A retired Portland police explosives detection dog that helped protect Pope Francis and three U.S. presidents was put down Friday after a cancer diagnosis.
Matt Byrne
Matt Byrne has covered crime and public safety for the Press Herald since 2016. It is his second beat since being hired at the Press Herald in late 2012, when he left the Boston Globe's suburban news bureau. Matt grew up outside Philadelphia, moved to Boston to attend Emerson College and now loves living in Maine. When he is not nerding out on court documents or listening to a police scanner, Matt loves to work on old cars, make things out of metal and try new craft beers. Offers to drive your race car, or news tips, are always welcome.
Fire damages home in North Deering area of Portland
It erupted in a single-family home on Samuel Road, where a plumber was working in a second-floor bathroom that was being remodeled.
Portland man who murdered partner appeals for shorter sentence
Lawyers for Anthony Leng argued before the state’s highest court Wednesday that the 40-year sentence he got for killing his longtime partner, Sokha Khoun, was incorrectly decided.
Maine postal workers renew calls to stop service cuts, pass relief funding
Postal labor leaders warned Tuesday that embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is steaming ahead with cost-cutting measures that will reduce service across the country.
South Portland police investigate Tuesday night gunfire
No one was injured when someone fired several rounds into an apartment building on the city’s Main Street, police said.
EU edges closer to eliminating tariffs on Maine lobster
A key European Parliament committee voted overwhelmingly to advance a trade deal to eliminate import duties to Europe on American lobster.
Three teens summoned, including 2 suspected in racist graffiti incident
Yarmouth police say they believe two of the teenagers may be connected to a racial slur scrawled on a Yarmouth roadway last weekend.
Second teen reported missing in Saco found safe; first teen still missing
Saco police found one missing girl on Wednesday but are continuing to look for another, who appears to have run away from home last week.
Yarmouth police investigate racial slur painted on road
Someone scrawled a racial slur for Black people, lewd images and the word ‘trump’ on the pavement on Talbot Road sometime between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
Mainers say they back mask mandate, even if they won’t follow it to the letter
While they hope the governor’s new order leads to more mask wearing, some admitted they will still take off their masks when it doesn’t seem to make sense to wear them.