Maine
University of Southern Maine welcomes freshmen to Gorham campus
![University of Southern Maine welcomes freshmen to Gorham campus University of Southern Maine welcomes freshmen to Gorham campus](https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/08/39518199_20240830_USM-move-in_3_TONED-1725061499.jpg?w=1024)
![](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/39518199_20240830_USM-move-in_2_TONED.jpg?w=750)
Emily Burrill, a freshman from Sullivan, carries a monitor into Upton Hastings Hall at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham on Friday, move-in day for USM’s freshman class. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
First thing Friday morning, volunteers were on the University of Southern Maine campus in Gorham wearing bright yellow “Welcome to USM” shirts and guiding vehicles to the front of Upton-Hastings Hall.
Hastings is one of several residence halls on campus where students are moving in this weekend. Dean of Students Rodney Mondor said roughly 550 freshman were scheduled to arrive Friday.
They include Emily Burrill, who is undecided on her major but thinks she might study physical therapy.
“I’m a little nervous, but my roommate seems really cool,” Burrill said.
Her father Richard joked he was “undecided still” about Burrill leaving home. They drove in from Sullivan, a town in Hancock County more than three hours away.
“He’ll miss me,” Burrill said.
“I just can’t believe she’s 18, going off to school,” Richard Burrill said.
Around them, students and their families were carrying pop-up chairs, shelves, lamps, dishes and bins of quick groceries.
“Gotta grab the coffee maker,” one mom laughed, following her daughter into the dorm. “Because that’s most important.”
![](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/39518199_20240830_USM-move-in_3_TONED.jpg?w=750)
![](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/39518199_20240830_USM-move-in_3_TONED.jpg?w=750)
Rose Brassard, left, Lily Allard, center, and Lauren Pflanz look over items at the free yard sale at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham on Friday. The university’s Office of Sustainability collects items students leave behind when they depart the dorms in the spring and offer them free to incoming students in the fall. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
On a lawn nearby, there was an even larger assortment of dorm room items for the taking at USM’s “free yard sale.”
Steve Sweeney is the Resource Recovery Supervisor for the school’s Office of Sustainability. At the end of every school year, the school accepts things students no longer want that’s still in usable condition, he said.
They’ll donate electric fans, books, shelves, shower caddies, clothing hangers, furniture and even dishes (some taken from the dining hall). Some of the more unusual items on display Friday morning include a bowl of nerf darts, a tie-dye kit and a snowman waffle iron.
Anything that isn’t taken this weekend will end up at the Freestore, which is open to students and staff throughout the year.
Sweeney said this saves the school about $2,000 a year that they used to spend on renting dumpsters.
“The students also save a lot of money by not having to buy this stuff,” he said.
Mondor, the dean of students, watched late Friday morning as roughly a dozen students perused the yard sale. He said he was looking forward to orientation this weekend, including an event to help new students navigate the bus system.
“With new students comes all kinds of new adventures,” Mondor said. “It’s always exciting because we have no idea what October will look like.”
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Maine
Homeless Machete Attacker — Released from Maine Jail — Arrested Again for Portland Park Knife Attack
![Homeless Machete Attacker — Released from Maine Jail — Arrested Again for Portland Park Knife Attack Homeless Machete Attacker — Released from Maine Jail — Arrested Again for Portland Park Knife Attack](https://www.themainewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-29-at-11.33.30 AM-1024x577.png)
A homeless man who in January was charged with assaulting people with a machete outside a Portland apartment complex was arrested again earlier this week for assault and disorderly conduct.
Ahmed Hussein Ismail, 38, who in a February press release Portland Police identified as “unhoused,” was arrested in Portland on Tuesday and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
[ Machete-Wielding Homeless Man Accused of Assaulting People in Portland…]
As of Thursday morning, Ismail is being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $1,500 bail.
According to a spokesperson for the Portland Police Department, Ismail was apprehended at the baseball field near the Deering Oaks Park.
“[H]e assaulted someone with a knife,” the spokesperson said. “According to our records, we still believe he is unhoused.”
On Jan. 31, 2023, shortly after 9 p.m., Portland Police responded to 211 Cumberland Ave. (Franklin Towers) for a report of a fight.
