Portland officials are awaiting details, but expect additional state funding for those who had been cut from an assistance program.
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 inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Police look for possible pattern in string of thefts from Maine veterans groups
About $15,000 was stolen from an American Legion post in Gray over the weekend, and there are similarities to other crimes targeting the state’s nonprofits.
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Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Sen. Angus King announces push to ease federal work restrictions on asylum seekers
Maine’s independent U.S. senator comes to Portland to announce the proposal, saying it would reduce the need for the kind of public assistance the city is struggling to provide.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Sen. Angus King coming to Portland to start push for change in asylum work rules
A shorter wait period before getting jobs would ease the city’s immigrant assistance problem, but it will be an uphill battle in Congress.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Tipped employees in Portland say wage hike could hurt
Many in the city’s small army of waitstaff believe a proposal that would triple their hourly base salary would just eat into their gratuities.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Organizers appear to end insistence that Portland didn’t block medical pot fest
The group initially said the Aug. 9 event would go on despite denial of an amended permit amid concerns over an admission fee and public marijuana use.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Portland voters will take up $15 an hour minimum wage in November
The City Council also votes to delay reconsideration of an ordinance approved earlier this month that inadvertently doubled the base wage for tipped workers.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Portland council rejects permit for marijuana market in Deering Oaks
In a 5-4 vote, they reverse a previous decision after hearing an ad for the event that suggested pot would be available for use there.
Posted inLifestyle, Local & State, News
Portland City Council to revisit pot festival permit request
The New England Cannabis Farmers Market would run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 9 in Deering Oaks.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Portland ready to cut assistance to 86 immigrants
Those affected may no longer have legal status because they failed to apply for asylum within a year of entering the United States.