“ACTIVE MINDS / KYLE CARES” PAY FOR THEIR YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING. THE MAINE MARINERS AND PORTLAND SEA DOGS BOTH HAD HOME GAMES TONIGHT. AND WHILE THE SEA DOGS SEASON IS JUST UNDERWAY, THE MARINERS ARE IN THE STRETCH RUN TO THE PLAYOFFS. THEY HOSTED THE ADIRONDACK THUNDER AT THE CROSS ARENA. AND THE MARINERS HAD A BAD START. ALEX CAMPBELL SCORES LESS THE THREE MINUTES INTO THE GAME TO GIVE THE THUNDER THE LEAD. THE THUNDER SCORED FOUR GOALS IN THE FIRST PERIOD AND LATER TOOK A 5-0 LEAD. THE MARINERS ACTUALLY CAME BACK TO TIE IT BEFO
The Maine Mariners fell behind 5-0 and then lost 6-5 in a shootout.
The Maine Mariners fell behind 5-0 and then lost 6-5 in a shootout.
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Maine’s highest court weighed Wednesday whether the state can reject petition signatures collected by out-of-state circulators who did not check a box consenting to Maine’s jurisdiction, a legal dispute that could determine whether Mainers vote on transgender inclusion in sports this November.
The group called “Protect Girls Sports” initially submitted enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, proposing an initiative that would restrict what school sports teams, bathrooms and facilities trans students can access. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows later determined that the campaign had failed to qualify, after thousands of signatures were invalidated. That ruling was upheld by a Superior Court judge in June and the campaign appealed that decision to the Supreme Judicial Court.
More than 1,500 of the invalidated signatures were collected by four out-of-state circulators who had not checked a box on the form agreeing to Maine’s jurisdiction. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court must now decide whether those signatures were properly invalidated. The initiative is short 500 signatures to qualify.
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The Maine Constitution prohibits out-of-state circulators from submitting petitions, but that ban was declared unenforceable by a federal appeals court in 2022, since it likely violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In response to a lawsuit, Maine then entered into a consent agreement, which all citizen-led initiatives still rely on to hire out-of-state circulators to collect signatures. However, they must consent to the state’s jurisdiction.
Attorney Tim Woodcock, who represented Protect Girls Sports, argued that out-of-state circulators should be treated the same as Maine residents who collect petition signatures, since the consent agreement requires the state to allow them to work on campaigns. Woodcock said the consequences of not reversing the ruling would be dire.
“If this is upheld, it’s essentially a petition that has been pulled off the ballot with 1,520 otherwise valid ballot signatures,” Woodcock said in the Augusta courtroom. “That would be a remarkable result of these circumstances.”
The same argument was made after the May hearing before the Secretary of State’s Office as well as before the Superior Court, but neither accepted it.
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Protect Girls Sports has not pushed back on any other findings showing a pattern of negligence in the signature collecting process, with circulators leaving forms unattended, adding ditto signs on some columns, and other infractions. Rather, Woodcock challenged the secretary’s authority to impose what he said was an unfair burden on out-of-state signature collectors by requiring them to check an additional box to consent to Maine’s jurisdiction.
Attorney Christopher Dodge from Elias Law Group, the national law firm representing the three Maine residents who initially challenged the petition signatures, said, “We are here today because Protect Girls Sports has essentially reached the bottom of the barrel for its last few arguments to try and dislodge the secretary’s well-reasoned and well-supported findings.”
“And each of those arguments basically concedes that the initiative violated … Maine law.”
Since the vast majority of the 120 out-of-state circulators complied with the requirements, Dodge said Woodcock could not make a convincing case that the rules were a burden.
“The burden here is they have to complete the circulator affidavit … and they have to check the box, that’s it,” he said. “And most of the non-resident circulators have absolutely no problem complying with it.”
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One circulator, Cairo, had initially left the box blank but later checked the box through a corrected affidavit in May, three months after the petition was submitted for validation. Woodcock has previously argued that her signatures should be considered valid because of her corrected form.
However, her decision to intentionally leave the box blank was a “substantive lack of agreement” to Maine’s jurisdiction, Superior Court Justice Deborah Cashman said in her opinion validating Bellows’ decision on June 11.
Woodcock said in court Wednesday that the “consent agreement says nothing in it about when an out-of-state circulator must consent to jurisdiction,” and that those rules were being imposed by the Secretary of State’s office.
The Supreme Judicial Court is expected to rule on the appeal before mid-August, before the deadline for the secretary’s office to put a question on the ballot.
This story was first published by Maine Morning Star and is republished here under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
The rapper was a no-show at his 20 Years of Carter Classics stop in Maine
Mr. Carter, tell us, where have you been?
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Lil Wayne has apologized to fans after he was a no-show at his own concert on Tuesday in Bangor, Maine. The stop was the first date on his 20 Years of Carter Classics tour extension following a successful 2025 run.
“My Maine fans I’m so sorry… The show is being rescheduled to July 28. Please hold on to your tickets, they will be honored for the rescheduled date,” wrote Wayne in an Instagram Stories post the day after. “I ain’t shit without you I can’t wait to come back and give you the show you deserve.” The rapper said that additional information will be emailed to ticket holders.
On Tuesday, after 2 Chainz wrapped his opening set at the Maine Savings Amphitheater, the crowd reportedly waited for quite some time before being informed at 11 p.m. that Wayne would not be appearing and the show was over. No official explanation was provided.
“Well, I came here for Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, and it was the most terrible experience. We drove over six hours to be here,” Rita Sack, an attendee who drove more than six hours from Nova Scotia for the concert, told local station Wabi.
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Sack told the outlet that an apology from the rapper at the time would have been appreciated. “We paid for Lil Wayne. Like, the least you can do is come out for a minute, apologize, you know? Like, just take the moment and be like, hey guys, sorry, not feeling it, feeling a little sick,” said Sack.
