A superior court justice will hear arguments this week about what the state can do to meet its constitutional obligation to provide attorneys for people who can’t afford their own.
News
Local, state and national news from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Mills proposes $2M for preventative spruce budworm spraying
The early intervention program, modeled after one in New Brunswick, would fund the spring spraying of pesticides on 300,000 acres of commercial spruce-fir forests in northern Maine where state inspectors have found evidence of overwintering budworm larvae.
Maine Turnpike Authority staying mum on executive director applicants
The search comes as the state agency reconsiders the stalled Gorham Connector proposal and rebounds from a scathing administrative review.
Trump’s order halting offshore wind disrupts Maine’s efforts to build an industry
Commercial-scale leases in the Gulf of Maine, a state research project and plans for a turbine-assembly port will be affected by one of the new president’s first executive orders.
Franklin County board elects Weld commissioner as vice chairman
Commissioners also voted to authorize all part-time elected officials to enroll in the health insurance at their own cost above and beyond the stipend amount they receive in lieu of taking benefits.
Elon Musk’s straight-arm gesture embraced by right-wing extremists, regardless of what he meant
Many social media users noticed that the gesture looked like a Nazi salute, and Musk only fanned the flames by not explicitly denying those claims.
Frigid storm drops rare snow on Houston and New Orleans as Florida readies plows in the Panhandle
As heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain hit parts of the Deep South, a blast of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.
Trump pardons, dismisses cases of all 15 Mainers accused in Jan. 6 riot
Most had already been sentenced and served their terms, but some were still awaiting trial or sentencing when the president issued the order Monday.
Sen. King votes against Pete Hegseth for defense secretary
Maine’s independent senator joins Democrats in voting against the Trump nominee over concerns about his answers regarding the rules of international warfare.
Golden bill would force federal agencies to have offices outside DC
Bureaucrats should operate closer to the people impacted by federal rules and regulations, the lawmaker said.