GOP Sen Collins puts her Bangor home up for sale
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and her husband are putting their Bangor home that has been the site of recent protests on the market. Collins and Thomas Daffron bought the 4,250-square-foot house on West Broadway in 2013, a year after they married, and they’ve made a number of improvements. It has an asking price of $727,000. Spokesperson Annie Clark said they love the house but are looking for a home with a single level — and more space for their Labrador retriever to play.
CAPITOL-RIOT-MAINE
Maine man charged with entering US Capitol on Jan 6
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Another Maine man who entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 is facing federal charges. The FBI said Tuesday that 61-year-old Todd Tilley of South Paris, Maine, was arrested without incident on Tuesday. He’s one of a handful of Mainers among more than 800 people who’ve been arrested in the riot. More than 300 have pleaded guilty to crimes ranging from low-level misdemeanors to felony seditious conspiracy. Tilley faces four misdemeanors. It’s not known if he has an attorney.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-IDEXX
Idexx, one of Maine’s biggest employers, pulls out of Russia
WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) — One of the largest employers in Maine is permanently closing a Russian subsidiary and ceasing business in the country. Idexx Laboratories is based in Westbrook and is a leader in veterinary medicine. The Portland Press Herald reports the company disclosed its decision with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week. The company said in a disclosure to investors that it was providing transition support to Russian employees affected by the closure. Idexx had 18 workers in Moscow previous to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It said it is liquidating the Russian subsidiary.
SUPREME COURT-RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS
Supreme Court: Religious schools must get Maine tuition aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that Maine can’t exclude religious schools from a program that offers tuition aid for private education, a decision that could ease religious organizations’ access to taxpayer money. The 6-3 outcome Tuesday could fuel a renewed push for school choice programs in some of the 18 states that have so far not directed taxpayer money to private, religious education. The most immediate effect of the court’s ruling beyond Maine probably will be in nearby Vermont, which has a similar program. The decision is the latest in a line of rulings from the Supreme Court that have favored religion-based discrimination claims.
AP-US-LIFEGUARD-SHORTAGE
US pools close, go without lifeguards amid labor shortage
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis typically fills 17 pools each year, but with a national lifeguard shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, just five are open this summer. The American Lifeguard Association estimates one-third of pools in the United States are impacted by the shortage. It comes as much of the nation is hit by a second heat wave in as many weeks. Summer shortages aren’t unusual, but U.S. pools are also dealing with fallout from earlier in the pandemic when they closed and lifeguard certification stopped. Starting pay also lags behind many other jobs. In Chicago, Park District Superintendent Rosa Escareño attributes the scarcity in part to post-pandemic labor shortages as workers push for better hours, wages, and opportunities.
OYSTER BOOM
Shellfish attitude in lobster land: Maine oysters boom
BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) — Maine is producing more oysters than ever due to a growing number of shellfish farms that have launched off its coast in recent years. The state’s haul of oysters, the vast majority of which are from farms, grew by more than 50% last year to more than 6 million pounds. Maine’s growing oyster business has made the state a bigger player in the national industry that grows the valuable shellfish, which were valued at more than $187 million in 2020. The growth has also raised questions from members of other marine industries about whether the oyster business is growing too fast.