The bodies of two teenage stepbrothers were found holding onto one another in the water after they both drowned at a popular local swimming spot in Maine.
The pair appeared to have got into difficulties after jumping off rocks positioned on a 30 foot high cliff.
Tavayne Weir, a student at Sanford High School, and his stepbrother, D’andre Graham, aged 17 and 16 respectively, had told their parents they were going to the Springvale Recreation Area on Sunday night.
When the pair missed their 10pm curfew, their concerned parents called the police.
Advertisement
Law enforcement found the duos car in the parking lot but there were no signs of the teens in the darkness.
Tavayne Weir, 17, left, a student at Sanford High School, and his stepbrother, D’andre Graham, 16, right, both died after drowning in the Mousam River in Maine
It’s believed the pair jumped off a 30 foot cliff and into the river at the popular bathing spot
The fire department were called to assist with search and managed to floodlight the scene, which includes designated swimming areas and trails on both sides of the Mousam River.
Both Tavayne and D’andre were found underwater after an hour-and-a-half of searching in the river – but both had died.
‘Using flashlights and high intensity lights, they were able locate them below the water,’ said Major Matthew Gagne of the Sanford Police Department to WMTW.
The bodies were found just a quarter-mile from 30 foot high cliff that’s popular with swimmers jumping into the river.
Advertisement
‘We don’t know if they were jumping or just swimming because we don’t know exactly what time they went in. We assume they were probably by themselves as well because we had no calls from that area that anybody was in distress or actively drowning,’ Gagne explained.
A roped-off swimming area is close by but the rock and cliffs prove tempting for teens
Within hours of the teens’ deaths, people were seen climbing up the rocks once again
A GoFundMe page explained how the boys bodies were found together.
‘They showed incredible courage and loyalty, holding on to each other until the very end, demonstrating the deep bond they shared.’
During the day, the roped-off swimming area has lifeguards but directly across from the supervised area are the rocks where people are often seen climbing up, before splashing down into the water below.
It’s not known exactly what the boys were doing which led them to get into difficulties.
Advertisement
On Monday, only hours after the boys’ death, thrill-seekers were once again seen jumping into the river.
The boys’ bodies were taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta, Maine, where autopsies will be performed to determine exactly how they died.
In a letter home to parents at the school the pair attended, Matt Nelson, Sanford Superintendent of Schools expressed ‘profound sadness’ the drownings.
The rocks sit 30ft above the Mousam River and often see daredevil swimmers making a splash
‘Our sincere condolences and thoughts go out to the student’s family and friends,’ Nelson wrote.
‘We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to help you and your child as you need.’
Advertisement
‘Tavayne and D’andre always considered each other brothers, and when their parents Kerryan and Morris got married last year, it made their brother bond official,’ a tribute to the brothers read.
‘They were more than stepbrothers; they were true brothers to each other. Growing up in Jamaica, they did everything together, from playing basketball and riding bikes to gaming.’
Tavayne and his mother, Kerryann, had only recently moved to Maine ‘in search of a better future’, while D’andre had been visiting the area with his dad, Morris, for the summer, with an eye to making a permanent move to Maine later this year.
WISCASSET, Maine (WMTW) – A Maine man has been arrested after police say he intentionally set a bed on fire after a dispute with his girlfriend, while they were still in it.
Police responded Monday, March 9, to a report of a fire that had been intentionally set inside a home on Beechnut Hill Road, according to the Wiscasset Police Department.
Investigators say the homeowner, Terry Couture, 41, set the bed on fire following an argument while both he and his girlfriend were in it. Authorities said the fire was extinguished and no serious injuries were reported.
Couture was arrested and charged with attempted murder, arson, aggravated criminal mischief, and domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.
CLIFTON, Maine (WABI) – Maine Maple Sunday is less than two weeks away, and the Williams Family Farm in Clifton is gearing up for one of the sweetest seasons yet.
