Maine
Maine nurses hold vigils to honor Alex Pretti
PORTLAND (WGME) – Maine nurses from medical centers across the state are holding vigils Friday night to honor Alex Pretti, who was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis last week.
There was one in Bangor, and another vigil in Portland.
Maine nurses held these vigils to remember Pretti and all those who have been killed by federal immigration agents.
Pretti was protesting ICE’s presence in Minnesota, along with thousands of other people, the day before he was killed.
Maine nurses from medical centers across the state are holding vigils Friday night to honor Alex Pretti, who was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis last week. (WGME)
The Maine State Nurses Association is the group behind these vigils.
The organization isn’t only honoring those who have been killed by ICE agents, they’re calling on Congress to halt all funding for ICE and reverse the agency’s $85 billion budget.
The organization says 32 people across the country died in ICE’s custody last year, and many of those detainees died from lack of medical care.
According to government records, ICE has stopped paying outside medical providers for detainee care since October of last year.
In Maine, one nurse says some of her patients aren’t showing up to appointments because they are afraid to leave their homes.
“What we saw a lot of this week was people not showing up for their appointments,” nurse Taylor Wescott said. “We would call and check in. I’m a labor and delivery nurse, especially at the end of a pregnancy, they are presenting frequently to their scheduled routine visits, and we had multiple days where nobody came.”
AUGUSTA (WGME) — Lawmakers are in talks over a potential solution to help solve Maine’s housing crisis.
It involves repurposing vacant schools and providing towns the support to do so.
Lawmakers are in talks over a potential solution to help solve Maine’s housing crisis. (WGME)
Bill sponsor Traci Gere is calling it a common sense solution.
“It’s a win-win for everyone involved. The community, the folks who will be living there in the future and the developers,” Gere said.
Data from the state shows there are more than two dozen vacant school buildings across Maine. Gabe Gauvin from the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority says some towns don’t have the means to do anything about it.
“Demographic trends indicate closures will continue. This list stands to grow dramatically,” Gauvin said.
Lawmakers are in talks over a potential solution to help solve Maine’s housing crisis. (WGME)
Gauvin and the Maine Development Land Bank Authority support Gere’s bill.
It would establish the Vacant School Housing Conversion program, along with a $5 million annual fund to support school conversions. Gere says it not only fulfills the ongoing need for housing but also rehabilitates buildings already in the community.
“It does really have that warm place in the community’s heart. People don’t want to see it deteriorate and fall apart. People want to see it used for productive reuse, whether it’s for something that is housing related,” Gere said. “We want to make sure to leverage those and use those sources as much as possible to make sure these buildings become housing that people can affordable.”
Lawmakers are in talks over a potential solution to help solve Maine’s housing crisis. (WGME)
Gauvin says the money would go towards helping municipalities pay costs for planning, construction and infrastructure improvements.
If passed, the bill would also mandate the Redevelopment Housing Authority to submit an annual report to the legislature on the group’s progress.
BATH, Maine (WGME) — A new trial began on Tuesday for a Maine man accused of killing his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter in Edgecomb.
Tyler Witham-Jordan is charged with depraved indifference murder for the death of Makinzlee Handrahan.
On Christmas morning in 2022, Handrahan’s mother, Faith Lewis, called 911 around 7:30 a.m. after finding her daughter cold, stiff, bruised, and not breathing.
Dispatchers said they heard the girl’s mother say, “Oh my god, I think my daughter’s dead.”
A photo of 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan is shown during{ }Tyler Witham-Jordan’s trial. Witham-Jordan is accused of killing Handrahan in 2022 in Edgecomb. (WGME)
Her boyfriend, later identified as Witham-Jordan, could be heard saying, “I’m f—-d” and “I’m finished.”
First responders said they found bruises all over the little girl’s body.
The medical examiner ruled her cause of death blunt force trauma and said she had internal injuries.
According to court documents, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said there was a DHHS investigation in October 2022 after Handrahan’s daycare reported she had a scratch and bruises, which her mother and Witham-Jordan said were caused by a cat scratch and falling on the stairs. Investigators said there was also purple swelling under her eye at the time.
Police said Witham-Jordan was still living with Handrahan and her mother months later when she was found dead on Christmas.
Witham-Jordan’s first trial began in December 2024.
During the trial, the state claimed Witham-Jordan had been agitated that the child had been sick around the holiday and was looking to get high.
“All 27 pounds of her was killed, quietly and discreetly. No one heard her die,” state prosecutor Lia Bogue said. “He wanted to get together with his connection on Christmas Eve because he needed more drugs.”
