Spring storm brings rain, snow, wind to New England
BOSTON (AP) — A storm is bringing rain, snow and a messy morning commute to New England just as it appeared spring weather was arriving. The areas around Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut; and Boston are getting mostly heavy rain and wind Friday. But parts of northern New England could see a fair amount of wet, heavy snow. That’s especially true in higher elevations. The National Weather Service predicts some interior areas could get as much as 10 inches of snow. Princeton, Massachusetts, had over 4 inches before dawn. Winter weather warnings or advisories are posted for large swaths of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE
No end date slotted for Maine mask rules despite NH changes
BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — The only state that borders Maine is changing mask-wearing rules, but the rules in Maine are staying the same. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, has said the state’s mask mandate will expire Friday, but businesses can still require masks. But Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah and Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew say there are no such plans in Maine. Maine’s mask mandate requires people to wear masks while in public settings.
CORRECTIONS OFFICER ARREST
Former Maine corrections officer charged with sexual abuse
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A former Maine corrections officer has turned himself in to investigators after facing charges of sexually abusing a former inmate. Police said Thursday that 30-year-old Jonathan Williams was charged with gross sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact and unlawful sexual touching. Police said Williams was employed as a corrections officer for five years and formerly lived in Biddeford, but had been residing in Danvers, Massachusetts, more recently. Police say the charges stemmed from an investigation that started in November 2020 after the former inmate provided information that Williams committed the crimes while supervising the victim.
YOUNG DRIVER FATAL
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 struck and killed a 3-year-old boy in Gorham. Gorham police say the driver was operating the vehicle alone and the 3-year-old died at the scene Wednesday evening on a residential street. It’s unclear why the girl was in the car by herself. Police said the crash remained under investigation and that criminal charges have not been ruled out. The minimum age for a learner’s permit is 15, and the minimum age for a driver’s license is 16.
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.