Maine

Boys’ hockey: 2024 Varsity Maine All-State team

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2024

Boys’ hockey: 2024 Varsity Maine All-State team

Dylan Blue, Lewiston senior forward: A finalist for the Travis Roy Award, Blue was a leader for Lewiston this season, helping the Blue Devils win their first state championship since 2020 and 25th title overall. Blue had 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points. Consistent throughout the season, Blue scored two goals in four games, and recorded a point in 16 of the Blue Devils 21 games.

Ethan Blue, Lewiston senior defenseman: The twin brother of Dylan Blue, Ethan was a strong defensive presence for the Blue Devils, while adding some scoring punch as well. Blue led Lewiston in scoring with 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points, one more than his brother. Blue had a goal and four assists in Lewiston’s three playoff wins, and scored in each of the Blue Devils’ final 13 games.

Will Keach, Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-New Gloucester senior forward: The leading scorer in Class B South with 25 goals and 27 assists, Keach was a key player in PLOG’s run to its first regional final and 17-win season. Keach had seven games in which he registered three or more points. One of the top wide receivers in the state last fall at Leavitt, Keach plans to play football next fall at either Maine Maritime Academy or Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Billy Kurzius, Camden Hills senior defenseman: The top defenseman in Class B North, Kurzius logged a ton of minutes for the Windjammers as he led a young defensive unit that improved throughout the season. Kurzius scored 19 goals and 14 assists while regularly defending the opponents’ top offensive players. A key on Camden Hills’ power play unit, Kurzius had four goals and four assists on the man advantage. He is undecided on his college plans.

Ayden Lockard, Marshwood/Noble/Sanford, senior forward: A semifinalist for the Travis Roy Award, Lockard led the Knighthawks to the Class A playoffs with 23 goals and nine assists for 32 points. Lockard’s 12-goal, three-assist performance over four consecutive late season wins helped the Knighthawks clinch a Class A playoff spot. The Sanford senior plans to attend Nichols College, where he’ll play lacrosse. Lockard also plans to play for the Seacoast Spartans U18 hockey team next year.

Tobey Lappin, Portland/South Portland senior forward: A finalist for the Travis Roy Award, Lappin was the offensive leader for the Beacons, a co-op of Portland, Deering, and South Portland high schools, in its first season. Lappin scored 19 goals and 12 assists, helping the Beacons reach the Class A semifinals. Lappin plans to attend Maine Maritime Academy, where he’ll play lacrosse.

Owen McManus, Camden Hills senior forward: The Varsity Maine Player of the Year, McManus was the top scorer in boys hockey this season, tallying 40 goals and 31 assists for 71 points. McManus was at his best in the biggest games, scoring 11 goals in four playoff games to lead the Windjammers to the Class B North title for the second time in three seasons. Also a standout lacrosse player, McManus is undecided about his college plans.

Kadan Neureuther, Lake Region/Oxford Hills/Fryeburg senior forward: The top scorer in Class A this season, Neureuther was a finalist for the Travis Roy Award. Neureuther scored 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points, including seven goals over his final five games. Neureuther was dangerous in all aspects of special teams, scoring three power play and four shorthanded goals. A senior at Oxford Hills, he plans to continue his hockey career at Central Maine Community College.

Timothee Ouellette, St. Dominic senior forward: The winner of the Travis Roy Award as the top player in Class A boys hockey, Ouellette scored 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points to lead the Saints. Ouellette’s scoring touch helped the Saints win 13 games, the most since winning 14 in 2020. Ouellette is the St. Dom’s player to win the Travis Roy Award, and first in 15 years, since Richard Paradis in 2009.

Gabe Pomerleau, Lewiston junior goalie: Pomerleau was outstanding down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs, helping the Blue Devils win the Class A state title. Pomerleau shut out Bangor in the state championship game just days after shutting out defending state champ Thornton Academy in the semifinals. Including the regular season, Pomerleau posted a shutout in five of the final six games of the season. For the year, he had a .940 save percentage and 1.41 goals against average.

David Swift, Cheverus/Yarmouth senior defenseman: The defensive leader of his team, Swift was a key contributor to Cheverus/Yarmouth’s first state championship in its four-year history as a co-op program. Along with his stellar defense, Swift scored nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points, including the game-winning goal in the 4-3 victory over Camden Hills in the Class B state championship game. A Yarmouth senior, Swift plans to attend Bates College and play baseball.

Brandon White, Falmouth junior goalie: After the Navigators graduated the top two scorers in Class A, the team knew defense would be a key to success in 2023-24. In that regard, White was Falmouth’s rock. White was in between the pipes for every game this season, and finished with a .932 save percentage and 1.66 goals against average. White had four shutouts while leading Falmouth to 11 wins.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Jason Rouleau, Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-New Gloucester: Under Rouleau this season, PLOG enjoyed its best season since forming a co-op team in 2016. The team won 15 games in the regular season and two more in the playoffs to reach the Class B South finals. The two playoff wins were the first in program history.

