Morning Links - Tuesday January 7, 2025

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Aurora

My Maine This Week: Northern Lights by Lisa Swett 🏛 Natural Resources Council of Maine

Business

New Indoor Mini Golf Attraction Planned for Portland, Maine 🏛 WCYY

Maine economic development commissioner steps down 🏛 Portland Press Herald

From boat sizes to waitlists, what lobster industry changes say about where fishery is headed 🏛 Maine Morning Star

City

Portland mayor uses State of the City address to ask for state’s help with homelessness, public safety 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Portland Mayor Mark Dion delivers State of the City address 🏛 WMTW

Housing at forefront of Portland's State of the City address - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Portland Mayor Mark Dion delivers 'State of the City' address - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Portland Mayor Mark Dion calls for more resources to address homelessness, public safety - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Climate Emergency

In 2024, solar contributed to the New England grid like never before 🏛 Maine Public

Opinion: Against the odds, collaboration will drive climate action in Maine 🏛 ClimateWork Maine

Before the Hour of Need 🏛 American Lighthouse Foundation

Warmer winters impact Maine's ice fishing seasons - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Lack of ice puts Bowdoinham smelt shack out of business nearly three years in a row - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Education

Cybersecurity issues impact 2 Maine public school districts 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Cyberattack targets South Portland schools 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Propane smell forces temporary evacuation of South Portland school 🏛 Portland Press Herald

South Portland Middle School evacuated due to gas smell - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Two-hour delay at South Portland Middle School due to gas smell 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine College of Art ＆ Design to launch fully online Master ... 🏛 Maine College of Art & Design

New arts building under construction at University of Southern Maine - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Environment

Conservation group urges better fish passage for Brunswick dam 🏛 Maine Public

Group calls for removal or redesign of Brunswick, Topsham dam for fish passage 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Biden to ban future offshore drilling across more than 600 million acres 🏛 Maine Morning Star

A passionate conservationist tells the story of how Maine’s North Woods have been preserved - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Food and Drink

Hot Suppa on Congress Street may get new owners 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Guns

State asks judge to deny request for pause of Maine’s new gun waiting period 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine man accused of illegally selling guns to out-of-state drug dealers 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Health Care

Opinion: There’s no quick remedy for Maine’s primary care issues 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Portland Public Schools students to receive free eye exams, glasses through 'vision van' visits 🏛 Maine Public

Maine DHHS awarded nearly $17M for maternal health care 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine awarded $17 million in federal funding to improve maternity care services 🏛 Maine Public

Advocates push for tobacco tax hike and expanded health protections in Maine 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Housing

New law protects renters in Maine from hidden fees - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Justice

Trump plans to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters. Here are the Mainers accused of participating. 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Mainer charged in Capitol riot denied request to attend Trump's inauguration - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Man from Portland indicted for deadly October shooting - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Court Rules Maine is Widely Violating Sixth Amendment by ... 🏛 ACLU of Maine

Judge rules Maine denied 6th Amendment rights to low-income defendants - YouTube - WMTW-TV

The list of Maine parents waiting for a lawyer grew by 700 percent in 2024 — and it may not account for the whole problem 🏛 Maine Beacon

Public attorneys could soon represent Maine parents in child protection cases 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine high court justice argues she did not act wrongly 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to hear Maine cases in return to appeals court 🏛 Maine Public

Labor

Dept. of Labor launches paid leave portal for Maine employers 🏛 Maine Morning Star

New program ensures 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to Maine workers - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Business owners can register online for Maine's new Paid Family Medical Leave Program - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Opinion: H-1B visa holders are far from cheap, indentured labor 🏛 Portland Press Herald

LGBTQIA+

Religious schools appeal decision requiring adherence to Maine’s anti-discrimination law 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Maine to debate public funding for private schools in appeals court - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Outdoors

Blackstrap Hill Preserve 🏛 Hiking in Maine

For a Group of Winter Sailors, Racing Tiny Vessels Is a Pretty Big Deal 🏛 Down East

Maine Guide Mondays: Wolfe Neck Park in Freeport - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Photography

Your moment of calm at Doubling Point Lighthouse 🏛 Reddit

Ducks in a Row, Falmouth 🏛 Reddit

Police

Coast Guard seeking people who shot flares at Willard Beach 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Politics

Maine lawmakers endorse new limits on vague placeholder bills 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Lawmakers inch closer to rule changes, restricting vague placeholder bills 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Maine lawmakers move to restrict — but not ban — vague placeholder bills 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine lawmakers endorse plan to crack down on vague, placeholder bills 🏛 Maine Public

Maine's Right to Repair law goes into effect today 🏛 Maine Public

Maine’s right to repair law is now in effect, but changes are still to come 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine Still Hashing Out The Details Of Its Year Old ‘Right To Repair’ Law As Auto Lobbyists Loom 🏛 TechDirt

Sen. Collins celebrates her Social Security Fairness Act becoming law - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Public Safety

Joe Lewis, Portland Attorney, Dies in East End Pedestrian/Car Crash Last Friday 🏛 Munjoy Hill News

Maine man dies after being hit by SUV in Portland 🏛 WGME

Maine man dies after being hit by SUV in Portland 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Portland attorney killed by car in Old Port was a loving father, husband 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Memorial honors man who died in Portland crash - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Pedestrian dies after being struck by vehicle in Portland - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Maine broke tick-borne disease record in 2024 🏛 Piscataquis Observer

Social Safety Net

Biden signs bill expanding Social Security benefits for retired teachers, public employees 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Thousands of Mainers to benefit from Social Security Fairness Act - YouTube - CBS 13 News

State

Head of Maine's economic development agency will step down in March 🏛 Maine Public

Things to Do

Habibi 🏛 SPACE

101.9 WPOR presents Wicked Winter Jam with Bryan Martin 🏛 State Theatre

Bold as Brass 🏛 Merrill Auditorium

Patrice: The Movie 🏛 SPACE

Valentine's Day with Laura Kargul and Callie Brennan 🏛 Merrill Auditorium

Unhoused

Film looks at homelessness in Maine 🏛 Piscataquis Observer

Utilities

Maine electricity bills increased again this month 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Voter Suppression

Conservative group behind voter ID effort submits 170k signatures to get on November ballot 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Maine voter ID campaign touts popularity while critics urge scrutiny of proposal's fine print 🏛 Maine Public

Supporters of a Maine voter ID law hand in signatures to force referendum 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Organizers say more than 170K signatures submitted for Voter ID initiative 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

How Maine’s congressional delegation views a voter ID drive 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Westbrook

Westbrook plans to revitalize Saccarappa Park with community input - YouTube - CBS 13 News