AFGHANISTAN-MAINE
Maine could receive 100 Afghan refugees, official says
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Catholic Charities Maine says the state could receive as many as 100 displaced Afghan refugees between now and March. Hannah DeAngelis tells the Sun Journal that it’s unclear where they’ll land but there are already small Afghan communities in Portland and Augusta after the resettlement of 105 refugees since 2013. The newcomers will be arriving through the U.S. Department of State without official refugee status and will need to apply for asylum.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE
President’s mandate applies to a third of Maine workers
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The president’s mandate that companies with 100 or more employees require COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing will apply to about one in three workers in Maine. All told, about 170,000 Maine workers, or a third of the workforce, are employed by companies in that category. The requirement, announced Thursday, comes as COVID-19 infections continue to grow in Maine. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 506 new infections and eight more deaths Friday.
City worker dies when he falls from dump truck
BELFAST, Maine (AP) — Officials say a Belfast public works employee died after falling out of the back of a dump truck. Officials say 69-year-old Stephen Mathieson, of Montville, hit his head when he tumbled to the ground late Thursday morning. He was pronounced dead at Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast. Floating wooden docks were being placed in the back of the dump truck at the time of the accident. It happened not far from the Front Street Shipyard.
Parties still tweaking redistricting proposals in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The chair of a bipartisan redistricting commission said proposed maps developed by Republicans and Democrats will likely be released in a week or two, ahead of a Sept. 27 deadline. Republicans and Democrats have been working for several weeks on their own proposals for redrawing the lines, and some had hoped to get their first glimpse of the plans on Friday. Retired Maine Supreme Judicial Court Justice Donald Alexander, the commission’s chair, will meet with both parties Monday to sort out the timeline. The commission’s next meeting is on Sept. 20.
DAMS-ENDANGERED SALMON
Lawsuit: Dam operator is violating Endangered Species Act
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A lawsuit by environmental groups contends four Kennebec River dams are harming endangered Atlantic salmon. The lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Brookfield Renewable U.S. of violating the federal Endangered Species Act since an exemption relating to salmon expired in 2019. The lawsuit was filed by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Atlantic Salmon Federation U.S., Conservation Law Foundation and Maine Rivers. Brookfield didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
INFANT DEATH
Maine man charged in 2-month-old daughter’s death
TURNER, Maine (AP) — A Maine man has been charged with murder in the death of his 2-month-old daughter last year in Turner. Officials say 27-year-old Trevor Averill was arrested on Wednesday after being indicted on charges of depraved indifference murder and manslaughter. Police said the investigation began in July 2020 after deputies were called to a home in Turner for a report of an infant in medical distress. The baby was taken to Maine Medical Center where she died from her injuries. Averill, who now resides in Buckfield, was being held on $50,000 bail Thursday at the Androscoggin County Jail. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.
COUNCILOR-RACIST COMMENTS
Group calls for councilor’s resignation over racist remarks
AUBURN, Maine (AP) — A Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is calling for the resignation of a Maine city councilor over racist remarks targeting Black people. Councilor Leroy Walker made the remarks during a discussion about naming a pedestrian bridge in honor of John Jenkins, the first Black person to serve as state senator in Maine. He also served as mayor of both Lewiston and Auburn. During the discussion, Walker said “dark-colored people” recently breaking laws in the South “put a bad name on good people” like Jenkins. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Walker’s comments showed he cannot represent a diverse community.