Both sides focused on early morning texts between Witham-Jordan and Lewis about checking on her, because she had been in bed for hours.
The apartment complex off Route 1 in Edgecomb where 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan lived. She died on Christmas Day 2022. Her death has been ruled a homicide. (WGME)
Defense attorney Jim Howaniec said the state didn’t have evidence that Witham-Jordan committed the crime.
Attorneys gave theories about DNA evidence at the scene, including on a comb with a “huge” clump of the child’s hair found in the bathroom. The defense accused Lewis of committing the murder instead.
However, Witham-Jordan’s first trial ended in a mistrial after Handrahan’s mother was shown her daughter’s battered body and cried out at Witham-Jordan, “What did you do to my baby?”
Because of that, the defense asked for a mistrial, and the judge granted it.
Witham-Jordan’s second trial began on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.
Maine
Maine High School Boys Basketball Tournament: 5 Standouts from the Class B South Quarterfinals
After a day off from play, the Maine high school basketball tournament returned to action Monday. The Class B boys quarterfinals took over the Portland Expo all afternoon and into the evening. Here are the standouts from the four games.
A senior guard, Martin posted a game-bests 19 points and 5 assists to go with 4 steals and 3 rebounds to lift the sixth-seeded Knights to a 68-63 win over No. 3 Lake Region. He also made an efficient 8 of 12 shots in knocking off the same team that sent Poland home last year.
Martin isn’t just a basketball player, he won the Campbell Conference Player of the Year in the fall as a quarterback safety for Poland’s football team. The Knights won a combined seven games Martin’s first two years of high school.
“Honestly, if I was freshman and sophomore me and I was telling myself I’d be in the quarterfinals, I would never believe it,” Martin said, per the Portland Press Herald. “Our guys have turned our program around completely and I’m very proud.”
The duo combined for 48 of 57 points for the No. 2 Panthers in a 16-point victory over No. 10 Lincoln Academy.
Nguyen, a senior and Mr. Maine Basketball semifinalist, erupted for 27 points on 12 of 17 shooting. The 6-3 senior guard also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Donlin, a 6-3 junior forward, scored 21 points, hauled in five rebounds and blocked two shots. The Panthers built a double-digit halftime lead that went mostly unchallenged.
The No. 4 Clippers held seeding with a 63-56 win over No. 5 Leavitt, and the 6-4 senior forward posted 13 points on 5-8 shooting and game-highs of 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Five different players scored 10+ points for Yarmouth in a balanced effort.
The 5-10 sophomore guard scored a game-best 21 points in the top-seeded Wildcats 63-45 win over No, 9 Gray-New Gloucester. He made 7 of 13 shots and all five of his free-throws, plus puled down five rebounds and posted two steals and assists apiece for the reigning state champs.
Class B South Semifinals schedule
Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Portland Expo
No. 6 Poland vs. No. 2 Medomak Valley, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Yarmouth vs. No. 1 York, 6:45 p.m.
Games will be streamed on WHOU.live.
San Francisco mayor advances legislation for new sobering center in SoMA neighborhood
Dallas man pleads for wife’s release after ICE detention during immigration check-in
Long-term housing is the only way to avert tragedies like the one at South Station – The Boston Globe
Denver’s Underground Music Showcase moves to RiNo; “It’s sort of the perfect marriage”
Burien, WA cold weather shelter expected to hit capacity as temperatures fall
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Inside world’s top science society’s convention bashing Trump, pushing DEI, pronouns: ‘Felt like a funeral’
Romanian minister backs EU joint debt in push to reboot economy
The U.S. falters again in figure skating, but the women still have time to make it up
‘It is not going away’: Enten on Epstein files’ effect on Trump admin
‘ShamWow Guy’ reveals what is motivating him to run for Congress: ‘This woke mess won’t clean itself’
-
Illinois1 week ago2026 IHSA Illinois Wrestling State Finals Schedule And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Culture1 week agoTry This Quiz on Passionate Lines From Popular Literature
-
Science1 week agoTorrance residents call for the ban of ‘flesh-eating’ chemical used at refinery
-
Politics1 week agoWest Virginia worked with ICE — 650 arrests later, officials say Minnesota-style ‘chaos’ is a choice
-
Health6 days agoJames Van Der Beek shared colorectal cancer warning sign months before his death
-
Science1 week agoVideo: Why Mountain Lions in California Are Threatened
-
Politics5 days agoCulver City, a crime haven? Bondi’s jab falls flat with locals
-
Atlanta, GA6 days agoFulton County man arrested after SWAT standoff over alleged dog beheading