People swim at Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)
After a string of recent deaths and temperatures rising this week, officials are encouraging people in Maine to keep safety in mind when enjoying the water.
“Once it’s warm enough in Maine to access natural water sources, we might make decisions that we wouldn’t otherwise, and people are often not as competent swimmers as they think,” said Brooke Teller, founder and executive director of Maine Community Swimming, citing an American Red Cross report.
According to the Red Cross, 80% of adults say they can swim, but less than half can perform the five water competency skills required to save their own lives.
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Popham Beach Lifeguard Supervisor Sean Vaillancourt agreed, urging people to have emergency plans in place and know their physical limits.
“Be prepared. Never swim alone. Notice your location and how you’re feeling at all times,” Vaillancourt said, as he prepares for the Fourth of July long weekend.
In June, the Maine Warden Service recovered the body of a Rockland man from Chickawaukie Lake; a 4-year-old from Boston died after a drowning incident in a hotel pool, according to Kennebunk Fire Rescue; and a Westbrook woman went missing while looking for golf balls in a pond.
Here are tips from Teller, Vaillancourt and other experts on how to stay safe in and around the water.
SAFETY AT THE BEACH AND POOLS
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While at the beach, Vaillancourt cautioned against digging holes in the sand above knee-level, especially for infants and children, and said always fill holes back in when no longer supervising.
“People don’t think about this, but it’s one of the highest risks we see. When little kids get, or fall, into these holes, and the sand collapses, it is incredibly difficult for us to get them out before suffocation occurs,” he said.
In the event of lightning or thunderstorms, Vaillancourt reminded beachgoers to cooperate with staff, clearing the beach immediately when asked or when storm sirens sound.
The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan said that, before swimming in outdoor pools, ensure they are up to the state safety code, which requires four-sided pool fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported drowning as the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14, most of which the agency said are preventable. Designate an adult to watch children within arm’s reach. Don’t rely on lifeguards alone or become distracted by phones, books or alcohol, according to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA).
In the ocean, rip currents are the leading hazard at beaches and can move faster than an Olympic swimmer, according to the National Weather Service. If caught in one, don’t fight it: float on your back, then swim parallel to the beach until free, before angling back toward the beach, the weather service advised. Avoid rocky areas with strong wave action.
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In rivers, according to Teller, currents can be deceptively strong and water levels can change quickly. Avoid wading or swimming alone in moving water.
It is important to watch for warning signs of overheating. One to be on the lookout for is lack of sweating, said Dr. Samir Haydar, vice chair of emergency medicine at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland.
“When you reach a point where your body’s really trying to dissipate heat, what it tries to do is sweat the heat out,” Haydar said. “But when your body starts losing that battle, you start noticing that you stop sweating, and that is a telltale sign, as well.”
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HELPING STRUGGLING SWIMMERS
If you are struggling in the water, stay calm and lean back to float by tilting your head back so your nose and mouth are clear of the water, USLA advised. Your lungs act like a natural life vest. Stay where you are and signal for help. Fighting the current or trying to swim to shore will be your first instinct, but it can lead to exhaustion, according to USLA.
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Don’t jump in after a struggling swimmer. A panicked person can pull a rescuer under, Vaillancourt said.
Instead, Vaillancourt said, call 911, and throw a flotation device or reach with a pole or paddle — coolers or branches can also serve as makeshift devices. Going in after someone should be a last resort reserved for confident swimmers, he said.
“So often people go in after others and become a second or third victim,” he said. “If you must enter the water, bring a flotation device and keep it between you and the person in trouble.”
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COLD WATER SAFETY
Even on a hot day, rivers, lakes and the ocean in Maine can be cold enough to trigger cold shock. U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Lyric Jackson recommended swimmers of all skill levels ease into cold water rather than jumping in.
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With coldwater temperatures, hypothermia becomes a significant risk and can set in within an hour of being in the water, and you can start seeing signs of it within 30 minutes, Haydar said.
Jackson said that if a bystander sees someone in cold shock to first call 911. While waiting for medical personnel, gradually warm the person, replace wet clothing, cover their head and neck with a hat or scarf when possible, and seek contact with dry, warm surfaces that are close to normal body temperature, she said.
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AVOID ALCOHOL
According to the CDC, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation among adolescents and adults.
“Sometimes people make the mistake of drinking alcohol and enjoying the outdoors, and when you’re swimming around a boat, that becomes a lot more dangerous,” Haydar said.
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Alcohol consumption can add to the danger, he said.
“You want to make sure that if you’re in the water, you’re a competent swimmer, that you’re using your appropriate life vests and life safety devices,” Haydar said. “(Be sure to) stay hydrated and not with alcohol.”
BOATING SAFETY
The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan reported that wearing a life jacket when boating cuts the risk of drowning in half.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife advises people to get familiar with the body of water by checking a map for depths and hazards, go out with another person, and tell someone on shore their route and expected return time. Paddlers should also take a rescue class and practice in controlled settings, according to Jackson.
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BE PREPARED
Jackson encouraged people to use weather apps to check tide and current conditions before going into the ocean, and to note flags marking water conditions — red for high hazard, yellow for medium, green for low and purple for dangerous marine life. She recommended swimmers and boaters purchase personal locator beacons, small clip-on GPS devices that send location and distress status to Coast Guard command centers.
Officials say a lack of swimming instruction is one of several factors that can create danger in and around the water. Teller recommended swimming lessons and “tune-ups” for children and adults of all skill levels.
Maine Community Swimming and YMCA Southern Maine offer water safety education and swimming lessons for swimmers of all levels. The American Red Cross provides a searchable directory for swim classes statewide on the Red Cross Swim Lessons portal.