The fight reportedly involved a man who was “moving around the building with a machete and assaulting people,” police said.
[ “Zombie Slasher” Machete and Loaded Shotgun Horrify Store Owners Across from Portland Homeless Encampment…]
The suspected assailant, Ahmed Ismail, was located by police and charged with assault, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and violating conditions of release.
Following his arrest, when Ismail was being booked at the Cumberland County Jail, he was charged with unlawful possession of scheduled “W” drugs and trafficking in prison contraband.
Maine
35 Maine-Inspired Baby Names Perfect for Your Little Bundle of Joy
![35 Maine-Inspired Baby Names Perfect for Your Little Bundle of Joy 35 Maine-Inspired Baby Names Perfect for Your Little Bundle of Joy](https://townsquare.media/site/696/files/2024/08/attachment-Maine-Baby-Name-Inspired-Featured-Image.jpg?w=1200&q=75&format=natural)
Ready to name your baby? Still undecided?
It’s a fun and exciting decision, but there’s a lot to weigh when it comes to naming your little bundle of joy. You’ve got to think about the meaning and significance, its uniqueness, how it sounds, and any future implications it might have.
But can you go wrong by giving your kid a name that captures the spirit of Maine, a state you love and hold dear to your heart?
Whether you’re a proud native of the Pine Tree State or love the state’s rugged coastlines, towering pines, and quaint small towns, there are a bunch of names that embody the charm and character of Maine.
Some town names might be perfect for your choice. How about a Lincoln, Camden or Jackson?
Or maybe use state and national parks for inspiration like Acadia or Baxter?
Taking a look at the Social Security Administration’s list for most popular names used in Maine in 2023, I spy a Jackson (like the Waldo County town) and Aurora (like the Hancock County town) on the list! Coincidence?
Most popular names for boys used in Maine in 2023
- Theodore
- Oliver
- Henry
- Hudson
- Owen
- Lucas
- Jackson
- James
- Noah
- Benjamin
Most popular names for girls used in Maine in 2023
- Charlotte
- Evelyn
- Olivia
- Eleanor
- Harper
- Amelia
- Emma
- Violet
- Hazel
- Aurora
All good names for sure, but if you’re looking to get a touch more Maine-inspired, check out this list of potential baby names you might want to consider. You might see one you like…
35 Baby Names for Parents That Love Maine
Congrats on the pregnancy! Time to pick a name! If you love Maine you’ll love one of these names.
Gallery Credit: Brittany Rose
And here are some Maine-based names you might want to decide to stay away from. Your call, of course!
Maine Towns That Would Be Terrible Names For Kids
Maine is home to a lot of wonderful and uniquely named towns but not all of them would make great names for your kids. Here’s a list of some that would be very bad choices for your child.
Gallery Credit: Joey
Maine
New app from Maine CDC allows digital access to vaccine records
![New app from Maine CDC allows digital access to vaccine records New app from Maine CDC allows digital access to vaccine records](https://gray-wabi-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4VNNATC2DBB2TH7VXBIC3FWUUE.bmp?auth=3d7f3240cf1632e2f280a8c161c4c3cbc98c1ca45f0d5a95db08645d1ff55dc7&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
MAINE (WMTW) – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a new mobile app called Docket.
The app allows Mainers to securely access their vaccine records.
“Docket can be used to share immunization records with health care providers, for school or child care registration, or as a reminder for Maine people about vaccinations that they are due to receive,” said Maine CDC Director Dr. Putheiry Va. “With schools starting, weather getting cooler, and respiratory virus season upon us, this new app makes it easier and faster for Maine people to put their hands on their up-to-date vaccination records right when they need them.”
The Docket app is free and can be downloaded on Apple and Android app stores.
You must be at least 18 years old to use Docket. Parents or guardians can get access to vaccine records for minors.
The Maine CDC says there has been an increasingly high demand for access to vaccine records in the last several years.
So far this year, the Maine CDC has received over 3,000 requests for immunization records.
For comparison, there were only 111 requests in 2019.
There is also a Docket website where you can verify your identity and access your records.
Hard copies of vaccine records can still be requested through a health care provider’s office.
Copyright 2024 WABI. All rights reserved.
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