Latest Maine Headlines
All the headlines from our Maine Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Three Teens Accused of Setting Maine Fire Facing Felony Murder Charge
Oct 28 2021 // Three teenagers accused of starting a fatal apartment building fire in Maine have been charged with felony murder, officials said. Two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old were charged last month with arson, but those charges...
Maine to Seek ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination at Many Sites
Oct 15 2021 // Environmental regulators in Maine will soon undertake a statewide investigation to find concentrations of long-lasting environmental pollutants. The investigation stems from the state’s efforts to mitigate a class of...
Maine Attorney General Considers Suing Over PCB, PFAS Contamination
Sep 28 2021 // Maine’s attorney general is seeking proposals from law firms willing to assist with potential legal claims over chemical contamination in the state. The state is considering legal claims over so-called PCBs and a...
Drought Disaster Relief Loans Available for Maine Businesses
Aug 27 2021 // Maine’s governor is calling on small businesses around the state to apply for federal disaster loans that are available because of the drought the state suffered earlier in the summer. Governor Janet Mills, a...
Maine Enacts Law That Will Ban Use of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in All Products by 2030
Aug 20 2021 // Maine last month enacted a law that makes it the first U.S. state to ban the use of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in nearly all products. PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals”...
Northern Maine School Library Burns, Bookstores Raise Funds
Aug 11 2021 // After a fire at an elementary school library in northern Maine destroyed its collection of books, a bookstore at the other end of the state helped replace them. A fire on July 25 burned the library at Dr. Levesque...
Covered Bridge Fire Declared Arson in Maine
Aug 4 2021 // A fire that destroyed one of Maine’s nine covered bridges has been declared an arson, the fire marshal’s office said. A local business put up a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrests of those...
Maine Governor to Hold Third Annual Opioid Crisis Summit
Jul 15 2021 // Maine’s governor plans to host the a virtual summit about the opioid crisis this week. Democratic Governor Janet Mills said she has scheduled the third annual Governor’s Opioid Response Summit for Thursday. She...
Biden Administration Backs Maine City Ordinance in Pipeline Suit
Jul 6 2021 // The Biden administration supported in court filings this week a South Portland air quality ordinance that has effectively prohibited the import of crude oil via a Canadian pipeline. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a...
Maine Eyes Tougher Lead Testing in School Drinking Water
Jun 16 2021 // Maine lawmakers want to strengthen lead testing in school drinking water. The Maine Legislature has been considering a proposal to decrease the standard for lead in drinking water from 15 parts per billion to four parts...
Maine Lawmaker Sued Over Trees Cut Down on Neighbors’ Land
May 26 2021 // A state lawmaker from Maine is facing a lawsuit from neighbors who say she and her husband cut down thousands of trees from their property to build a barn and horse paddock. Sasha and Christopher Malone filed the lawsuit...
Maine Paper Mill That Was Site of Explosion Sues Inspection Firm
May 12 2021 // The owner of a paper mill in Maine that was the site of an explosion last year has filed a lawsuit against a company that was responsible for inspection and maintenance. One of the facility’s pulp digesters ruptured...
Maine One of Latest States to Enact NAIC-Inspired Insurance Data Security Act
May 6 2021 // Maine is one of the latest states to enact its own version of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) model data security law, signing the Maine Insurance Data Security Act into law on March 17. The NAIC...
Mom Sues Over Teen’s Suicide at Maine Youth Detention Center
Apr 21 2021 // The mother of a transgender teenager who died by suicide at a youth detention center in Maine has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the state. Michelle Knowles, of North Vassalboro, filed the lawsuit Tuesday against...
Maine Man Charged with Hate Crime in Black Church Arson
Apr 21 2021 // A Maine man accused of setting fire to a Massachusetts church with a predominantly Black congregation been charged with hate crime offenses, federal prosecutors said. Dushko Vulchev is charged in federal court with four...
Maine Lawsuit Over Uber Driver’s Refusal of Guide Dog Can Go On
Apr 9 2021 // A judge in Maine has ruled that a woman who has impaired vision can go ahead with a claim against Uber, which she has said discriminated against her by refusing to allow her guide dog into a vehicle. The lawsuit stretches...
Maine Auto Body Manufacturing Plant Faces Nearly $400K in Fines for Safety Violations
Apr 7 2021 // A Waterville, Maine, auto body manufacturing plant is facing nearly $400,000 in proposed fines for unaddressed fall and noise hazards that placed its employees at risk. The Shyft Group Duramag LLC – formerly F3 MFG Inc....
Chemical Site Cleanup on Maine River to Cost More Than $180M
Mar 25 2021 // A settlement that is pending approval from a federal judge would require the former owner of a shuttered chemical plant in Maine to spend more than $180 million to clean up mercury contamination. The settlement concerns...
Union Raises More Than $61K for Injured Shipyard Worker in Maine
Mar 12 2021 // The Machinists Union is providing more than $61,000 to help a shipbuilder recover from a gruesome injury at Bath Iron Works. Garrett Bailey was injured on Jan. 23, and the contributions came from a collection from...
Maine Man Sues Paper Mill Over Levels of ‘Forever Chemicals’
Mar 11 2021 // A Maine man is suing a paper mill company that operates in the state about levels of long-lasting chemicals in wells and elsewhere. Nathan Saunders of Fairfield filed the lawsuit Friday against Boston-based Sappi North...
