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Articles by A. J. Higgins
UMaine At Machias Professor Sues Union
MACHIAS, Maine - A University of Maine at Machias professor has filed a lawsuit against his union citing a recent Supreme Court decision that allowed employees to leave a union over political disagreements. The Bangor Daily News reports 61-year-old Jonathan Reisman filed his lawsuit against the union, the Machias campus and the University of Maine System board of trustees earlier this month.
Maine judge holds unusual meeting to study trend of no-show jurors
A Superior Court judge took the unusual step Tuesday of calling about a dozen jurors into his courtroom to find out why they ignored requests to report for jury duty earlier this month. During the half-hour session, Somerset County Superior Court Justice Robert Mullen said he got some insight into some of the obstacles that impede jurors from showing up for court. And he said the court is willing to work with Mainers who can’t always report when they’re called.
News | Maine Public
Climate change, pollution and water acidity are all among the issues affecting the water in Maine. The vastness and complexity of ocean environments, however, make it difficult for scientists to measure these important changes in the water. That’s why one nonprofit is looking to its volunteers to put a modern spin on an old way of assessing water quality. As you take a walk along the shores of Casco Bay this summer, you may notice other beachgoers taking pictures — of the water.
Another fish kill near Brookfield Management dam worries biologist
A biologist for the Downeast Salmon Federation is monitoring what he says is another sizeable fish kill on the Union River below a Brookfield Asset Management dam in Ellsworth. Fisheries biologist Brett Ciccotelli said he was alerted to the fish kill Friday afternoon and arrived to find hundreds of dead and dying baby alewives, also known as river herring, near the bottom of the Leonard Lake Dam.
Boat that provides services to remote Maine islands in dire need of repairs
After more than two decades of constant, year-round service the vessel Sunbeam V needs some major repairs if it’s to continue its mission to serve Maine’s remote island communities, says Maine Seacoast Mission, which oversees the Sunbeam’s operations. “In boat years, the Sunbeam is 23, and that makes her middle-aged,” Maine Seacoast Mission president Scott Planting said. Maine Seacoast Mission has ministered to island communities, from Great Cranberry to Monhegan, for more than 100 years.
Canadian ferry service eyes daily runs to Bar Harbor amid debate over terminal plans
After an eight-year hiatus, the Canadian-owned CAT ferry is weighing the resumption of daily transits between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Bar Harbor. Last month, Bar Harbor voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question authorizing the purchase of the former Marine Atlantic ferry terminal from the state. Plans are underway for a multi-use marina to accommodate cruise ship passengers and serve as a transportation hub for buses.
Seaweed harvesting in Down East roils homeowners, scientists
The blue boats owned by Acadian Seaplants, boats that carry fresh-cut rockweed out of Washington County’s Cobscook Bay, are not as numerous as they were three years ago. Still, tensions are high among property owners who object to the company’s harvest of seaweed near their homes. These homeowners are hoping that a pending court case will settle the question of who controls the intertidal zone.
Airbnb says it has handed over $5.3 million in Maine taxes
Airbnb, a San Francisco-based global travel organization, announced Monday that it has remitted $5.3 million in taxes on behalf of Maine’s host community since its tax agreement with the state went into effect a year ago. Andrew Kalloch, a public policy manager for Airbnb, said the company’s tax collection program offers a seamless process for individuals and families who share their home to make ends meet while providing a valuable source of revenue to the state.
Fundraiser to pay for Cpl. Cole’s funeral exceeds $20K goal
An online fundraising effort to cover some unanticipated costs related to the staging of this week’s funeral for Cpl. Eugene Cole of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department has exceeded its $20,000 goal. Brandy Ellis, of Brewer, said that while the funeral costs were covered for Cole’s family, some additional expenses of about $18,000 related to sound reinforcement and video services were not.
Feds investigating Bowdoin, Bates and Colby for possible antitrust violations
Three of Maine’s most prestigious private colleges are among several elite educational institutions across the nation that have been caught up in a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust investigation. First reported by Inside Higher Ed and the Wall Street Journal, the federal antitrust investigation involves allegations of information exchanges among the schools regarding early decision students seeking admission to multiple colleges.
