More undocumented immigrants have received general assistance from the city since July 1 than in the entire previous year.
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, Politics
Maine’s aid-to-immigrants dispute will stay in state court
A federal judge has rejected a request by the LePage administration to move the lawsuit to federal court.
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Posted inLocal & State, News
Badly burned victim of Portland fire remained conscious for four days before he died, court filing says
Steven Summers of Rockland, a Navy veteran with a wife and two young children, was engulfed in flames when he jumped from the second story of the burning apartment house.
Posted inLocal & State
Portland fireboat crews complete enhanced training program
The higher level of navigation training, to U.S. Coast Guard standards, comes after two accidents that did a total of $140,000 in damage.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Cape Elizabeth site was subject of concern before Monday fatality
The Town Council had been asked in September to review safety at the transfer station, where an SUV hit a man and pushed him into a trash compactor.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Obama immigration action has unclear effect on Portland’s illegal aliens
A city spokeswoman estimated that 10,000 foreigners live in Portland, and that 15 percent of them might be newly eligible to stay in the U.S. because of the president’s announcement.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Housing for homeless planned near Morrill’s Corner
Avesta advances its efforts to get those with chronic illnesses off the streets with a proposal for a 30-unit apartment building in Portland.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
City attorney’s opinion on raising minimum wage in Portland: It’s legal but risky
She comes to a different conclusion than Gov. LePage, while also noting concerns about enforcement or litigation if passed by the City Council.
Posted inLocal & State
Portland property owners ask councilors to ease impact of stormwater fees
Fees that could take effect in 2016 would fund projects to reduce the runoff that enters waterways such as Back Cove and Casco Bay.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Portland apartment building where blaze killed six is in foreclosure, records show
Inspection reports reveal the city had been called to the property 16 times over the last 11 years to investigate complaints including storage of combustible material on the porch.