A 9-year-old boy is flown by helicopter to Maine Medical Center after two boats, carrying a total of 10 people, collide on the lake in Oxford County.
Noel K. Gallagher
Noel Gallagher covers K-12 and higher education issues statewide. Her stories are a mix of breaking news and trend stories. In recent years, they’ve ranged from why college costs so much, the launch of the state’s first charter schools, how a school welcomed a transgender student and why Maine schools have a hard time finding teachers. She’s enough of a news nerd to enjoy sitting through legislative education committee meetings and hours-long school board meetings so you don’t have to.
The Maine Press Association has honored Noel’s work, but she says she writes for the readers, in the firm belief that an informed citizenry is key to a healthy democracy.
Noel is a California native who has worked at wire services, online websites and newspapers across the country. She was in Washington D.C. during the early Clinton years, covering AIDS activism in 1990s San Francisco, documenting the business of wine in Sonoma County and riding out the boom and bust cycle of the early Internet era in early 2000s Silicon Valley. She arrived in Maine at the beginning of the recession and wrote quite a bit about the downturn here.
In her free time, Noel writes the occasional cookbook review, spends an inordinate amount of time at the Portland Public Library and hangs out with her three fabulous kids and wonderful husband. She is not a former member of the band Oasis.
Boy Scouts of America ending ban on gay leaders
A scout leader representing Maine’s 10 southern counties says the Pine Tree Council has had a non-discrimination policy for adult leaders since 2012.
LePage denies using funding threat to force resignation at Aroostook County cultural group
The governor’s spokesman says it’s not true that LePage sought the resignation of Jason Parent from the World Acadian Congress.
UMaine System facing $16 million operating loss
The system saw $11 million in new retirement and severance costs.
In many Maine households, parents shoulder high costs of college
Not having saved enough, they’re working more, forgoing vacations, delaying retirement and dipping into home equity to spare their kids the burden of debt.
Hundreds turn out in Portland to decry racism, honor victims of Charleston shootings
‘Don’t be distracted by homelessness,’ an organizer of the event tells the crowd at Merrill Auditorium. ‘We’re talking about racism.’
Portland school superintendent a finalist for Kentucky job
Emmanuel Caulk, who was named Portland’s school superintendent in July 2012, is a finalist for the superintendent post in Lexington, Kentucky.
USM gets censured over recent faculty cuts
A national association says the administration violated academic freedom, tenure and due process.
With enrollment down 11%, USM’s incoming president faces tough first year
Glenn Cummings already has plans to fill a budget gap without academic cuts, recruit and retain students, heal the campus and build partnerships.
LePage vetoes Common Core realignment bill
The governor says schools can’t afford the manpower or the costs to upgrade science standards.