Maine Things Considered
Gov. Paul LePage is pushing for the passage of a $50 million bond to subsidize student loans. LePage says the goal of the measure is to keep young Mainers in the state after they complete college and also to attract young adults from other states to work in Maine. “And this should not be and is not a partisan issue,” the governor says.
Maine Business Associations Report Record Tourism Spending In 2017
Maine tourism spending continues to break records, according to the Maine Innkeepers and Maine Restaurant associations that monitor annual revenue receipts. Steve Hewins, the associations’ CEO, says the restaurant and lodging sectors brought in a combined $3.8 billion in revenue last year, when about 36 million tourists visited Maine. “It proves Maine’s desirability as a destination,” he says. “It continues to be a place people want to come to and visitors are attracted to Maine.
Bail Set for Parents Charged with Depraved Indifference Murder
The parents of 10-year-old girl in Stockton Springs who died from Battered Child syndrome are each being held on $500,000 bail after appearing in Waldo County Superior Court Wednesday. Sharon and Julio Carrillo have each been charged with depraved indifference murder in the death of Marissa Kennedy, and, if convicted, could face life in prison. A former neighbor said he and others also witnessed abuse and repeatedly called police. Sharon Carrillo was the first to appear before the court.
Bangor protesters show support for ‘Dreamers’ and immigrants
Nearly 30 men, women and children braved sub-zero wind chills in Bangor Saturday morning to oppose bus inspections by federal agents looking for undocumented immigrants. The demonstrators, who represented more than a dozen social activist groups, said that in addition to protesting federal inspections by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, they came to Concord Coach Lines in Bangor to highlight the potential deportation of Lexius Saint Martin.
‘The process stinks’: Angus King speaks out on GOP tax plans
Vastly different competing versions of Republican tax plans are being rolled out in the U.S. House and Senate that could potentially eliminate current deductions, such as student loan interest, and change the top tax rate and the timing of corporate tax cuts. Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine says that the tax overhaul process being utilized by Republican leaders leaves a lot to be desired.
New waste-to-energy plant in Hampden on track for April opening, Fiberight CEO says
The developers of a new $69 million waste-to-energy plant in Hampden say steel for the 144,000-square-foot building is expected to arrive this week, and that plans are on track for an April 1 opening. Speaking to members of the Maine Resource Recovery Association in Brewer, Craig Stuart-Paul, CEO of Fiberight LLC, the company that will run the facility, said roadwork and other site preparation targets have been completed ahead of schedule.
Acadia National Park considering purchase of iconic MDI lighthouse
Ownership of the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse on Mount Desert Island could be changing hands if officials at Acadia National Park choose to accept the picturesque landmark from the U.S. Coast Guard. Christie Anastasia, public affairs specialist at Acadia, said many visitors to the lighthouse already assume it’s part of the park since it is surrounded by federal land and frequently pictured in advertisements featuring the park.
Verizon Wireless terminating service for 2,000 cellphone customers in Washington County
After inking a multimillion dollar upgrade with a Maine firm to expand and improve cellphone service in Washington County, Verizon Wireless is hanging it up in eastern Maine. The company has sent letters to 2,000 customers in Washington County urging them to sign new contracts with competing cellphone service providers by Oct. 17, if they wish to retain their current cellphone numbers.
Clearwater Seafoods to Lose Monopoly on Arctic Surf Clam
Halifax-based Clearwater Seafoods is losing its monopoly on Canada's lucrative Arctic surf clam. Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced Thursday that DFO will give 25 per cent of the current quota to a new entrant after a request for written proposals closes in November. Currently all three Arctic surf clam licences are held by Clearwater. The government says the fourth licence holder it is seeking must be majority Canadian-owned and be ...
Mayport Fishing Vessels Scramble for Docks in Jacksonville in Advance of Hurricane Irma
Mayport Fishing Vessels Scramble for Docks in Jacksonville in Advance of Hurricane Irma The entire First Coast shrimping and fishing fleet is in the process of moving away from the coast and into a safer docking space in downtown Jacksonville as Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida. While the storm is still churning in the Caribbean, about two dozen shrimp vessels from the Jacksonville area have retracted their nets and are leaving their usual port of Mayport.
