Latest Maine Headlines

All the headlines from our Maine Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Hospital Violated Maine’s Equal Pay Law, Judge Rules

Feb 11 2022 // A federal judge has ruled that a Maine hospital violated the state’s equal pay law by paying a female psychologist barely half the wage of her male colleagues.The judge ruled that Northern Light Acadia Hospital...

Maine Moves to Extend Workers’ Comp Mental Health Benefit for First Responders

Feb 9 2022 // A Maine legislative committee has signed off on a proposal to help emergency responders gain better access to mental health support.The proposal would continue a presumption that firefighters, emergency medical...

Maine Diocese Deems Abuse Allegations Against 2 Priests Credible

Feb 3 2022 // Complaints alleging that two priests sexually abused children in the 1950s and 1970s have been deemed credible by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.One of the complaints focused on Renald Hallee, who served in Bangor...

Maine Finds ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Wells in Kittery Homes

Jan 28 2022 // Testing wells in a Maine town contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) and the chemicals may have traveled through well systems and drinking water, the state’s department of environmental protection found.Last month,...

OSHA Investigating Maine Case of Man Found Carrying Own Severed Arm

Jan 25 2022 // A man who stumbled along a street while carrying his own severed arm was saved by two public workers who saw him and happened to be trained in the use of tourniquets, authorities in Maine said.“It had to be divine...

Maine College Settles with Female Coaches on Pay, Treatment

Jan 24 2022 // Attorneys for a Maine college and five female athletics coaches said Friday they have reached a settlement stemming from a lawsuit over fair pay and working conditions.Lawyers representing Colby College and the coaches...

Federal Judge Divides Insurance Proceeds in Maine Fishing Boat Tragedy

Jan 7 2022 // A federal judge has divided almost $1 million in insurance proceeds between the families of four fishermen who died in 2020 when a fishing boat sank in high seas off the coast of Massachusetts.U.S. District Judge John...

Regulators to Investigate Claims Against Central Maine Power Parent in Suit

Dec 15 2021 // Maine utility regulators will investigate allegations raised in a lawsuit against the parent company of Central Maine Power.The investigation by the Maine Public Utilities Commission will focus on whether Avangrid’s...

Maine Roofing Contractor Found Not Guilty in Death of Worker

Dec 14 2021 // A jury has found that a roofing contractor in Maine is not guilty of workplace manslaughter for the 2018 death of a worker.The Portland Press Herald reports that the jury reached its verdict at the Cumberland County...

Jury Selection Begins in Trial Stemming from Workplace Death in Maine

Dec 3 2021 // Jury selection got underway Wednesday for the trial of a roofing contractor charged in the death of a worker who fell from a roof because of alleged unsafe working conditions.The trial of Michael Purvis was initially...

Ten Maine Communities Working Together to Prevent Flooding

Dec 2 2021 // Ten Maine coastal communities on Casco Bay are banding together in hopes of being able to help prevent future flooding.Over the next two years, the Casco Bay communities will invest a half million dollars on projects that...

Family of Man Killed by Snowblower Sues Two Maine Hospitals

Oct 29 2021 // The son of a man who died in a snowblower accident in 2017 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both of Bangor’s hospitals and two medical professionals.Herbert Pelletier, 86, died four years ago of...

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...