Maine
Maine residents protest ICE ‘Operation Catch of the Day’; Minneapolis ICE shooting heightens their fears – The Boston Globe
Bystander video from Minneapolis circulating online shows officers tackling the protester to the ground on the street and then shooting him multiple times.
Alex Pretti, 37, was identified as the person shot by Minnesota elected officials on Saturday evening, and his parents said he worked in a hospital intensive care unit. His death led Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to activate the state’s National Guard.
Soldiers helped police to manage large crowds protesting the city’s second resident killed by federal immigration agents this month.
In Lewiston, about 1,000 people gathered for three hours in the Agora center, with hundreds more outside, to protest the fear they said ICE has instilled in their community. In Maine and across the US, immigrants stay home out of fear of being arrested, children skip school and essential workers risk losing their jobs, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told the crowd.
“A man was brought to the ground by multiple ICE agents. As he was laying there, he was shot dead,” Bellows said , as many booed and shouted as they heard the news.
Maine residents opposing ICE have criticized the agency’s choice to name its operation “Catch of the Day.” Immigrant and human rights advocates have said the phrase, a play on a phrase common to the state’s fishing industry, dehumanizes people who’ve become targets of ICE arrests.
“We need ICE out of Minnesota, we need ICE out of Maine, we need them out now,” she said, as the crowd erupted in cheers and raised fists in the air.
More than 100 people were arrested by ICE in Maine this week, out of the state’s total immigrant population of about 50,000.
Lewiston protesters were not deterred by this weekend’s blast of cold. At the Agora center, volunteers shared info on how they could help grocery shop for immigrants who don’t feel safe leaving their homes.
Alicia MacLeay, 50, had driven about an hour to come to the protest from her town of Rome, a small town in Kennebec County.
“I am extremely angry, and sad, and heartbroken for our country and our Maine residents,” she said.
She is concerned about what is next for Maine, especially after seeing what happened in Minnesota. Both states are being targeted by the the White House.
“I don’t think there’s any rational reason to come to Maine – or Minneapolis – in the first place,” MacLeay said. “To to come here seems like a vindictive move.”
At the rally, several people who took the stage were Somali-American, and spoke about how they’ve feared for their safety in recent days.
Amran Osman, executive director of Generational Noor, a nonprofit that works with immigrant groups, grew up in the city.
Recently, she said, , she was told: “Go back to your country.”
But this is her community, she said.
“Lewiston, Auburn – they’re not just cities to me,” she said. “They’re the only home that I’ve ever known.”
She said she found herself scrambling for hours looking for her US passport in recent days, making sure to take it with her before stepping out her door.
“I should not have to be afraid to leave my house,” Osman said. “I have my papers – and I am in fear.”
She said that the programs her group runs for children have no attendees because of daily ICE arrests.
“Our office has always been filled with laughter, with kids doing their homework, kids just being kids,” she said. “But right now, our office is empty.”
Claire Thornton can be reached at claire.thornton@globe.com. Follow Claire on X @claire_thornto. Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio can be reached at giulia.mcdnr@globe.com. Follow her @giuliamcdnr.
Three tornadoes have been confirmed across New England so far in 2026, and remarkably, all of them have occurred in Vermont.
Two of those tornadoes touched down during severe thunderstorms on June 18, when a potent weather system swept across the region.
Vermont tornadoes in 2026 (WGME).
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Lincoln with peak winds of 105 mph and another EF-1 tornado in Woodstock with winds reaching 100 mph.
Earlier this spring, an EF-1 tornado struck Williamstown on April 16 with estimated winds of 90 mph.
This week’s Climate Chronicles question comes from Kate:
With severe weather last week, how often do we actually see tornadoes touch down in Maine?
Maine tornado activity (WGME).
Historically, Maine averages about two tornadoes each year, with most occurring between June and August.
Most storms develop during the late afternoon and early evening, typically between 3 and 9 p.m., when hours of sunshine have heated the ground and created the instability needed for thunderstorms to form.
The last confirmed tornado to touch down in Maine was in 2023.
Average amount of tornadoes that touch down in each New England state per year (WGME).
Massachusetts and Connecticut also average about two tornadoes per year, with many occurring across the flatter terrain of western portions of both states.
In Massachusetts, the broad Connecticut River Valley stretching through Springfield has earned the nickname “New England’s Tornado Alley” due to its history of tornado activity.
Vermont, on the other hand, typically averages just one tornado annually. With three confirmed tornadoes already in 2026, the state has already exceeded its yearly average by two, making this an unusually active year for tornadoes in the Green Mountain State.