Years of high lobster landings spark resurgence in Maine’s boat building industry
Analysts say Maine’s boat-building industry has made a remarkable recovery since it bottomed out during the Great Recession of 2008, when many of the state’s boat builders, including Young Brothers Boats of Corea, decided to get out of the business. Inside Mike Light’s boat shop in Steuben, a 44-foot Calvin Beal lobster boat is getting a major face-lift that its owner hopes will keep him fishing for another 6-10 years.
Utah Congressman Seeks to Prevent Future Land Gifts Like Katahdin Woods & Waters
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to retain all 27 national monument designations created under three previous presidents sheds little light on what, if any, management changes might be made at the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. But the Republican Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources told reporters today that changes are being discussed for the federal law regulating the transfer of private property to the government.
Pursuing higher profits, Maine lobstermen unionize
Maine lobstermen have long been known as a fiercely independent lot, but some are looking to the power of unity, in the form of a statewide, catch-to-table co-op. The goal is to harvest a larger and more predictable share of the profits. It’s 10 a.m. and Rock Alley has already been cruising Washington County’s Sequin’s Passage off Beals Island since a little after daybreak.
Some Alaska Fisheries Had a Record-Setting Year for Wild Salmon. But No One Wanted to Gut the Fish.
Some Alaska Fisheries Had a Record-Setting Year for Wild Salmon. But No One Wanted to Gut All Those Fish. At the outset of the salmon season, fisherman Everett Thompson was looking forward to a banner year. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game had estimated that 41 million wild sockeye salmon would come to Bristol Bay, an eastern nook of the Bering Sea formed by the Alaskan Peninsula.
Maine lobstermen say they aren’t harming threatened coral beds
The fragile deep-sea corals that populate the canyon walls and basins in the Gulf of Maine provide habitat for many species of fish as well as baby lobster, crabs and squid. But the New England Fisheries Management Council has concluded that the northeast coral beds are threatened when they are disturbed by commercial fishing operations and is weighing new restrictions that could affect Maine.
Skin antisepsis: it's not only what you use, it's the way that you use it
Publication HistoryPublished online: May 16, 2017Accepted: April 21, 2017; Received: April 21, 2017;
Bumble Bee Pleads Guilty to Canned Tuna Price Fixing; Agrees to Pay $25 Million Fine
Bumble Bee Pleads Guilty to Canned Tuna Price Fixing; Agrees to Pay $25 Million Fine SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh - May 9, 2017 Bumble Bee Foods has agreed to plead guilty for its role in a conspiracy to fix the prices of shelf-stable tuna fish, such as canned and pouched tuna. As part of the deal, Bumble Bee agreed to pay a $25 million criminal fine.
Gulf Council Backs Pilot Program for Louisiana to Manage Red Snapper Fishery for 3 Years
Gulf Council Backs Pilot Program for Louisiana to Manage Red Snapper Fishery for 3 Years SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Times-Picayune] by Todd Masson - May 9, 2017 The head of the Fisheries Division of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on Thursday told the board that regulates his agency he's optimistic Louisiana may get to manage red snapper in federal waters off the state's coast in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Amid foreign worker shortage, Bar Harbor businesses turn to local labor
Businesses in Maine that rely on summer help are hoping that Congress will come to the rescue. Because of new limits on the seasonal worker visa program, restaurants, hotels and other tourist-centered operations are scrambling to find seasonal employees. Until Congress opens the door to more H-2B foreign workers, those businesses are finding ways to attract locals onto the payroll. The wheels are rolling at the Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop.
Maine’s Forest Industry on Brink of Accessing Lucrative European Wood Chip Market
Maine still has lots and lots of trees, but the decline of the paper industry has devastated rural communities that depend on forest products. Wood chips, which are burned for fuel in biomass energy plants, are in strong demand in Europe, and have the potential to rejuvenate the forest products sector in Maine. The only problem is that they can’t be exported, because of all the pests and pathogens that could be spread to other countries. Now one Maine company has a solution to that problem.
