the team of […]
economy
Occupy Augusta group told to get permit or get out
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Occupy Augusta protesters have been told to get a permit or move their tents out of the state-owned Capitol Park. Capitol Police have allowed the protesters to stay in the park near the State House since Oct. 15 out of respect for their rights. But Capitol Police Chief Russ Gauvin has […]
LePage touts needs of Maine businesses
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the key to economic prosperity is to allow private businesses a chance to succeed. In his weekly radio address Saturday, LePage says he has heard from hundreds of business leaders at job creation workshops held this fall. LePage says business leaders are telling him the state […]
Mill’s reopening stokes Maine towns’ hopes
EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) — Clouds that shrouded mighty Mount Katahdin on a still November morning gradually lifted above its mile-high summit as the day wore on, just as a pale of gloom is giving way to a glow of optimism in two northern Maine towns below. Paper-making, for generations the lifeblood and soul of […]
Road clear for heavy trucks on Maine, Vt. highways
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The president has signed into law a bill that includes a provision allowing trucks weighing between 80,000 and 100,000 pounds to use all interstate highways in Maine and Vermont. The U.S. Senate and House approved the measure earlier Thursday, sending it to the president’s desk for signing. The provision is good […]
Bisson shuts down long-haul trucking, service operation in Auburn
AUBURN — Bisson Transportation is shutting down its Auburn-based long-haul trucking operation and heavy-duty truck center, laying off 38 truck drivers and 23 other workers, including mechanics and office workers. Several workers lost their jobs this week. Others will be let go over the next two weeks. Bisson President Bob Cooper said the company could […]
Lower birth rates for young women tied to economy
ATLANTA (AP) — Birth rates for the nation’s youngest mothers hit new lows last year — further evidence that few forms of birth control are as effective as the economy. The national birth rate dropped for the third straight year, with declines for most ages and all races, according to a federal report released Thursday. […]
LePage team networks with business owners in Bethel
BETHEL — Members of Gov. Paul LePage’s administration networked with local business owners and community members during a breakfast Wednesday. The Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the event at the Bethel Inn Resort. Guests John Butera, LePage’s senior economic policy adviser, and George Gervais, commissioner of Department of Economic and Community Development, spoke to […]
Occupy groups rally in Maine
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — More than 100 people have turned for an Occupy Bangor rally at a downtown park. The Bangor Daily News says Saturday’s event featured speeches from union officials, members of the Peace and Justice Center of Downeast Maine and others who spoke about how they’ve been affected by the struggling economy and […]
Obama announces help for student loan borrowers
Speaking at the University of Colorado Denver, Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, together owed more than $120,000 in law school debt that took nearly a decade to pay off. He said that sometimes he’d have to make monthly payments to multiple lenders, and the debt meant they were not only paying for […]