RUMFORD — Wildfire season has arrived in Western Maine and fire officials are getting the word out. State forest rangers responded this week to wildfires in Porter and Newfield in southwest Maine, and in Deer Isle off the midcoast. On Thursday afternoon, rangers were sent to a wildfire in Gouldsboro in Hancock County. On Tuesday, the National Weather […]
Maine
Posted inMaine
Wilton’s Saviello says state should take over General Assistance
AUGUSTA — A Wilton Republican said Wednesday if the state wants its General Assistance program run with fairness and consistency, it should take over administration of the program, which currently is run by town and city officials. “I am tired of the argument about one town not doing this the right way,” state Sen. Tom […]
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Maine Senate votes to prohibit cellphone use while driving
AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would make it illegal to use a mobile phone while driving if it is not connected by a “hands-free” device. In a 24-10 bipartisan vote, senators rejected an effort to kill the measure and passed it in a procedural vote. The measure substantially beefs […]
Posted inMaine
Maine immigrants speak out against welfare reform bills
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee listened to more than four hours of testimony Wednesday on a half dozen bills sponsored by state Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, aimed at making major changes to the state’s welfare and General Assistance programs. Among other things, Brakey’s bills would make those who have […]
Posted inMaine
Bill could launch housing program for homeless vets
AUGUSTA – A Lewiston lawmaker is leading the charge to bring as many as 21 cabins for homeless veterans to the grounds of the Veterans Affairs Administration’s medical campus at Togus. State Rep. Jared Golden, D-Lewiston, is asking the Legislature to approve a $1 million appropriation to kick-start a Volunteers of America Cabin in the Woods […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Lewiston’s mayor supports change to tighten lead exposure laws in Maine
AUGUSTA — Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald said the poorest children in his city have enough obstacles to overcome in their lives and he hopes state lawmakers will work to make sure lead poisoning is no longer one of them. Testifying before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday, Macdonald said he supports a […]
Posted inMaine
Maine Senator wants four-year terms
AUGUSTA — State Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, wants to ask voters if Maine should increase the length of a state Senate term from two years to four. Volk told members of the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee earlier this month that two-year terms for state senators are too short and leave senators spending more […]
Posted inMaine
Bill seeks to tax PAC-to-PAC transfers in Maine
AUGUSTA — The top Republican in the state Senate is offering a bill that would charge political action committees in Maine a fee for transferring large amounts of money between one another. The bill, LD 1192, offered by state Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, is the latest in a list of about a dozen bills […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine farmers divided about raw milk sales restrictions
NEWCASTLE (AP) — Lee Straw has spent most of his 59 years on farms and is a firm believer in the health benefits of raw milk, but he believes a Maine bill that would allow farmers to sell unpasteurized product without a license is going too far. “Small producers say they know their customers, which […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine, sj-web
Maine dairy farmers divided on raw milk sales restrictions
NEWCASTLE — Lee Straw has spent most of his 59 years on farms and is a firm believer in the health benefits of raw milk, but he believes a Maine bill that would allow farmers to sell unpasteurized product without a license is going too far. “Small producers say they know their customers, which is […]