UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR
Maine university president withdraws after hiring complaints
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The incoming president of a public university in Maine has voluntarily withdrawn from his position amid complaints from faculty members about his hiring. Michael Laliberte was set to start as president of University of Maine at Augusta on Aug. 1. The Bangor Daily News reported after he was hired that he was the subject of no confidence votes during his time as president of State University of New York at Delhi. Three UMaine System schools, including Augusta, have since cast their own votes of no confidence in the leadership of system chancellor Dannel Malloy.
WELLS SHOOTING
Wells man charged with murder in death of 2-year-old
WELLS, Maine (AP) — A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder in the death of 2-year-old girl in Wells. Andrew Huber Young is accused of shooting the toddler and two men at a home Saturday afternoon. The girl, Octavia Huber Young, later died. The men were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The Maine State Police major crimes unit is investigating, and further charges are expected. It was unknown Sunday whether Young has an attorney.
CONTAMINATED SITES
Brownfield cleanup projects coming to Maine communities
GARDINER, Maine (AP) — Communities in Maine are going to use more than $24 million in federal money to help clean up contaminated former industrial sites around the state. The money is from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It will pay for assessments and site cleanups in communities including Gardiner, Millinocket and Bath. The funding is part of a longstanding effort by the EPA to remediate brownfields, which are areas where redevelopment is made challenging by contaminants and blight.
UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR
University of Maine trustees consider Malloy’s fate
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The fate of University of Maine Chancellor Dannel Malloy is on the agenda as trustees meet over the next two days in Portland. Malloy was hired in Maine in 2019 after serving as governor of Connecticut. His contract expires June 30, and trustees will be hearing from an outside firm that conducted a multi-year review of his tenure. In recent weeks, the faculty senates of three campuses have each issued no-confidence votes in Malloy. The chancellor has said he takes the resolutions seriously and that the pace of change throughout the system is causing anxiety. The meeting takes place Sunday and Monday at the University of Southern Maine.
SHUT DOWN TOWN
Vacancies effectively shut down small Maine town
PASSADUMKEAG, Maine (AP) — A small town in Maine has effectively shut down because it no longer has a town clerk, code enforcement officer, assessor or animal control officer. The Bangor Daily News reports that Christen Bouchard resigned last month from her position as town clerk in Passadumkeag, a town of about 350 residents north of Bangor. She also had been serving as deputy treasurer and was in charge of licensing pets, registering vehicles and maintaining vital records. The town office has been closed since April 21, and it’s unclear when some of the key positions might be filled.
NATIONAL PARK MAINTENANCE
Lawmakers want money for National Park maintenance
BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Lawmakers from Maine and Colorado are calling on senators to increase funding for infrastructure maintenance on federal lands. Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado chair the National Parks Subcommittee in their respective chambers. They said the National Park Service has a backlog of more than $21 billion in deferred maintenance and repairs. The lawmakers said the senators should ensure the fiscal year’s appropriations bill includes “robust annual funding” for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s maintenance obligations.