Record numbers of piping plovers recorded on Maine beaches
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — A threatened shorebird is being seen in record numbers on Maine beaches this summer. Laura Zitske, a wildlife biologist at Maine Audubon, said there were 140 nesting pairs of piping plovers along with 252 chicks raised to the point of being able to fly. Both were records. Piping plovers were listed as endangered by the state in 1986 and they’re listed as threatened by the federal government in Maine. At one point, their numbers fell to fewer than dozen nesting pairs in the state because of predators and habitat loss.
Drought disaster declared; city restricts outdoor irrigation
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Federal officials have declared a drought-related disaster in Rhode Island. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack declared Monday all five of the state’s counties as “primary natural disaster areas.” The declaration allows eligible farms to be considered for low-interest, emergency loans and other assistance from the department’s Farm Service Agency. Meanwhile, New England’s second-largest city is urging residents to limit water use. The city of Worcester, Massachusetts declared a drought Monday, restricting the use of outdoor irrigation systems and reminding residents not to let indoor faucets flow longer than necessary.
Public defender system to more than double budget request
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s public defender system wants to more than double its budget to better represent people who can’t afford an attorney. The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services voted to recommend a $62.1 million budget next year. The proposal would open four public defender offices in the state and raise the hourly fee to $150 for court-appointed lawyers. The state is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, which contends there’s a failure to ensure the constitutional right to effective counsel. Maine is the only state in the nation without a public defender’s office for people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.
Clinic’s failure to note child abuse leads to $8M settlement
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — The federal government has agreed to pay $8 million to settle a claim that a federally funded clinic failed to alert a mother or authorities of signs of abuse on a 6-month-old boy. Alexandria Orduna, of Brewer, contended medical professionals failed to recognize or report signs of abuse inflicted on her son by a man who was living with her in 2019. The attorney for the mother on Monday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit after the settlement was executed last month. The man accused of causing the injuries was sentenced to four years in prison.