The total of kids removed because of suspected abuse or neglect has fallen steadily after reaching its highest level in 20 years last summer. State officials say the trend is evidence that its embattled child welfare system is turning a corner.
Dylan Tusinski
Staff Writer
Dylan Tusinski is an investigative reporter with the Maine Trust for Local News' quick strike team, where his stories largely focus on money, drugs and government accountability. He has written about international drug trafficking rings, Maine's housing crisis, political polarization and much more. He previously worked for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville from 2023 to 2025. When he's not on the clock, Dylan can often be found at the nearest Grateful Dead cover band show or minor league hockey game.
Posted inLocal & State, News
2 injured when floatplane crashes in Flagstaff Lake
The 1956 Cessna 170B was trying to take off when it crashed around 1:30 p.m. Monday, state police said.
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Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Bernie Sanders backs Graham Platner, Troy Jackson at Labor Day rally in Portland
The Vermont independent stumped with progressive candidates for Senate and governor against ‘oligarchy,’ the MAGA movement and the Democratic party establishment before a crowd of several thousand.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Police must confirm Maine suspects have waived constitutional rights before they are questioned, top court says
Law enforcement must ensure suspects in custody understand and have relinquished their rights to a lawyer and against self-incrimination before questioning them, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Police say statewide alert on Windham shooter was sent late and by mistake
The Maine Emergency Management Agency said nearly every phone in Maine received the notification about a gunman at large due to a ‘geo-fencing error,’ but wouldn’t say why it was sent more than 2 hours after the shooting.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, Maine Crime, News
How cheap weed from ‘gray market’ growers ends up on Maine dispensary shelves
Law enforcement experts say cheap, sometimes tainted weed grown by Chinese criminal groups is getting into the state’s medical market. Business owners say it’s cratering market rates and pushing reputable growers out of the industry.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
A teen was charged with killing 2 people in Chelsea this June. Why is the state so silent?
After Maine State Police announced a juvenile male was charged with murder in the deaths of 2 family members at their home, authorities have refused to even acknowledge the existence of a case against him.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Mom charged in 3-year-old’s death in Milford says she left child in car to retrieve trash, then fell into river
Kelly Brown, of Havertown, Pennsylvania, has been charged with manslaughter and is being held on $50,000 bail after police found her toddler and dog dead inside her vehicle at a gas station in a small town north of Bangor.
Posted inElections, Local & State, Local Elections, Local Government, News, Politics
Maine rejects Justice Department’s request for all voters’ personal info, list of election officials
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows responded to the request by telling the DOJ to ‘go jump in the Gulf of Maine.’
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine shelters, civil rights groups slam Trump executive order on homelessness
The order signed this week seeks to shift federal funds and policies away from harm reduction and towards civil commitment, which enables authorities to hospitalize and treat people without their consent. Local advocates compared it to “signing a death warrant.”