Maine city prepares for another election disrupted by virus
May 3, 2021
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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine s largest city is preparing for another election that will be disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Portland is scheduled for a special municipal election on June 8. The election will concern the Charter Commission and school budget referendum.
City officials are promoting the use of absentee voting, as they did during the 2020 general election. Absentee ballots will become available early this month and provided to voters, officials said.
The last day to request an absentee ballot is June 4. Polls will also open at 7 a.m. on the day of the election, officials said.
Maine: Lawmakers make room for vaccinators; Sea Dogs return
March 30, 2021
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AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) The Augusta Civic Center in Maine is slated to pull double duty this week as the host of the Maine Legislature and a coronavirus vaccination clinic.
The legislature has been using the civic center to facilitate easier social distancing. The legislature was slated to convene at the venue on Tuesday, when it was expected to take up the biennial budget proposal.
MaineGeneral Medical Center was also scheduled to hold a continuing vaccination clinic at the facility. Maine Senate President Troy Jackson of Allagash and Chuck Hays, president and chief executive officer of MaineGeneral Health, said they were confident that the civic center could accommodate the two events simultaneously.
Police make arrest after investigating report of bias attack
March 16, 2021
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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Police in Maine s largest city said Tuesday they have made an arrest after investigating a report of a bias attack.
Police in Portland said they received a report of an incident in which a man harassed a woman and damaged her vehicle because she is of Asian descent. They said the attack happened on Monday afternoon.
The attacker told the victim to “go back to where she came from” before he kicked her driver side mirror, which he broke, police said.
Later Tuesday, police said they arrested Troy Sprague, 47, of Portland, and charged him with criminal mischief. It was unclear if Sprague had been able to hire an attorney on Tuesday. Police did not say if Sprague had a court appearance scheduled.
Fire at ethanol plant west of Portland prompts evacuations
March 16, 2021
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CORNELIUS, Ore. (AP) Fire crews are battling a fire at an ethanol fuel facility west of Portland in Cornelius that has prompted evacuations, authorities said.
The Cornelius Fire Department on Twitter at about 1:42 p.m. Tuesday called the fire “serious” and posted a photo of the blaze at a building and thick, black smoke above it.
Fire officials then tweeted a map showing an area in which people needed to evacuate, which included a Walmart store, and said others should shelter in place.
At about 2:45 p.m., Cornelius fire officials tweeted that crews were making a plan to attack the flames as safely as possible, adding that it would be a “long duration event.”