The number of disability applications approved by the Maine Public Employees Retirement System has plummeted since 2009, with critics saying workers with disabilities no longer have time to make their cases effectively.

The latest occurs Thursday at a Portland homeless shelter, where a woman died of a heroin overdose.

President Obama’s program – separate from any action Congress might take – would pair law enforcement with public health analysts in the regions where high drug use is reported.

Competition for patients and a strong number of under-35 sign-ups help keep the average 2016 hikes as low as 0.5%.

Eight people were killed when an old World War II torpedo became tangled in a fishing net and exploded.

The Maine CDC has refused to release the names, citing privacy issues, but the newspaper says information about outbreaks of communicable diseases would help the public avoid exposure.