Maine
LePage speaks at second day of the Maine GOP convention
Former Gov. Paul LePage was among the many highlights spoke throughout second day of the Maine Republican Conference.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Former Gov. Paul LePage wasted no time criticizing Gov. Janet Mills when he took the stage on the Maine Republican Conference on the Augusta Civic Middle on Saturday.
“Maine folks have had sufficient,” LePage stated. “We’re prepared for change.”
Lots of of Maine Republicans confirmed their help for LePage on Saturday morning.
He criticized Mills’ COVID-19 response, citing among the strongest lockdowns and mandates within the nation, and stated Maine’s financial system took a beating due to it.
“Maine’s financial restoration after the pandemic was useless final in america,” LePage alleged. “We’ve got had the worst restoration in any state in America.”
LePage reportedly cited the U.S. Bureau of Labor when making this assertion, however in line with the division’s web site, within the final yr Maine had higher financial restoration than seven states and Washington, D.C.
He informed supporters that, if re-elected, he would re-instate all well being care staff and first responders who misplaced their job due to Mills’ vaccine mandate on Day 1.
“She provided no flexibility. It was both the shot or the pink slip. Even California. Let me repeat, even California provided options and choices as an alternative of the shot,” LePage informed the group.
This assertion didn’t match info offered by the California Division of Public Well being, which states that California permits for staff with accomplished main collection vaccination and up to date an infection to defer booster dose by as much as 90 days from an infection.
Maine Democrats responded to this weekend’s conference in a press convention after LePage spoke to supporters.
“I believe probably the most ridiculous and least credible lie from his speech and their message from their complete occasion this weekend is that Maine was higher off when LePage was governor,” Drew Gattine, chair of the Maine Democrats, stated.
Democrats touted Mills’ response to the pandemic and the truth that she put more cash within the state’s wet day fund. Additionally they criticize LePage’s method to well being care.
“With merely one stroke of his pen, Medicaid enlargement would have allowed LePage to offer entry to over 90,000 Maine folks, however he refused,” Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Cumberland, stated.
Daughtry cited LePage’s 2018 Medicaid enlargement veto.
Again on the Augusta Civic Middle, former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin spoke to Republicans. Poliquin’s speaking factors included inflation and immigration.
“We’re Republicans. We imagine in immigration. But it surely needs to be authorized,” Poliquin stated.
He stated extra essential than immigrants coming to the U.S. helps Individuals in want.
“I say we deal with Maine and deal with Americans first,” he added.
The previous congressman will face a main challenger in newcomer Liz Caruso on June 14. She stated the D.C. elite must go.
“We should ship somebody with iron convictions and god-fearing principals who will struggle like their life is determined by it, as a result of it does,” she stated.
Caruso stands sturdy on free speech, gun rights and medical freedom by, “accumulating signatures and testifying for the veto of LD 798 the elimination of college vaccine exemptions and in addition the ban of the COVID mandate.”
The conference wraps up Saturday night time, as Republicans sit up for November.
Extra NEWS CENTER Maine tales
Maine
Denver beats Maine men’s hockey with late goal
ORONO — With two of the top three scoring teams in the country on the ice, of course a low-scoring game was the result.
In Friday’s matchup of top-10 teams, the first of two games went to No. 6 Denver, in heartbreaking fashion for seventh-ranked Maine. The Pioneers scored with 20.7 seconds left, on a shot from the point by Cale Ashcroft that deflected off the shin guard of Maine’s David Breazeale and past goalie Albin Boija, giving the reigning NCAA champions a 2-1 win at Alfond Arena.
It came after Maine (12-4-2) lost a faceoff in its defensive zone, then blocked the initial shot. For Maine coach Ben Barr, it was an another example of not doing all the little things in a close game against a strong opponent. In that regard, it was similar to Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Bentley in Portland.
“Our margin of error, and this has been for the whole time that we’ve been here, our margin of error is very, very small. When you play teams like (Denver), that one faceoff matters. It’s disappointing,” Barr said. “We just didn’t do enough to win.”
Both teams are also among the best in the nation in scoring defense. Only Minnesota State allows fewer goals per game than Maine’s 1.76, while Denver (15-4) is tied for seventh in the country, allowing two goals per game. For most of the game, Maine’s defensive effort was strong. Denver went into the game tied with Minnesota as the top scoring team in the country, averaging four goals per game (Maine is third at 3.88 goals per game). While the Pioneers had just four shots in the third period, the winning goal came when the Black Bears couldn’t clear the puck, and Denver had scoring chances throughout the game that were the result of defensive miscues, only for the Black Bears to be bailed out by Boija (22 saves)
“Our guys played hard. We still have two or three players on the back end that are unplayable, and that makes it really hard on the rest of the guys,” Barr said. “They try, it’s just hasn’t clicked for them for some reason. We’ve got to help them.”
