All four candidates will attend the Oct. 10 event at UNE’s Innovation Hall, a 900-seat venue on Stevens Avenue in Portland.
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.
Car-moose collisions on decline in Maine
Crash data show no driver deaths this year, but officials still say to watch out for the big animals near roads, especially around Allagash.
Former Westbrook lawmaker accused of improper behavior loses credential to work in Maine schools
Dillon Bates’ renewal request is denied amid allegations that he had inappropriate relationships with female students, which he disputes.
UMaine System considers partnership in possible health care analytics institute
The proposal by tech investor David Roux would create a center for the prevention, diagnosis, cure and management of health in Portland.
Democratic PAC tops $1 million in spending in Maine governor’s race
More than half of the money is to oppose Republican candidate Shawn Moody.
My Lai exhibit in Portland marks 50th anniversary of war atrocity
A two-day exhibit in Portland by Veterans for Peace is meant to honor the 504 unarmed civilians killed by U.S. troops in the Vietnamese village on March 16, 1968.
Some Mainers report having fake unemployment claims filed in their names
Some say they were told that the scams are connected to last year’s Equifax hack, but state officials say that they know of no such link, and that fraudulent unemployment claims haven’t been higher than usual.
New law lets some Maine veterans skip course work and take nursing exam
Those hoping to be fast-tracked and become LPNs must have served in a medical corps, spent at least 12 months providing bedside patient care and left the military with an honorable discharge.
Money from outside groups pours into Maine State House campaigns
An intensifying political climate is among several factors fueling exponentially higher spending rates than in recent midterm elections.
National Merit Scholarship semifinalists announced
Two Maine schools have six semifinalists each.