Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Quote of the Day

“We’ve probably had 200 phone calls, if not more, from people who have volunteered to be pallbearers.”

— Tamara Sinagra, funeral director at Direct Cremation of Maine in Belfast, describing the response to a public notice the funeral home placed in a local newspaper seeking help in the burial of Gerry Brooks, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, whose body had been abandoned.

Today’s Top Maine Stories

Maine has been paying for kids to go to out-of-state treatment facilities where an investigation found abuse. The finding comes from a two-year federal inquiry into residential programs operated by the country’s largest for-profit providers of behavioral health care for youth.

Bangor’s school superintendent said ‘lack of trust’ was a factor in his retirement. James Tager, who steps down at the end of the month, said he was pushed by a handful of administrators.

Bangor State Fair organizers want to “restore it to its former glory.” After being hit hard by the pandemic, the fair has slowly bounced back. Organizers are expecting about 25,000 people to attend this year.

A judge will decide if a lawsuit alleging Hermon schools discriminated against a church can continue. Pines Church says the school department barred it from leasing an auditorium because of its conservative beliefs.

When a Maine veteran’s body was abandoned at a funeral home, strangers came to help. Gerry Brooks had been deemed abandoned in the care of Direct Cremation of Maine in Belfast after his May 18 death.

Maine in Pictures

More News from Around the State

• Ellsworth narrows police chief search to 3 candidates

• Maine CDC expands warnings about PFAS in fish

• See which Maine towns have PFAS restrictions on eating fish

• Harness racing canceled in Bangor because of the heat wave

• 3 people accused of stealing puppy from parked car in Ellsworth

• A 19-year-old Mainer is missing

• Death of man found on Lincolnville beach ruled a suicide

• Subject of multi-agency Bangor manhunt allegedly tried stealing $35 in trading cards

• Kayaker rescued after breaking leg while paddling on Maine river

• Mainer dies after becoming trapped under tractor

• Man who drowned in Maine river while fishing with son on Father’s Day has been identified

• Brunswick man accused of child sexual exploitation

• Massachusetts emergency text alerts mistakenly sent to Mainers

• Massachusetts man allegedly threw bag of fentanyl from car while fleeing from Maine police

• Navy destroyer to visit Eastport during July 4 celebration

• UMaine issues warning about a black bear sighting on bike paths

• Residents of impassable Grand Isle road fed up with lack of maintenance

• Portland businesses want to rein in the city’s emergency minimum wage

Question of the Week

As temperatures soar into the 90s across most of the state this week, we want to know: how do you heat proof your house during the summer? Have you done anything in particular to keep your home cool even as the sun blazes outside? Click through to respond to our story, or send us an email with your name and hometown and how you’ve managed to keep your house comfortable during the heat of summer.

From the Opinion Pages

Life in Maine

With more than 300 entrants, organizers of theinaugural Bangor marathon say they’re in it 'for the long haul.’

Heat waves are not good for cold-water fish species. Like a person trying to breathe in high humidity, a cold water fish swimming in really warm surface water will struggle to get enough oxygen.

Stand-up paddleboarding is a graceful way to travel on water and a great way to strengthen your entire body. If you want to get started, here are a few things to consider.

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