Maine Doctor’s EpiPen Alternative Costs a Fraction of the Name Brand Version
If there were too many mice in Milbridge, Dr. Cathleen London might have built a better mousetrap. Instead, the rising numbers of uninsured patients with allergy conditions inspired her to adapt an emergency auto-injector at a fraction of the $600 cost offered by the company that manufactures EpiPens. This week the Illinois-based Mylan company began a worldwide voluntary recall of its EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. allergy shots.
Maine Teachers Receive Packets From Think Tank Casting Doubt on Human Role in Climate Change
A national effort by a libertarian think tank to convince public school teachers that there is a division within the scientific community over whether human activity has accelerated global climate change is apparently having little to no effect in Maine.
Gas Prices in Maine Creep Up and Could Go Higher
BANGOR, Maine - The cost of gas in Maine is creeping up, and by mid-summer could climb another 45 cents per gallon. The latest GasBuddy.com survey of Maine gas stations shows that the average price rose 2.1 cents to $2.26 per gallon last week. During that same time, the national average rose 4.3 cents to $2.32 per gallon.
‘Very cold spring’ means slow start for elver fishing season
Maine marine resources officials said the state’s elver season is getting off to a slow start, with only small numbers of the tiny eels being netted by harvesters. The quality and quantity of the juvenile eels is expected to improve as temperatures climb in April. Maine’s elver season opened March 22, but the fishing has been poor, according to state Department of Marine Resources spokesman Jeff Nichols, who said colder than normal temperatures have kept landings down. “Things are pretty slow.
Officials: 'Very Cold Spring' Means Slow Start for Elver Season
Maine marine resources officials say the state’s elver season is getting off to a slow start, with only small numbers of the tiny eels being netted by harvesters. The quality and quantity of the juvenile eels is expected to improve as temperatures climb in April. Maine’s elver season opened on March 22, but the fishing has been poor, according to state Department of Marine Resources spokesman Jeff Nichols, who says colder-than-normal temperatures have kept landings down.
Maine's Hospitality Industry: 2016 a Banner Year
BANGOR, Maine - Maine restaurants and inns are reporting a banner year for 2016, with more than $3.6 billion in total sales. Steve Hewins, president and CEO of the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Innkeepers Association, said lodging and restaurant sales rose 7 percent over 2015, with total sales generating $300 million in state tax revenue. Hewins says the industry hopes that the two past highly successful tourist seasons are the beginning of a trend.
Machias Campus to Become Part of UMaine Flagship
After struggling with budget shortfalls and years of declining student enrollments, the University of Maine at Machias is now slated to become a regional campus of the flagship University of Maine campus in Orono. Members of the University of Maine System trustees voted in favor of the new partnership Monday, which will replace the former UMM president slot with an academic dean. UMS spokesman Dan Demeritt said UMaine Machias will retain its current name and degree-granting authority.
Blind Maine Woman Describes Getting Kicked Off Flight With Service Dog
Several investigations are underway into what prompted American Airlines to remove a blind Maine woman from a plane in Washington, D.C., and leave her in the terminal with her seeing eye dog. Sue Martin, 61, says she has yet to receive any explanation from American Airlines, but some guide dog advocacy groups suspect that the airline may have wrongly concluded that her service dog was only a pet.
Blind Maine woman describes getting kicked off plane with service dog
Several investigations are underway into what prompted American Airlines to remove a blind Maine woman from a plane in Washington, D.C., and leave her in the terminal with her seeing eye dog. Sue Martin, 61, said she has yet to receive any explanation from American Airlines, but some guide dog advocacy groups suspect that the airline may have wrongly concluded that her service dog was only a pet.
Fishermen Say Canada-EU Trade Deal Would Hurt Maine’s Lobster Industry
Some Maine fishermen say that they’ve always been at a disadvantage when trying to compete with their Canadian counterparts. Now, the Maine lobster industry is weighing a pending trade agreement between Canada and the European Union that could adversely affect lobster prices in Maine. It’s been a touchy subject Down East for years.
