A simmering feud between island neighbors has led the city of Portland to issue citations over zoning – and has put the equine refuge on alert.
Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Portland would add Wi-Fi to lampposts as part of $8.5 million project to upgrade lighting
Switching to LED bulbs and other ‘smart cities’ technologies that allow monitoring and control of the fixtures will save the city money in the long run.
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Portland rally attacks rent stabilization ballot question
More than 100 people attend the event, at which landlords, real estate agents and developers highlight potential problems with the ballot question aimed at curbing rising rents.
Posted inLocal & State
The asylee: He fled the Congo after being tortured and threatened with death
What is asylum?About the Congo His pregnant wife had already fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo when six armed men caught up to Marcel Kabongo Mafuku. They beat him and tortured him using a screwdriver, leaving Mafuku with internal injuries that would go untreated for months. They stopped torturing him long enough for one […]
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The undocumented immigrant: This man came here on a tourist visa 15 years ago and never left
Who is undocumented?About El Salvador He has been living and working in southern Maine for more than a decade. He pays taxes. He goes to church. But he has no legal immigration status – no citizenship, no valid visa, no green card. And that means he is constantly at risk of being discovered and removed. […]
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Portland bans the display of wild and exotic animals
The City Council votes unanimously to reject the use of big cats, elephants and a wide range of other animals in circus acts.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Portland designates 2nd Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day
The City Council, joining other Maine cities and towns, votes to no longer observe Columbus Day despite opposition from Italian-Americans.
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Portland joins nationwide lawsuit against opioid manufacturers
The move the City Council ensures that the city would be entitled to a portion of any settlement stemming from the legal action against the makers of prescription painkillers.
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Portland to consider recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day
The City Council will hear a proposal Monday to recognize the holiday on the second Monday of October, which is currently celebrated as Columbus Day.
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Massachusetts hunter dies in apparent fall from tree stand in Maine woods
Thomas Pelletier, 62, was found by a hunting partner Thursday in a remote area northeast of Old Town.