Maine
Maine lacks a comprehensive missing persons list, so we made one • Maine Morning Star
No state agency in Maine maintains a publicly available list of all people reported missing to local law enforcement agencies across the state, so we made one.
Maine State Police do have a list of missing persons, but it is limited to cases where foul play was suspected in their disappearance, according to Lt. Thomas Pickering, who heads the unsolved homicides unit.
There are currently only 36 people on the state police’s list. But according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Search (or NamUs), there are 148 missing people in Maine.
That means there are more than 100 people reported missing according to a national government database that Maine does not list.
Maine Morning Star collected data from the national database to build a searchable missing persons list. It includes all 148 people the national government declared missing in Maine.
On Monday, state police opposed a new bill that would require them to maintain a comprehensive, publicly available missing persons list.
Currently, state law designates the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) as the clearinghouse for all missing people in the state. But in lieu of maintaining a statewide list, Maine relies on the NamUs database.
When someone is reported missing to a local police department or sheriff’s office, they are expected to send those details to the medical examiner’s office. However, the medical examiner’s office administrator, Lindsay Chasteen, said that reporting is not enforced.
That means the OCME often finds out about a missing person from the news or social media.
The absence of a list combined with the inconsistent reporting of missing persons makes it more likely that the burden to lead search efforts is put on families, said Maine Rep. Nina Milliken (D-Blue Hill), who introduced legislation Monday that would require Maine State Police to maintain a full list.
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Maine
Immigrant rights coalition reports uptick in ICE detentions across Maine
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition says over the past two weeks its immigrant defense hotline has seen an uptick in reported ICE detentions.
They say this corresponds with a national shift in ICE activity, including bids for local businesses to cooperate with ICE.
In Maine, the arrests follow a broader trend of targeting Black and brown immigrants, including people navigating immigration proceedings.
The coalition, which represents more than 100 organizations, says it’s ready to protect civil and human rights and is urging immigrants to prepare themselves and their families.
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They suggest having the defense hotline ready in case you witness ICE activity, making sure you have important personal documents in case of detention, and reviewing rights around judicial warrants in private spaces, like your home or workplace.
Maine
How a data center derailed $240,000 for affordable housing in Wiscasset
Maine
Mother’s Day brings boom in flower sales across Maine
It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without a stop at the florist.
According to Fox Business, about 154 million flowers are sold during the week of Mother’s Day. So it’s safe to say it was a busy day for stores like Estabrook’s Maine Garden Center and Nursery.
Plenty of families stopped by to pick out flowers on Sunday, looking to choose the perfect bouquet for their moms.
“I think Mother’s Day is tradition, you know, and so it’s great to see families here. We have a lot of new families that have come today for the first time with their young children and their mother. Watching the young kids and seeing how excited they are—their eyes light up at all the beautiful flowers,” Tom Estabrook, president of Estabrook’s, said.
Estabrook says Mother’s Day tends to be a great kickoff to the spring season.
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