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Maine

Maine could face $50M in penalties from federal food assistance policy changes

Published

9 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

Maine could face M in penalties from federal food assistance policy changes

Maine could face up to $50 million in penalties next year due to errors in its payments for federal food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture find that Maine’s error rate last year was nearly 11%, the bulk of which were overpayments. That’s in line with the U.S. average. But starting in October of next year, states with error rates above 6% must cover a portion of the SNAP benefits.

Anna Korsen, executive director of Full Plates, Full Potential, said the overpayments aren’t fraud — they’re human error. She said this new cost-shifting policy enacted last year under the Trump administration further complicates the SNAP application process.

“Instead, we could make this program more accessible and more efficient,” Korsen said. “And that would reduce the number of errors and also ensure that Mainers who are eligible for SNAP have access to it.”

She’s urging Congress to delay or reverse the policy under the farm bill that’s currently under consideration.

Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services said it’s taking steps to reduce the error rate, including modernizing its systems and hiring an additional 40 eligibility specialists.

This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.

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Maine

Maine driver to honor friend Kyle Busch during Celebration of America 300

Published

19 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Press Room

Maine driver to honor friend Kyle Busch during Celebration of America 300

PORTLAND (WGME) — The third annual Celebration of America 300 is set for Thursday night at Oxford Plains Speedway.

This race was a favorite of NASCAR star Kyle Busch, who tragically passed away back in May. He was just 41.

Now, a Maine-born driver who worked on Busch’s team is ready to take the 8 car into victory lane.

For the past five years, Windham native Derek Kneeland was Busch’s eye in the sky, working as a spotter for the cup star. Kneeland says his relationship with Busch was like a brotherhood.

“I was fortunate enough where I got to have a personal relationship with him,” Kneeland said. “He came up, and he ran several races with me in late models and stuff at Oxford and Lee Speedway, and we got to do a lot of cool things together.”

Kneeland says dealing with the sudden loss has been both painful and difficult.

“It’s still hard,” Kneeland said. “I’m having a hard time with it. The weekdays are the hardest. At the track is where I’m most comfortable.”

Kneeland will be at the track and behind the wheel Thursday night, competing in the Celebration of America 300, driving the number 8 car.

“You know, a few days after everything went down, his dad called me, and his dad is a man of very few words, and I said, ‘You know, I’m thinking about running the 8 or 51 as long as I have your guys’ blessing, I would like to do that.’ And he said, ‘Short track world knows him as 51, but the world knows him as 8,’” Kneeland said.

Kneeland says it will be an emotional race, but he’s confident he’ll have a special co-pilot leading the way.

“Hoping he’s going to be on my shoulder and give me the guiding way and but to win it for Kyle, I think that would put the stamp on it,” Kneeland said.

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Maine

ICE arrests operator of midcoast Maine market

Published

1 day ago

June 29, 2026

Press Room

ICE arrests operator of midcoast Maine market

FRIENDSHIP, Maine — A federal judge has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement not to relocate a Friendship man who ICE agents arrested Saturday.

Dhavalkumar Kalidas Patel was seized by four ICE agents at Wallace’s Market, which Patel and his wife operate on Harbor Road in Friendship.

His wife said the agents did not say why he was being taken away in handcuffs.

Attorney Audrey Richardson of Greater Boston Legal Services filed a motion for habeas corpus, meaning he is to be brought to a court in person.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts issued an emergency order hours after Patel was seized that prohibits him from being moved elsewhere.

“To provide a fair opportunity for the judge who will be randomly assigned to this case to review the merits of the petition and to rule on any contested issues of jurisdiction, unless otherwise ordered by the assigned judge, respondents will not remove the petitioner from the jurisdiction of the United States or transfer petitioner to a judicial district outside that of Massachusetts for a period of at least 72 hours from the time this Order is docketed,” Talwani wrote.

Patel is being held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The petition filed by the attorney representing Patel argues that he is being held unlawfully.

No further hearing dates have been scheduled, but the federal government has until July 6 to file a response.

Richardson issued a statement on the arrest.

“This is another example of ICE illegally and illegitimately taking someone who is working hard to support their family,” she said, including a child born in the United States. “The family is a critical part of the fabric of a small community.”

The Patels have operated the store since 2024. The attorney said ICE agents initially did not even identify themselves. They did not say where he was being taken but he was allowed to make a call when they stopped in Scarborough.

Rob Sample, a customer of the store, said he could not understand why such an action was taken.

“We appreciate them,” he said of the Patel family, adding that they work hard to provide a community service by operating the store.

Knox County Sheriff Patrick Polky said ICE notified his department after its action. He noted the agency is not required to notify the department.

Patel is a native of India.

This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.

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