Maine
Maine legislators fund first public defenders, climate education during final day in session
AUGUSTA, Maine (WMTW) – Maine legislators tied up free ends on Monday, their remaining scheduled day of this 12 months’s session, by passing $12 million in new spending, together with for the state’s first government-employed public protection attorneys and for a brand new initiative to advance local weather schooling in faculties.
The legislature agreed to spend $1.2 million so the state’s fee on indigent authorized companies can rent 5 protection attorneys, bodily primarily based in Augusta, to roam the place wanted.
They’ll complement the community of 280 non-public attorneys at present dealing with indigent protection work.
Maine, till now, has been the one state with zero state-employed public defenders, court-appointed attorneys for folks accused of crimes who can’t afford illustration, a proper assured by the Sixth Modification of the U.S. Structure.
“It’s a begin, and we’ll take it as an essential first step,” stated Democratic Home Judiciary Committee Chairman Thom Harnett, who supported the invoice. “Hopefully this works and demonstrates {that a} public defender’s workplace, even when it’s a hybrid mannequin nonetheless with non-public attorneys, is the best way for Maine to satisfy its constitutional obligation in a greater vogue than it’s proper now.”
The invoice had bipartisan help.
“If we would not have justice for the poor, then we don’t have justice in any respect,” stated Sen. Lisa Keim, a Republican from Oxford County who voted for the invoice. “That is going to make sure that folks in rural Maine have illustration, and proper now that’s the place assets are scare, and we want to verify folks get there.”Nevertheless, the invoice fell in need of reformers’ targets to fund a mannequin, full-fledged, public defender’s workplace — proposed for Kennebec and Somerset counties — or a pay elevate from $80 to $100 an hour, together with bills, for these non-public attorneys doing indigent protection work.
Harnett stated, “I’m disillusioned that that didn’t occur, however having stated that, I’m heartened by the truth that we’re hiring public protection attorneys to do that work.”
Legislators additionally agreed to spend $2 million to coach lecturers to teach kindergarten by way of twelfth grade college students concerning the local weather and associate with exterior organizations to take action.
The invoice’s sponsor, Rep. Lydia Blume, a Democrat from York, stated, “We want our younger folks to have an open thoughts, to know what the science is, to know what the challenges will probably be for the long run – their future.”
The funds can pay for a Maine Division of Training administrator to verify all 16 counties take part.
One other $250,000 will launch a state local weather corps, modeled on AmeriCorps, for Mainers 18 -and-older to help communities in local weather resilience planning.
“It’s going to supply an entire new era of younger Mainers the possibility to serve and likewise acquire priceless job abilities as effectively,” stated the invoice’s sponsor, Rep. Morgan Rielly, a Democrat from Westbrook. “A few of these abilities that they’d be getting can be stuff like photo voltaic panel set up.”
Total, the $12 million accepted Monday amounted to only one% of the state’s $1.2 billion in accepted spending this 12 months, a income surplus, greater than 60% if which is being returned to 9 out of 10 state taxpayers in $850 checks.
The legislature additionally voted on Monday to develop the state’s “Good Samaritan” legislation for folks responding to a drug overdose.
The invoice will grant immunity from prosecution to any particular person who renders assist to somebody experiencing an overdose.
Present legislation solely protects individuals who name 911 for emergency assist or the particular person overdosing.
The invoice’s sponsor, Sen. Chloe Maxmin, a Democrat from Lincoln County, stated, “Folks want entry to Narcan and to the emergency companies that can save lives. There are additionally so many applications in Maine, like our choices program, for instance, and other people can get linked to these assets and join with restoration neighborhood help programs except they name 911.”
Maxmin cited analysis displaying 90% of Mainers close to or experiencing an overdose don’t name 911 for concern of repercussions.
Maine skilled a file 636 deadly drug overdoses final 12 months.
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Maine
Maine Water, Coastal Mountains Land Trust protect more watershed land
Maine Water and the Coastal Mountains Land Trust celebrated a decade of working together Sept. 18 by announcing an agreement to add another 29 acres on Spruce Mountain to the more than 1,500 acres of open space on Maine’s Midcoast that the two organizations have already protected.
Maine Water also presented the land trust with a $10,000 donation to fund the group’s continued conservation work.
“One of our top priorities, by necessity, is the high quality of the drinking water that we deliver to Maine families,” said Mark Vannoy, President of Maine Water, in a Sept. 25 news release. “Through our partnership with the CMLT we secured this water supply in perpetuity, for those who follow us. We’ve found the land trust to be an ideal partner, not only for the purpose of protecting the area’s drinking water, but also for making the land available for light recreation so that families can get out and enjoy our incredible natural resources.”
At a ceremony held Sept. 18 at the Ragged Mountain Thorndike Brook Trailhead, Coastal Mountains Land Trust Executive Director Ian Stewart noted Maine Water’s decision about a decade ago to partner on conservation initiatives, rather than sell land the company had been acquiring since the late 1800s.
“There was an ethic on both sides of the conversation to say this is an opportunity to do something different than just sell this land off,” Steward said. “We live in an extraordinarily beautiful place, and there’s an opportunity still here to see that some of the most special places in our community are set aside.”
During the ceremony, Vannoy reminisced about how he reluctantly entertained his son’s suggestion a couple of years ago that the two of them take a January hike to the top of Ragged Mountain to watch the sunrise. Temperatures were in the single digits.
“It was well worth the effort,” Vannoy said. “It is just great to see the beauty of this place, and we’ve preserved that for generations to come.”
The partnership between Maine Water and the Coastal Mountains Land Trust permanently protected Mirror Lake and Grassy Pond, important sources of drinking water for six coastal communities. Maine Water employees also regularly donate time and effort to maintain trails on the properties. On Friday, more than 20 volunteers associated with the company spent the morning working with land trust staff maintaining trails around Ragged Mountain.
Maine
Central Maine Power sends 20 crews from Maine to aid in Hurricane Helene recovery
PORTLAND (WGME) – Central Maine Power is one of many power companies sending assistance south for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
20 crews, a total of 50 people, gathered at the Kennebunk Service Plaza this morning before heading south to Virginia.
CMP spokesman Jon Breed says the request for help came in Friday night.
“Last night, we went to bed thinking they were going to Kentucky and West Virginia, and this morning it was Virginia, it just kind of shows the dynamic situation that is unfolding down there as millions are without power, but they are kind of feeding into a large resource group that is working to get the lights back on,” said Breed.
CMP’s parent company, Avangrid, sent 53 other crews from New York and Connecticut, as well.
Maine
Maine murder suspect led officers on high-speed chase in Mass., DA says
A Bangor man was held without bail Friday after the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office said he was involved in a high-speed chase following the murder of a 39-year-old woman in Maine.
The Bangor Maine Police Department found Virginia Cookson, 39, of Bangor, dead in her residence on Sept. 25, according to a statement from the district attorney.
Two days later, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, Maine ruled the death to be a homicide, which led to a warrant issued for Richard Keith Thorpe, 42 of Bangor.
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