Maine

Maine regulators reject utility proposal to report suspected marijuana grow operations to police

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2024

Maine regulators reject utility proposal to report suspected marijuana grow operations to police

Maine utility regulators unanimously rejected on Tuesday an electric utility’s proposal to proactively report high consumption that signals a marijuana growing operation to law enforcement officials in an attempt to aid police crackdown on illicit operations.

The three-member Public Utilities Commission cited concerns about customers who use large amounts of electricity for legitimate reasons being targeted because of the reports. Commissioners opted to stick with the status quo in which utilities provide consumer data only when presented with a law enforcement subpoena that was vetted by a judge.

Versant Power floated the idea because it says it has a high success rate of identifying marijuana grow houses but no ability to communicate that to police. Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster called it a “good first step.” Other supporters included Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who has aggressively pressed the FBI about the illegal marijuana operations.

Versant spokesperson Judy Long said Tuesday the utility promoted the discussion “strictly in the interest of public and worker safety.”

“After the discussion and today’s ruling in that docket, we have clear direction from the commission, and we will remain vigilant in protecting customers’ private information while continuing to work as mandated with law enforcement,” she said.

The proposal was part of a wide-ranging docket taken up by commissioners on Tuesday.

It came as law enforcement officials target marijuana grow operations in which rural homes in Maine are purchased, gutted and transformed into sophisticated, high-yield indoor farms.

Twenty states that legalized marijuana have seen a spike in illegal marijuana grow operations, and law enforcement officials have busted dozens of them in Maine. The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating any ties these operations might have to criminal syndicates including Chinese-organized crime.

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Maine

Car catches fire on Maine Turnpike in Kennebunk

Published

2 hours ago

May 31, 2026

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Car catches fire on Maine Turnpike in Kennebunk

KENNEBUNK, Maine (WGME) — A car caught on fire on the Maine turnpike Saturday.

It happened in Kennebunk in the southbound lanes of the turnpike.

A car caught on fire on the Maine turnpike Saturday. (Courtesy of Kennebunk Fire Rescue)

You can see a large cloud of black smoke coming from the scene.

Nobody was hurt.

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Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.

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Maine

In Maine governor’s race, connection is preferable to cronyism | Letter

Published

13 hours ago

May 31, 2026

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In Maine governor’s race, connection is preferable to cronyism | Letter

After Maine’s first Democratic gubernatorial debate, I commented that the candidates seemed to be vying with each other to be agreeable. Would it last? Back then, I thought I’d be happy with any of them as Maine’s next governor.

Not so now, as I observe the cronyism of Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson and Hannah Pingree, whose plan to rank each other when they vote provides a blueprint for gaming the ranked-choice voting system in the primary. The political insiders are forming an alliance against the outsiders, Nirav Shah and Angus King III.

Shah’s campaign responded that it would stay focused on winning voters’ support, a more principled approach, in my estimation.

I prefer a governor who listens and learns from his constituents over one experienced at alliances and deal-making. I want integrity and leadership, not manipulation and exclusion.

I no longer believe that Bellows, Jackson or Pingree would make a good governor.

Moriah Freeman
Brunswick

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Maine

WSJ: Maine Senate candidate’s wife says she found explicit texts on his phone

Published

23 hours ago

May 30, 2026

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WSJ: Maine Senate candidate’s wife says she found explicit texts on his phone

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – A Wall Street Journal article reports that Amy Gertner, the wife of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, told campaign aides she found sexually explicit text messages on Platner’s phone after he launched his bid for office last year.

According to the report, Gertner disclosed the messages while aides were conducting opposition research, and she asked a campaign aide to review what Platner had sent—reportedly to several women—to determine whether it could become a liability for his campaign.

The Wall Street Journal reports Gertner believed she was confiding in someone she considered a friend.

The article also states the couple discussed the messages in marriage counseling.

In a statement from Gertner provided by the Platner campaign, she wrote that they have gone through counseling and that their marriage today “is stronger than ever before.”

Amy Gertner provided a statement through the Platner campaign.

“I confided deeply personal details about my marriage to someone I considered a friend. In the months since, I have had to watch as she spread malicious gossip to anyone who would take her call. I trusted this person with the most private chapter of our lives – the early days of our marriage before any campaign was on our mind – and I am deeply hurt by her betrayal and the invasion of our privacy.

“It is no secret that Graham and I have struggled on our fertility journey. We did the hard work that marriage requires. We went to counseling. We were honest with each other in ways that weren’t easy. And we came through it, not in spite of how much we’ve been through, but because of how much we love each other and the life we’ve built. Our marriage today is stronger than ever before.

“I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he has been to me on the best and the worst days of my life. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t.” – Amy Gertner

Platner and Gertner married in 2024, according to the report.

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