Photos from
Shannon Moss
Public Information Officer
Maine Department of Public Safety
Bim, bam, boom: 3 FedEx trucks collide in Maine
ALFRED, Maine (AP) — Maine State Police say three FedEx delivery vehicles following single file crashed into each other.
Officials said the three vehicles collided with each other when traffic slowed in front of them late Tuesday morning on busy Route 111 in Alfred.
All of the vehicles were damaged, and one was pushed off the highway into a tree.
Officials say one FedEx driver was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR
UMaine faculty, students want consequences for chancellor
AGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Faculty members and students from public universities in Maine said the resignation of an incoming administrator isn’t enough to satisfy concerns about the system’s leadership. Faculty at University of Maine at Augusta and two other public universities cast no-confidence votes in University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy over the hiring of Michael Laliberte to lead the Augusta school. Faculty members learned after Laliberte’s hiring that Malloy did not inform a search committee that Laliberte was the subject of his own no-confidence votes at his former job. Trustees did not decide whether to renew Malloy’s contract during a Monday meeting.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-POSITIVE TEST MISTRIAL
Mistrial declared when witness tests positive during recess
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A mistrial has been declared in the case of a Maine man charged with threatening to kill Jewish people because a witness tested positive for COVID-19. Federal authorities charged 25-year-old Brian Dennison of Buxton with one count of transmitting a threat through interstate communication because of a tweet that threatened Jewish people during Rosh Hashanah in 2021. Levy declared a mistrial after a federal agent learned he’d tested positive for the coronavirus during a court recess before completing his testimony. Dennison has pleaded not guilty.
MAINE-ASYLUM SEEKERS
State of Maine asked to oversee services for asylum seekers
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Nonprofits and community organizations want the state of Maine to begin coordinating services for asylum seekers. The letter from 79 organizations, dated Friday, came after Maine’s largest city said it could no longer guarantee housing amid a surge of homelessness. The letter that said a “coordinated, statewide effort is necessary to meet the moment.” A spokesperson said Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is reviewing the letter and considering recommendations.
HOTEL FIRES
Massive blaze damages newly renovated Rhode Island hotel
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Three firefighters were injured battling a major fire at a recently renovated hotel in Newport, Rhode Island. Fire officials say the fire at the Wayfinder Hotel was reported at about 8 p.m. Monday. Crews remained on the scene on Tuesday morning. Chief Harp Donnelly IV tells The Newport Daily News that nearly 100 firefighters from multiple municipalities responded to the blaze and all guests made it out safely. Deputy Chief Mark Riding says the injured firefighters are expected to recover. The cause remains under investigation. The four-story hotel has nearly 200 guest rooms.
WELLS SHOOTING
Shooting that killed Maine toddler preceded by shirt fight
WELLS, Maine (AP) — Police say a Maine man who fatally shot his toddler niece did so after getting into a fight with the child’s father over a shirt. The girl, Octavia Huber-Young, died Saturday after the shooting in Wells. The Portland Press Herald reported police said the 19-year-old who shot Octavia got into a fight with his brother over the shirt. Police say the man was thrown out of his house by his parents and later returned and started shooting. They say the man injured his brother and father and killed Octavia.
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. Faculty at three UMaine System schools, including Augusta, have since cast their own votes of no confidence in the leadership of system chancellor Dannel Malloy.