Maine

Maine governor vetoes bill to let minimum wage law apply to farm workers

Published

1 year ago

July 19, 2023

Maine governor vetoes bill to let minimum wage law apply to farm workers

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill to pay farm workers in Maine a $13.80 per hour minimum wage was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday, who says she supports the concept but had questions about the bill’s language.

Lawmakers will get an opportunity to override the veto next week.

House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross sponsored the bill, which would cover farmworkers under Maine’s annually indexed minimum wage. But the bill was amended to entitling them to overtime pay as well. The governor, in her veto letter, said changes made at her behest didn’t alleviate her concerns about the “scope of the language.”

Maine will soon expand abortion access, joining a half dozen states that leave it to doctors and patients to make the decision without restrictions on timing.

This undated image provided by the U.S. Navy shows Stanley Willis Allen, a naval aviator killed during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Ensign Stanley W. Allen was laid to rest more than 80 years later in his home state of Georgia, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)

A naval aviator killed during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor has been laid to rest more than 80 years later in his home state of Maine.

FILE - Heavy machinery is used to cut trees to widen an existing Central Maine Power power line corridor to make way for new utility poles, April 26, 2021, near Bingham, Maine. Developers of a project aimed at bringing hydropower from Canada to the New England power grid are trying to sort out how cost increases that occurred during lengthy litigation will be shared. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Partners on a project aimed at bringing Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid are trying to sort out how cost increases during lengthy litigation will be shared.

FILE - Maine's Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the Budget address, Feb. 14, 2023, at the Statehouse in Augusta, Maine. Most Maine workers will get up to 12 weeks of paid time off for family or medical reasons as part of a supplemental budget Mills signed into law on Tuesday, July 11. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Maine Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a supplemental budget that includes establishment of a paid family and medical leave program.

Talbot Ross accused the governor of “using the power of her office to maintain inequality amongst Mainers.”

“In its amended version, this legislation simply would have ensured that farmworkers are paid the same state minimum wage that every single other worker in Maine is paid. It would have recognized that the people who perform the backbreaking labor entailed by harvesting our food should be paid at least as much as the people who serve us a coffee,” she said.

Mills said she intends to issue an executive order to formally reestablish a stakeholder group “to allow for a longer and more in-depth analysis” of the bill with the goal of arriving at “a shared understanding of how to implement a minimum wage bill for farmworkers.” She said she’ll present her own bill next year based on the conclusions.

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Maine

Maine State Police searching for man accused of strangling pregnant partner

Published

4 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

State police are searching for a 41-year-old man they say strangled his pregnant partner.

Dusty O’Brien is wanted for domestic violence aggravated assault, reckless conduct and violating conditions of release, state police said Wednesday. He is out on bail for a separate domestic violence arrest, according to police.

Police say O’Brien strangled his pregnant partner on Tuesday and fled his residence before police arrived.

He is known to frequent the Porter area and other parts of Oxford County.

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Maine

Northern lights could be visible in Maine on Christmas night. How to look for them

Published

13 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Northern lights could be visible in Maine on Christmas night. How to look for them

Parts of the United States could be in for a magical Christmas sight: The Northern Lights.

Alaska and the northern Midwest states have the best chance of getting a glimpse of the dazzling sights, but the northern most reaches of New England may see it too, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Based on maps they released, Maine has the best chance of seeing it tonight.

It’s possible more New England states will get a view of the Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, tomorrow night when the view line dips down into Vermont and New Hampshire.

Map of where Northern Lights may be visible on Christmas 2024

Map: Where Northern Lights may be visible tomorrow

Christmas won’t be the only shot at seeing the Northern Lights from this storm. NOAA is predicting a broader swath will be able to see the Northern Lights tomorrow night, including parts of New Hampshire and Vermont.

How to see the northern lights

The best time to see an aurora is when it’s dark out, usually between an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA. Officials recommend getting away from city lights and sticking to lower latitudes.

“There may be aurora in the evening and morning but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing,” NOAA said.

Where to check the northern lights forecast

To track the latest northern lights forecast, check out these websites:

Are the northern lights dangerous?

The solar storms that cause the northern lights can affect technology by inducing extra currents in the ground that can degrade power grid operations, according to NOAA.

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Maine

Funeral home to hold visitation for Maine singer-songwriter

Published

21 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Funeral home to hold visitation for Maine singer-songwriter

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (WABI) – Visitation for a popular Maine singer and songwriter who died earlier this month will be held in Dover-Foxcroft next week.

Lary Funeral Home announced that visitation for David Mallett, a Piscataquis County native, will be held Monday, December 30th from 4PM to 7PM.

Mallet died at the age of 73 on December 17th after battling cancer.

The funeral homes announcement said that family, friends, and the local community are invited.

Mallett began his music career at the age of 11 when he started singing in a folk duo with his older brother, Neil.

He started writing his own songs while studying acting at the University of Maine.

His most well-known song was “The Garden Song” which was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary, John Denver, Pete Seeger, and The Muppets.

Mallett lived most of his life in Sebec.

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