State News From The Associated Press 4-15-21

VOTER ID BILLS

Proposals to require voter ID fail in committee in Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Three proposals to require Maine voters to show photo identification before casting ballots failed to gain support in committee. The Maine Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted down all the proposals on Wednesday. Each vote was by a 8-5 count, with Democrats who hold the majority on the committee voting against. The Portland Press Herald reports Republicans proposed the bills, which differed on such details as what kinds of photo identifications could be used.

CHURCH FIRE

Maine man charged with hate crime in Black church arson

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A Maine man accused of setting fire to a Massachusetts church with a predominantly Black congregation been charged with hate crime offenses. Dushko Vulchev is charged in federal court with four counts of damage to religious property involving fire and one count of use of fire to commit a federal felony stemming from the Dec. 28, 2020 blaze at the Martin Luther King Jr. Presbyterian Church in Springfield. Prosecutors say investigators found messages on Vulchev’s electronic devices revealing his hatred of Black people.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE

Virus affecting small towns more; governor extends order

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — Maine’s growing number of COVID-19 cases is disproportionately affecting smaller towns. The Bangor Daily News reports the 20 ZIP codes with the highest infection rate in the last month are concentrated in York, Androscoggin, Kennebec and Oxford counties. Only three are in major urban areas. Health officials say factors could be growing weariness of masks and social distancing. Also Thursday, Maine remained under a state of emergency order that will continue until at least the middle of May. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills extended the order this week.

Police: 13-year-old driver kills 3-year-old in Maine

GORHAM, Maine (AP) — Police say a 13-year-old girl was behind the wheel of a car that killed a 3-year-old boy in Gorham. Gorham police say the driver was operating the vehicle alone before first responders were called to the residential street. The 3-year-old, who was not identified, died at the scene. It’s unclear why the girl was operating the car alone. Police said the crash remained under investigation. The minimum age for a learner’s permit is 15, and the minimum age for a driver’s license is 16.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE

Maine stays under emergency order for at least 1 more month

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — Maine will remain under a state of emergency order until at least the middle of May. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills extended the emergency order on Wednesday. She first instituted the order in March 2020, near the outset of the pandemic. The order gives the state the ability to use all available resources to contain the spread of coronavirus. The coronavirus has sickened more than 55,000 people in the state and killed more than 750.

POLICE SHOOTING-FATALITY

Man fatally shot by police in northern Maine confrontation

MARS HILL, Maine (AP) — Maine police shot and killed a man in a confrontation outside a residence in a small town in the northern part of the state. The Bangor Daily News reports the shooting killed 28-year-old Jacob Wood in Mars Hill early Wednesday. Police responded to a 911 call a little before 3 a.m. and arrived to find an armed confrontation. Aroostook County Sheriff Shawn Gillen said Deputy Isaac Ward shot the man. Police have not released more details about the shooting.

HOBBY STORE-BURGLARY

$20K in trading cards stolen from hobby store

BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) — Maine authorities are investigating the theft of several sports trading cards estimated to be worth nearly $20,000. The Times Record reports that authorities were first notified of the robbery around 8 am on Tuesday when a driver reported that the glass front door of J&R Cards had been smashed. Brunswick police say physical and DNA evidence was secured at the scene and the investigation is ongoing. According to the store’s Facebook page, the cards stolen include Panini basketball and football cards and Topps baseball cards.

OBIT-US ATTORNEY-MAINE

Thomas Delahanty II, former US attorney, dead at 75

FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) — Thomas Delahanty II, a longtime judge who also twice served as U.S. attorney, has died at 75. Delahanty first served as U.S. attorney under President Jimmy Carter and then again under President Barack Obama. But he spent the bulk of his career as a state judge in Superior Court in Auburn. Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday called Delahanty “a champion of justice.” His death on Monday was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Maine judiciary.

AQUACULTURE LEASES-BILL

Many testify about proposed limits, rules for aquaculture

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill that seeks to limit the size of aquaculture leases and would change how leases are transferred in Maine has drawn testimony from a range of aquafarmers, fishermen and women and advocates. Rep. Robert Alley has proposed a concept draft of a bill to “protect Maine’s ocean waters, support robust regulatory oversight and the long-term health of the aquaculture industry.” The bill would reduce the acres for aquaculture leases that a single entity can hold from 1,000 to 100. It would also require that leases be transferred back to the state at the end of their term. Officials warned it would eliminate certain aquaculture operations in the state that also provide important jobs.