A long stretch of frost and snow meant a late start this year, but the first boil of sap has finally run through the evaporator, and maple season is officially underway.
At Williams Family Farm, everything is done by hand:
Fresh maple syrup, bottled on-site
Maple sugar, carefully extracted in small batches
Baked candied pecans, cashews, and more
The Williams family has spent years working with whatever weather sends their way.
Long winters, surprise warmups, and everything in between—they’ve learned how to adapt so community members can enjoy their products.
Advertisement
As co-owner John Williams explains, the key is in the temperature.
“You need to have it warm during the day and still freezing at night, so typically that’s the middle of February,” said Williams. “We have a lot of trees, so we have to start tapping them before the conditions are ideal, so we start tapping way before it’s time for it to run just so we can get them all tapped. If you have ten trees in your backyard, you want to wait until roughly now, the middle of February to now, and when it’s actually running and put them in then because you can put all your taps in, in one day.”
They’re excited to welcome the community during Maine Maple Weekend on March 21 and 22.
They will be boiling up sap, hosting demonstrations, and providing free samples.
Locals can also join them for their third annual pancake breakfast where all proceeds are donated to Holbrook Recreation.
Advertisement
Follow the link to find out their hours for March and more.
People watch from the gallery during a 2026 House of Representatives session at the Maine State House in Augusta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)
The ad begins with a woman standing in a department store who sort of looks like Gov. Janet Mills, but not quite.
“Introducing the Janet Mills collection, featuring a confusing choice that forces girls to compete against biological males,” the female narrator says over banal instrumental music as the video cuts to “Mills” holding a stopwatch by an outdoor track.
The Mills collection comes “with a no-parent-permission-required estrogen kit,” the narrator continues, as the imposter holds a kit of syringes while patting a boy’s hair, which seems suspiciously stiff. The commercial ends with a real picture of the governor.
Advertisement
As far as ads generated by artificial intelligence go, the one from the National Republican Senatorial Committee is not very convincing. But the commercial serves as a reminder about how the emerging technology is being integrated into political campaigns and other areas of life in Maine.
If state Democratic leaders get their way, AI-generated ads like this won’t be allowed in Maine without a disclaimer.
As AI technology rapidly improves, state policymakers are weighing a variety of measures that could affect how Mainers interact with it. They are taking a two-pronged approach to protect people, especially children, from potential harms — while also preparing for the possible benefits.
Gov. Janet Mills acknowledges the Maine State Legislature as she begins her final State of the State Address in the House Chamber in Augusta on Jan. 27 (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)
The technology comes in the form of virtual personal assistants, internet search results and targeted advertising by businesses. It’s being used by governments for things ranging from traffic signals to budgets and policymaking to facial recognition to surveillance.
Mills said in a written statement that AI could help improve lives, drive economic growth and solve complex problems, but that it must be used in a “prudent, responsible, and ethical manner.”
“As AI becomes more prevalent in our society, its considerable promise must be balanced against harms — known and unforeseen — that can emerge from its widespread use,” she said. “It’s clear we’re only at the beginning of AI’s evolution.”
Advertisement
The governor has proposed $6.7 million in her supplemental budget to begin implementing some of the recommendations of a 21-member task force she created last year to study the issue.
Her proposal, which is being reviewed by lawmakers, would create a statewide AI literacy campaign; fund local and state partnerships to help municipalities use the technology and offer grants to support job training programs to keep Maine’s workforce competitive and productive in AI-enabled workplaces, among other things.
Lawmakers, meanwhile, are considering bills to address potential harms. In a rare bipartisan move, Republicans and Democrats voted unanimously last month in support of a bill (LD 524) making AI-generated child sex abuse material illegal. But that bill must receive about $55,000 before it can be sent to the governor.
They are also considering bills:
To require political ads in state and local elections to include a disclosure when AI-generated or altered material is used (LD 517).
To stop human-like chatbots or social AI companions from interacting with children (LD 2162).
