Northeast
Historic covered bridge closed after truck falls through, creating gaping hole
A historic covered bridge in Maine is closed after an “overweight dump truck” fell through, creating a gaping hole, officials said.
It happened on Babb’s Bridge between Gorham and Windham on Friday afternoon, the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Facebook. The bridge is expected to be closed for months, a press release states.
The Gorham Police Department shared photos of the crash scene on Facebook to alert the public to find an alternate route.
“The excessive weight of the vehicle caused the wooden floor of the bridge structure to give way,” the Facebook post said.
ARMY, SHERIFF’S OFFICE BLAMED FOR MISSING WARNING SIGNS OF MAINE MASS SHOOTER ROBERT CARD: REPORT
Officials said the overweight truck was crossing from Gorham into Windham, Maine, at the time of the crash into the water. (Gorham Police Department)
“The driver should be made to pay for repairing the bridge, it was not designed for large commercial vehicals,” one Facebook user commented on the police department’s post.
MaineDOT says the bridge, which is the state’s oldest – originally built in 1840 – has a posted weight limit of three tons. Police said the dump truck was loaded with crushed gravel, causing MaineDOT to say the truck that caused the damage was likely “several times the posted weight limit.”
It was determined the truck entered the bridge from the Gorham side before falling through the first panel of the bridge deck into the river below.
Babb’s Bridge is a single-lane, state-owned structure that spans the Presumpscot River. MaineDOT says about 360 vehicles cross the bridge daily.
CAR PLUNGES OVER CALIFORNIA’S DEVIL’S SLIDE CLIFF, 3 VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
The truck, which has been identified by local news as a Ford F750, can be seen in the Presumpscot River. (Gorham Police Department)
The bridge has seen its share of troubles. After being burned by vandals in 1973, MaineDOT crews rebuilt an exact replica that opened in 1976. Vandals again struck in 2014, cutting holes in the bridge’s roof. In 2015, the bridge was damaged by a snow plow.
The bridge is inspected by state officials at least every two years. Its last inspection was at the end of last month, MaineDOT said. The three-ton weight limit was posted on the bridge in 1983 and has not changed since then.
Babb’s Bridge was originally built in 1840, but now stands as a replica that was completed in 1976. (Maine Department of Transportation)
The truck driver was identified as Joshua Polewarzyk, 37, of Limington. He was driving a Ford F750, local TV station WMTW reports. He was able to get out of the truck, and suffered minor injuries. When the truck was pulled from the river, the logo of an asphalt contractor named The Driveway Guys was spotted on its side.
“The last time this bridge was damaged, they considered closing it to vehicles and only allowing pedestrian traffic,” a local wrote on the police department’s post. “I hope this doesn’t push that agenda again. This is about a mile from my house and I go this way about 60% of the time.”
Read the full article from Here
New York
In First Campaign Ad, Schlossberg Leans on a Well-Known Name: Pelosi
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy, has built his campaign for a New York City House seat around turning the page on the Democrats’ old guard.
Yet when he debuts his first paid advertisement on Wednesday, the 33-year-old candidate has chosen his party’s oldest living leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, to do the talking.
The choice reflects the unique challenge Mr. Schlossberg faces ahead of a marquee June primary against more seasoned rivals. He may have star power and youth, but he is still trying to persuade aging voters who form the Democratic base that he is serious and experienced enough to represent a storied Manhattan district — home to corporate chieftains, media empires and cultural meccas.
The 30-second ad, which was shared first with The New York Times, uses Ms. Pelosi, a former House speaker, to make his case. In it, the congresswoman, 86, speaks directly to the camera to say that Mr. Schlossberg has “a deep sense of duty” and the kind of energy that could help propel Democrats back to power nationally.
“This moment calls for leaders who understand the stakes and how to deliver for the people they serve,” she says, sometimes over clips of him campaigning. “Jack Schlossberg is that kind of leader.”
Mr. Schlossberg is among the first candidates in New York’s 12th District to start spending on paid media. But a handful of super PACs funded by competing A.I. companies and former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have already burned through millions of dollars trying to sway voters toward or away from his rivals.
Mr. Schlossberg’s outlay will be relatively modest in comparison. The campaign said it would initially spend $70,000 on digital platforms, and eventually add more digital spending and $250,000 in broadcast TV time — a relatively small sum in the nation’s most expensive media market.
Mr. Schlossberg, who has reported inherited assets between $10 million and $32 million, said he would not be spending any of his own money in the race. He does not have a super PAC behind him.
While there has been no real public polling to date, private polls released by several of Mr. Schlossberg’s rivals have all narrowly put him in the lead.
With two months left until Primary Day, two state assemblymen — Alex Bores and Micah Lasher — are not far behind; followed by George Conway, a former Republican turned high-profile antagonist of President Trump, and Nina Schwalbe, a public health expert. Because the seat is safely Democratic, the primary winner will almost certainly win the general election to replace Representative Jerrold Nadler, who is retiring.
Mr. Schlossberg, earlier known for a head-turning social media presence, has largely tried to portray his opponents as old-fashioned, risk-averse establishment figures who have not been able to check Mr. Trump. They, in turn, have raised doubts about the thinness of his résumé, which includes no long-term traditional work experience, elected or otherwise.