A captain, Breazeale agreed that the Black Bears need to do more.
“There’s definitely some good to take away from it. It’s just that last 1% that we as a collective team have got to take forward,” he said. “We made one block, and the puck’s bouncing around. There’s no excuse for it. We’ve got to be able to respond in those big moments, all five guys on the ice, and we weren’t able to do it tonight.”
Denver took a 1-0 lead with a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 2:53 of the second period. Near the left post, Carter King stuffed in the rebound of a shot by Aidan Thompson that ricocheted off the boards behind the net.
The Black Bears tied the game at 18:37 of the second on Frank Djurasevic’s power-play goal past Pioneer goalie Matt Davis (29 saves).
In the third period, Barr shuffled his top two lines, moving wing Josh Nadeau to play with center Harrison Scott and wing Thomas Freel, while moving Ross Mitton to a line with center Nolan Renwick and wing Taylor Makar – a trio that played well together early in the season.
“We were trying to get Josh going. I thought he was a little stale in the first couple periods, to be honest. I thought he was better in the third,” Barr said.
Barr also moved Owen Fowler from wing to center, on a line with wings Anthony Calafiore and Nicholas Niemo. With captain Lyden Breen out indefinitely because of a leg injury, the Black Bears are short-handed at center, Barr said. Right now, he’s trying to find guys who can take draws and win faceoffs.
The loss stings, Breazeale said, but there’s no time to dwell on it. These teams face each at Alfond Arena again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We feel like we’ve got a lot to prove as a team,” Breazeale said, “and tomorrow night we’ve got to come out with that for 60 more minutes.”
Maine
Ellsworth veterinarian to settle allegations over controlled substance storage
An Ellsworth veterinarian has agreed to pay more than $145,000 to settle allegations that he violated the federal Controlled Substances Act.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency was unable to conduct several audits last year at Dr. Alan Toothaker’s registered location because of insufficient record keeping.
An investigation revealed that Toothaker maintained minimal oversight, had improper storage, failed to keep regular inventories and did not keep appropriate records.
U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee said the practice did not have adequate security or oversight, making it very difficult to determine if any substances had gone missing.
Maine
2 dead and several injured in Southern California plane crash
FULLERTON, Calif. — Two people died and 19 were injured Thursday when a small plane crashed through the roof of a sprawling furniture manufacturing building in Southern California where at least 200 people were working, police said.
The people who died were believed to have been on the plane, while those injured were inside the building. The deceased victims will be identified after officials have contacted the next of kin, the Fullerton Police Department said in a statement.
Eleven people were taken to hospitals, while eight were treated and released at the scene, police said.
The plane crashed less than two minutes after taking off from the Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, located 6 miles from Disneyland, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Security camera footage from Rucci Forged, a wheel manufacturer across the street, shows the plane was tilted on its side as it dove into the building, causing a fiery explosion and black plume of smoke.
Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled the blaze and evacuated surrounding businesses, Fullerton police spokesperson Kristy Wells said.
Chris Villalobos, an airport operations worker, came to the warehouse to see what had happened after receiving a phone call about a plane going down nearby. He noted the airplane’s owner was a regular at the airport and has frequently taken off from there.
“He has a hangar here and everything,” Villalobos said.
After taking off, the pilot told air traffic control he was going to turn around to make an emergency landing, but it was unclear what the issue with the plane was, Villalobos said.
The building struck by the plane was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door. There appeared to be sewing machines and textile stock inside.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident and identified the plane as a single-engine, four-seat Van’s RV-10. The National Transportation Safety Board said it also is investigating.
The airport in Fullerton has one runway and a heliport. Metrolink, a regional train line, is nearby and flanks a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouse buildings.
The Fullerton City Council posted a statement on social media calling the crash a “solemn tragedy.”
“The City of Fullerton is committed to providing support for all those affected and working with the agencies involved to uncover the details of this incident,” Mayor Fred Jung said in the statement. “We are grateful for the strength of our community and the compassion we show one another in times of crisis.”
Another four-seat plane crashed into a tree a half-mile from the airport in November while making an emergency landing shortly after takeoff, The Orange County Register reported. Both people on board suffered moderate injuries.
Fullerton is a city of about 140,000 people about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Copyright 2025 NPR
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