Maine’s tornado history (GoSanAngelo, WGME).
Since 1950, Maine has recorded 140 tornadoes. None have been rated stronger than an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the system used to classify tornado intensity based on the damage they cause.
Unlike hurricanes, tornadoes are not assigned ratings while they are occurring. Instead, National Weather Service survey teams assess damage after the storm has passed, examining impacts to homes, buildings, trees, and other structures.
From that damage, meteorologists estimate the tornado’s wind speeds and assign an EF rating ranging from EF0 to EF5.
While Maine has experienced its share of tornadoes over the decades, the state has never recorded a violent EF4 or EF5 tornado.
Do you have any weather questions? Email our Weather Authority team at weather@wgme.com. We’d love to hear from you!
PORTLAND — Perhaps the June Swoon is over for the Portland Hearts of Pine.
A flurry of second-half activity Wednesday night resulted in four goals and a much-needed 5-1 USL League One victory against the Richmond Kickers that had fans buzzing with feel-good frenzy at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
Ollie Wright scored the go-ahead goal on a header off a great cross from Jaden Jones-Reilly in the 57th minute. In short order, Konstantinos Georgallides and Aboubacar Camara each added a goal, and then Camara got a second late in extra time.
Diego Gonzalez, playing his third game with Portland, added friskiness to the midfield and opened the scoring with a header in the first half. He also assisted on Camara’s first goal with a slick through pass.
Portland had lost four straight games, including three in a row in USL1. The Hearts are now 4-5-5 in league play and moved from 13th to 10th in the 17-team league, just three points out of the eight-team playoff picture.
It was a dramatic reversal from Portland’s most recent game, a 5-1 loss at Westchester SC on Friday that was shown live back in Portland at an open-air setting in Monument Square.
PREVIOUSLY IN JUNE
When the month of May ended with a gritty home win against Spokane, Portland was 3-2-4 in league play and overcoming injuries.
June has not been as kind. Portland entered Wednesday’s game on a four-game losing streak. Digging into the numbers, the skid looked even worse.
It was the first time the Hearts had lost four straight games in their brief year-and-a-half history. They were outscored 15-5 in that stretch, and 15-3 starting with the two extra-time goals they allowed in a 3-2 loss at Corpus Christi.
Portland had also lost three straight against USL League One games for the first time.
Two of the four losses were ugly 5-1 affairs. Portland didn’t lose by more than three goals and had just four losses by two or more goals in 2025.
RETURNS AND NOTES
Portland was glad to have Mikey Lopez back on the game-day roster. Lopez, who had bene out more than month because of an injury, entered as a 75th-minute sub with Portland leading 4-1. … Sean Vinberg, one of Portland’s primary starting center backs in 2025, became the second former Hearts player to return to Fitzpatrick, wearing the captain’s band for Richmond. Vinberg was released at the end of the 2025 season. He made 33 starts for Portland, second most on the team. … Maine Gatorade High School Soccer Players of the Year Finn Coburn (Scarborough) and Noelle Mallory (Cape Elizabeth) handled the honorary coin toss before the match.
A meal that would normally cost more than $30 is available for less than $12 at Governor’s Restaurants on Wednesday.
Governor’s is celebrating its 67th anniversary by offering its lobster roll for $11.67.
The annual promotion, known as Lobster Roll Day, begins when restaurants open at 8 a.m. and continues until supplies run out.
Governor’s operates six locations across Maine in Old Town, Bangor, Ellsworth, Waterville, Lewiston and Presque Isle.
Customers should be aware that several locations are offering cash-only drive-thru service for the event.
-
Detroit, MI16 minutes agoWould Detroit Lions Salary Cap Be Wrecked If Terrion Arnold Gets Cut?
-
San Francisco, CA26 minutes agoTwo more Presidio Heights homes reach $10M range as luxury supply dwindles
-
Dallas, TX31 minutes agoOne Dallas Cowboys Contract That Will Age Poorly in 2026
-
Miami, FL38 minutes agoLive updates: Today’s South Florida News
-
Boston, MA41 minutes agoA federal judge in Boston has blocked parts of Trump’s order to limit voting by mail
-
Denver, CO46 minutes agoDenver Transplant Games sets Guinness World Record for most living donors, recipients in one place at one time
-
Seattle, WA53 minutes ago17-year-old boy shot in High Point, multiple suspects seen running from crashed car
-
San Diego, CA56 minutes agoFoodie forecast: A new cafe opens in La Jolla’s Arcade building