Hunters Charged After Allegedly Killing 67 Hares Over Limit
A tip to the Maine Warden’s Service resulted in charges for five hunters from Massachusetts and one from Maine after the group allegedly killed nearly 90 snowshoe hares during an illegal weekend hunting trip to Great Duck Island. Cpl. John MacDonald of the Maine Wardens Service said the men were apprehended Saturday on Great Duck, about 10 miles off Mount Desert Island.
Report: Craft Beer Industry Contributes $225 Million to Maine's Economy
BANGOR, Maine - A new report released by the Maine Brewers' Guild is projecting growth of nearly 40 percent next year as the number of Maine's craft brewers continues to grow. A decade ago, there were fewer than 15 small brewers in the state. Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Guild, says there are now more than 80 breweries that have a total annual economic impact of more than $225 million in Maine. "The growth is spreading around the state," Sullivan says.
Seaweed Company to Appeal Rockweed Harvesting Decision
The president of the world’s largest seaweed processing company said Friday that his firm will appeal Thursday’s Washington County Superior Court order that bars the harvest of rockweed, a form of seaweed, without the consent of shorefront property owners. J.P. Deveau, president of the Nova Scotia-based Acadian Seaplants Ltd., says his company will continue harvesting operations in Maine pending the outcome of the appeal.
Law Enforcement Agencies Split Over $1 Million From Maine’s Largest Pot Bust
More than $1 million in forfeited drug money was divided Thursday among several Maine law enforcement agencies that participated in one of the state’s largest marijuana growing busts. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Murphy says some officers placed their personal safety at risk when they closed in on the illegal growing operation in 2009 in Township 37, near Horse Lake in Washington County.
Judge Rules in Favor of Proposed Hampden Biofuel Project
A Superior Court judge has found in favor of a Maryland-based trash-to energy company that wants to build a $69 million dollar biogas, organic trash disposal facility in Hampden, just south of Bangor. Plans are for Fiberright to take over the disposal contract for a group of 187 municipalities in the region currently doing business with the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. in Orrington.
Judge: Rockweed on Private Land Isn't Public Property
A Washington County Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of several shorefront property owners who maintain that rockweed, a form of seaweed, is not a resource that falls under the public trust. In his ruling, Justice Harold Stewart II concluded that rockweed growing in the intertidal zone is the property of the shorefront owner and should not be construed to be included under exemptions that include fishing.
CMP Says Power Should Be Back Wednesday Night for Outages Caused by Storm
Tuesday’s storm left Maine with an additional 20 inches of snow in some areas and widespread power outages in others. At Central Maine Power, spokeswoman Gail Rice says the combination of heavy, wet snow and powerful winds took its toll on the company’s power lines. She says outages peaked Tuesday night when 32,000 CMP customers reported power losses. “The peak was nearly 32,000 at 10:30 last night and we’re down to a little over 17,000 at about 3 p.m. today,” she says.
Mid-March Blizzard Blasts Maine With Heavy Snowfall Overnight
A major nor’easter battering the north Atlantic coast of the US is sweeping across Maine. The storm is expected leave up to two feet of snow in its wake by the time the system winds down sometime Wednesday morning. At the National Weather Service in Gray, meteorologist Jim Brown said that while last month’s blizzard walloped the state with more snow, today’s storm presents similar challenges along with unusually high winds.
Poliquin Bill Would Allow Teens to Work in Forest Industry
BANGOR, Maine - Some teenagers could be allowed to work in the Maine forestry industry if a bill co-sponsored by Maine 2nd District Rep. Bruce Poliquin gains traction. Poliquin and Idaho Congressman Raúl Labrador have reintroduced the "Future Logging Careers Act" to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work in mechanized logging operations under parental supervision.
Who 'Owns' Rockweed in Maine?
For 15 years, shore-front property owners, rockweed cutters and Maine Department of Marine Resources regulators have attempted to balance the competing interests that have tended to define the state’s rockweed industry. Maine case law has produced mixed opinions on the question of who actually owns the olive-brown algae that is used in fertilizer and in some consumable products. But a Washington County Superior Court case could help settle what’s become a contentious rockweed debate.
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