Ranked choice, civil emergency order ,Charlotte, ME $1,600 to Assist Fire Department

Ranked choice voting is subject of 11th-hour appeal in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s supreme court is going to hear 11th-hour arguments aimed at stopping a GOP-led referendum on ranked choice voting and allowing the voting system to be used in the November presidential election. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap contends the GOP fell short of collecting 63,068 valid signatures for the November ballot. But the threshold was surpassed when a judge allowed 988 signatures from two people who didn’t register to vote until after they began collecting signatures. Dunlap contends signature-gatherers must be registered to vote before they start collecting signatures from voters.

Gov. Mills extends civil emergency order for the 6th time

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has extended a state of emergency for a sixth time during the pandemic. In a statement, Mills urged Mainers not to let “pandemic fatigue” allow them to become complacent, especially as students are returning to schools and universities across the state. She gave a nod to outbreaks stemming from a wedding in the Katahdin region in saying “one little match can spark a fire that may be very difficult to put out.” The emergency orders are issued in 30-day increments.

Charlotte, ME Receives $1,600 to Assist Fire Department in Latest Round of Grants

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced yesterday $2.8 million in direct assistance grants to 40 fire departments nationwide through the agency’s FY2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant COVID-19 Supplemental program (AFG-S).  The announcement included a grant award to the Charlotte Volunteer Fire Department in Charlotte, Maine for $1,600.

(AFG-S) is a supplemental funding opportunity under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG).

AFG is one of three FEMA grant programs that focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards.