Several cows were injured this week when they fell out of an improperly secured trailer while traveling on the Maine Turnpike, officials said. 

Maine State Police said troopers responded to the crash around 11:30 a.m. on Monday in Lewiston. The initial investigation indicates that the doors of the cattle trailer, which was attached to a pickup truck, were not properly secured, causing them to unlatch on the highway. 

The doors opening resulted in three animals falling from the back of the trailer onto the roadway and one cow running from the container once the vehicle stopped. 

According to police, one cow landed in the passing lane and broke its leg, while two others sustained road rash and were found on the shoulder of the road by police. 

The fourth ran into the woods nearby. 

“Troopers secured one of the cows by tying it to the back of his cruiser, using a buddy system to help calm the other animals and prevent further movement,” police said. 

As a result of the crash, one lane was temporarily shut down as the driver of the pickup, 39-year-old Dustin Bubar of Stetson, Maine, worked to reload the animals into the trailer. Police said Bubar was cited for unsecured load on a vehicle. 

Police said animal control officers from Lewiston as well as passersby assisted in the incident. 

The crash remains under investigation, according to police. 

Gov. Janet Mills named the first director to lead Maine’s Office of New Americans on Wednesday, marking an important milestone in the launching of a new effort to better track and respond to the arrival of immigrants to Maine.

Tarlan Ahmadov, who currently oversees statewide employment programs at the Maine Department of Labor and who has more than 20 years of experience in employment, immigration, refugee and social services, will begin his new role of director at the Office of New Americans on Jan. 21.

Tarlan Ahmadov. Photo courtesy of the Maine Governor’s Office

“I am honored to lead Maine’s Office of New Americans and grateful to Gov. Mills for the opportunity to advance its mission,” Ahmadov said in a written statement released by the governor’s office. “In this role, I will strengthen workforce integration, support immigrant entrepreneurs, and foster welcoming communities across the state.

“I look forward to collaborating with community leaders, employers, state and municipal agencies, nonprofit, foundations, and other partners to build a stronger, more inclusive Maine where everyone can succeed and contribute to our collective success.”

The Office of New Americans, approved by the Legislature earlier this year, is charged with making Maine a home of opportunity for all, strengthening Maine’s workforce, enhancing the vibrancy of Maine’s communities, and building a stronger economy.

With Maine facing a shortage of workers across regions, professions and skill levels, the state must focus on improving how it connects new Americans to employers, the governor’s office said.

“Tarlan Ahmadov’s deep experience helping new Mainers adjust, step into jobs, and contribute to our state has prepared him well to lead the Office of New Americans,” Mills said in the statement. “Tarlan’s leadership will ensure that our workforce and economy can fully benefit from the valuable skills, knowledge, and work ethic of new Americans who make their home in Maine.”

Ahmadov has worked as director of the Division of Programs at the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Employment Services since 2022, and before that was Maine’s state refugee coordinator with Catholic Charities Maine from March 2017 to July 2022.

He also previously worked in education and the nonprofit sector in Azerbaijan. He has a master’s degree in history and social sciences from Baku State University in Azerbaijan and is pursuing a doctorate in public policy at the University of Southern Maine.

Ahmadov will earn an annual salary of $110,073 in his new role.

Mills signed an executive order in August 2023 directing the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to come up with a plan to create a state office to assist the growing number of immigrants in Maine.

Rep. Deqa Dhalac, D-South Portland, introduced legislation on behalf of the governor to create the Office of New Americans, and the supplemental budget approved in April funded two positions in the office.

The governor’s plan for the office includes strengthening English-language acquisition opportunities; building support for entrepreneurs and workers; improving coordination of organizations and entities that support immigrants, including communities, schools and employers; working on federal immigration policies to benefit Maine; and improving Maine’s data about its immigrant populations.

With the establishment of the office, Maine became the 19th state in the country to join the Office of New Americans State Network, a consortium of states with dedicated offices or staff for coordinating immigrant integration.

The network, which has since grown to 22 states, is coordinated by a partnership of two organizations, World Education Services and the American Immigration Council, and is expected to help provide Maine with expertise from around the country on developing successful policy approaches related to immigration.

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A national gun safety advocacy group has upgraded its rating of Maine laws following a historic legislative session in which lawmakers passed expanded background checks and a 72-hour waiting period on gun purchases in the wake of the Lewiston mass shooting.

Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence released its annual gun law scorecard for states around the country on Tuesday. The center gave Maine a C+, which is an improvement from last year’s D- rating and made Maine the most improved state.

“Following the tragic mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston, Maine enacted important improvements to its gun laws,” the scorecard said. “However, there are still basic gun safety measures which are missing, putting Mainers at grave risk.”

Following the mass shooting that left 18 people dead and 13 others injured last year, lawmakers expanded background check requirements to include private, advertised sales and implemented a new 72-hour waiting period on gun purchases.

They also updated the state’s yellow flag law to make it easier for police to take someone into protective custody in a step toward restricting their access to weapons, and set aside millions of dollars for mental health and violence prevention programs.

The budget passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Janet Mills in April included funding for establishing an Office of Violence Prevention at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an expansion of crisis receiving centers to help people experiencing mental health or substance use crisis and additional money for the mental health assessments that are part of the yellow flag law, among other things.

Still, the state still lacks fully universal background checks for gun purchases and a red flag law that would give family members, in addition to law enforcement, a path toward restricting access to weapons for a person in crisis without a mental health evaluation.

“Additionally, Maine passed a reckless permit-less carry law in 2015 that allows residents to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public without a permit or background check,” the scorecard said.

Gun safety was a major topic of this year’s Legislation as lawmakers were met with public demands for action in the wake of the Lewiston shooting. While it remains to be seen what initiatives will be taken up in the coming year, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition is trying to get a citizen’s initiative for a red flag law before voters, and said last month that it was close to getting the necessary number of signatures needed.

This story will be updated.

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