In an interview, Mr. Schlossberg said it was an obvious choice to turn to Ms. Pelosi, who is perhaps her party’s most respected elder stateswoman.
“Speaker Pelosi is the backbone of our party,” he said. “She most importantly understands better than anyone how the House of Representatives works and what the Democratic Party needs right now.”
Yet embracing Ms. Pelosi may also have its costs, complicating Mr. Schlossberg’s attempts to position himself as an outsider and a fresh face by reminding voters of his family’s deep ties to the Democratic establishment.
Mr. Schlossberg said he believes he first met Ms. Pelosi when he was in high school. Alongside his family, he presented her with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2019.
The candidate said Ms. Pelosi asked to meet with him in her Washington office before she endorsed his campaign in February.
“I printed out all my plans I have for the district and the country,” he said. “She read them over and quizzed me.”
An earlier version of the ad shared with The Times included footage of Mr. Schlossberg and Ms. Pelosi spending time with his mother, the former ambassador Caroline Kennedy, and his niece, the daughter of his sister Tatiana Schlossberg. (Ms. Schlossberg, who was an environmental journalist, died in December after a fight with blood cancer that she chronicled in a widely read essay.) That footage was cut from the final ad before it was distributed.
In the interview, Mr. Schlossberg said he exempted Ms. Pelosi from his critique of this party’s aging officials — and argued voters would, too.
“I put her in a category of her own,” he said. “She has magic that doesn’t age. It wins.”
Boston, MA
Fancy Hats Can Be Cool
News
Ellie Ayati-Jian and Jaine Davies, two Greater Boston milliners, are raising the brim—and the bar.
Pretty in pink, blue, and yellow and festooned with ribbon, feathers, and a bold flower, this fascinator was created by Ellie Jian Millinery. / Photo by Steph Larsen / Styling by Abby Brenc for Anchor Artists
At spring events like the Kentucky Derby and Boston’s own “hat luncheon,” the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s annual Party in the Park, hats have long shaped the conversation—an expected flourish of brim and bloom marking the start of the season. In recent years, however, the role of the hat has evolved, from celebratory flourish to considered craft.
Leading that charge locally is Ellie Jian Millinery, the Newton studio founded by Ellie Ayati-Jian. Trained in architecture and interior design, Ayati-Jian brings a structural sensibility to her work, approaching millinery less as ornament and more as wearable design. Her hats—ranging from floral fascinators to structured couture pieces—are engineered with intention, balancing form, proportion, and comfort. “What drew me in was the energy and sense of community around derby events,” Ayati-Jian says. “They bring together fashion, tradition, and celebration in a very social way.” That social element remains central to her work: She’s a familiar presence at Boston events, often modeling her own designs to show how even bold headpieces can feel approachable.
This Ellie Jian Millinery pink fascinator is anchored by deep blue handmade flower. / Photo by Steph Larsen / Styling by Abby Brenc for Anchor Artists
Ayati-Jian’s creative process begins not with sketching, but with research—architecture, art, fashion history, or a client’s personal story—until a concept emerges. She often spends days gathering visual references before touching a single material, allowing a narrative to emerge before form takes shape. From there, she shapes and refines her hats by hand.
Ayati-Jian says toppers incorporating clean shapes, softer brims, and sculptural forms are now trending—which, given the city’s fashion predilections, is a big advantage. “Boston style is generally more conservative, and I think that works beautifully with this direction,” she says. “Bostonians appreciate quality, craftsmanship, and timeless design.”
The “Monaco” by IndigoHats is made of silk with a peacock feather. / Photo courtesy of Jaine Davies/IndigoHats
She’s not the only one taking advantage of the recent hat craze. Raised in England near a major horse race, Jaine Davies, whose millinery studio, IndigoHats, is based on the South Shore, grew up immersed in a culture where hats signaled occasion. Her ideas often begin in a small notebook she carries everywhere, filled with details spotted at museum exhibitions and in historical garments. “Couture runway shows are really important to study,” says Davies, who observes the season’s designer dresses closely, translating their colors, embroidery, and silhouettes into hats ready for her studio. She handblocks each piece on traditional wooden forms and sews every hat by hand, pairing time-honored techniques with an adventurous use of materials. Alongside classic straws, Davies works with Dupioni silks, richly patterned textiles, beadwork, and meticulously crafted feather flowers designed to be as light as they are dramatic.
For Davies, drama and discipline go hand in hand. “I want to wow from a distance and impress close up with how well made they are,” she says. Indeed, her hats accomplish exactly that.
The shop’s “Aster” is a pillbox style with quills and sophisticated veiling. / Photo courtesy of Jaine Davies/IndigoHats
This article was first published in the print edition of the April 2026 issue, with the headline,“Head First.”
Pittsburg, PA
Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Don Toliver and more Pittsburgh concerts in May
-
New York57 minutes agoIn First Campaign Ad, Schlossberg Leans on a Well-Known Name: Pelosi
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoAtlanta 5, Detroit 2: Adding injuries to insult
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoNew cell tower being built in San Francisco neighborhood despite pushback
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoMIN@DAL Postgame: Miro Heiskanen | Dallas Stars
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoHighway 41 fire burns thousands of acres, threatens structures in west Miami-Dade
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoFancy Hats Can Be Cool
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDaily Horoscope for April 29, 2026
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoWEST SEATTLE ART: Pre-World Cup mural