And to regulate how the technology is used in mental health settings (LD 2082).
Last year, lawmakers passed a measure including AI-generated images in the state’s ban on so-called “revenge porn,” and one requiring companies to inform consumers when they’re interacting with an AI assistant. Mills signed both into law.
Other proposals regulating AI use in medical and dental insurance claims and in setting rents died in committees. So did one prohibiting the use of AI in “dynamic pricing,” in which businesses use the technology to offer different real-time prices to different consumers.
Advertisement
Over 1,000 measures focusing on artificial intelligence were debated in state capitols last year, the National Conference of State Legislatures said.
Some states, such as Colorado and California, are taking steps to enact a broad regulatory framework for AI. California has provisions preventing discrimination in the workplace and requiring watermarks on AI content and transparency around data used to produce reports.
But Maine lawmakers are seeking to address potential harms on a case-by-case basis — at least for now.
Rep. Amy Kuhn. D-Falmouth, is leading House Democratic efforts to regulate artificial intelligence. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)
“I think of it as almost a whack-a-mole type of approach where we are developing legislation that very narrowly addresses specific harms of AI,” said Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, who is taking the lead for House Democrats.
“That sort of overarching regulatory framework just feels a little premature for Maine to me right now. I want to see that work its way through the states and let some other states take a swing before we get in there.”
Republicans, however, are worried about overregulation.
Advertisement
Rep. Jennifer Poirier, R-Skowhegan, supports protecting children from artificial intelligence caused by AI, but thinks adults need to use common sense. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)
Rep. Jennifer Poirier, R-Skowhegan, said her caucus is focused on protecting children from potential harms associated with AI, but she worries that regulation will never keep up with AI’s evolution.
“You can’t always legislate your way out of everything,” Poirier said. “If you have a minor that has access to AI, and it can be used to harm them in any way, it’s our responsibility as adults to keep them safe. … But we are adults, and we need to use our own common sense.”
A recent poll from Pan Atlantic Research showed widespread concern about AI, with 66% of the 810 Mainers surveyed saying they’re mostly concerned about the potential problems of AI, while 25% were mostly optimistic.
More advanced programs can generate text, analyze reports and create increasingly lifelike images and videos. A recent AI video purporting to show Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt throwing down over the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein raised alarm bells in Hollywood over its realism.
Other programs have been used by businesses in ways critics say can be exploitative. Consumer Reports recently published a story about how the online grocery shopping service Instacart used AI to charge certain customers higher prices — up to 23% more — if they were flagged as having higher incomes. Instacart reportedly stopped offering stores this option for “surveillance pricing” after the story was published in December.
A lobbying effort is underway to promote AI regulation in Maine. The “Protect What’s Human” campaign launched a website earlier this year, and a spokesperson said they have invested about $210,000 in ads supporting AI regulations. The commercials are targeting Republicans voters in the Bangor and Portland regions. The group is planning to spend another $110,000 on TV, streaming services, social media and podcasts.
Advertisement
Other proposals passed by the Legislature reflect lawmakers’ attempts to get ahead of the AI issue in indirect ways.
The House and Senate have each recently passed a strict data privacy law that would greatly restrict the amount of data — a person’s location, browsing and shopping histories and biometric information, for example— that companies can collect, store and sell. One of the main arguments was that such data can be used to train AI models. However, the chambers will have to iron out the differences between their two versions of the measure, LD 1822, if it is to become law.
And local residents are beginning to grapple with proposed data centers, which have been controversial in other parts of the county because they consume large amounts of water. This is especially true for centers powering AI.
Lawmakers are considering a bill, LD 307, to create a moratorium on such centers and establish a state council to study and review the impact of building them in Maine.
Construction is underway on a data center in Aroostook County, while another is being proposed in Sanford. Others have been proposed in Wiscasset and Lewiston, but did not move forward.
Advertisement
“This whole world is shifting to computer everything,” Poirier said, “and it’s important that we keep up with the times on that.”
