VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE
Maine: Job verification deadline near; rural clinics get aid
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Some unemployment claimants in Maine and elsewhere will soon have to submit proof that they were employed when they lost a job due to the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government is requiring the proof of employment by Aug. 4 for anyone was has received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. The rule applies to anyone who has received the benefits beginning with the week that ended Jan 2. Also in Maine, a federal program is providing 27 rural health clinics in Maine with more than $1.3 million to help with vaccination efforts.
SCHOOL FIRES
Firefighters had to douse 2 school fires over the weekend
Officials say firefighters had to douse a pair of fires in schools over the weekend — one in northern Maine and the other in southern Maine. A fire destroyed one of the two wings of the Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville on Sunday, forcing administrators to begin coming up with a plan for the next school year. Another fire at Westbrook High School on Sunday was linked to improper use of an extension cord with window-unit air conditioner. The school’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading Sunday but caused damage to several classrooms.
BEAR HUNT-MAINE
Maine bear hunters can lay bait starting later this week
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s bear hunters can start setting bait for the animals later this week. Maine has a large and growing black bear population that numbers about 35,000. State biologists have said that population is growing by about 3% every year. The state has tried to manage the growth of the bear population with its hunting season. Most of the bear hunt takes place with the use of bait. Hunters are allowed to start laying bait on July 31, and they can hunt with the use of bait from Aug. 30 to Sept. 25.
BAR HARBOR-CRUISE SHIPS
Bar Harbor, dependent on tourists, is split on cruise ships
BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) — A picturesque seaside town that depends on tourism isn’t so keen on cruise ships. The Bangor Daily News reports that a survey found that 55% of Bar Harbor residents view cruise ships as having a negative overall impact. In response, town officials said they plan to take action to restrict cruise ship traffic. Before the pandemic, Bar Harbor had roughly 170 cruise ship visits in 2019, with 270,000 cruise ship passengers funneled through the downtown waterfront.
RIGHT WHALE DEATHS
White House has whale conservation rule proposal for review
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Proposed rules designed to protect a declining species of whale have arrived at the White House for review. The federal government is working on rules designed to reduce risk to North Atlantic right whales. The whales number only about 360. They face threats including entanglement in ropes that connect to lobster and crab traps in the ocean. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said the new rules are expected to be released late this summer or early in the fall. Records state the Office of Management and Budget at the White House received the proposal for review on July 19.
TAX ASSISTANCE
Maine program to help low-income families with tax prep
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine is working with a tax assistance coalition to help low-income residents get more money out of their tax returns. Democratic Sen. Eloise Vitelli proposed a bill to make state funding available to CA$H Maine, a group that is made up of more than four dozen nonprofit and for-profit institutions. The group offers free tax preparations to Mainers who qualify for it. The Maine Legislature passed Vitelli’s proposal in mid-July and it became law without the signature of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
ENDANGERED SALMON
Groups urge state to protect last wild Atlantic salmon in US
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A new push to protect the final remaining wild Atlantic salmon in the U.S. is unlikely to land the fish on a key state endangered list. Atlantic salmon once teemed in U.S. rivers, but now return to only a handful of rivers in Maine. The fish are protected at the federal level, but a coalition of environmental groups and scientists said the salmon could be afforded more protections if they were added to Maine’s list. The commissioner of the state’s Department of Marine Resources told The Associated Press he does not intend to add the fish to the list because he does not believe it “would afford additional conservation benefits.”
RAILROAD CROSSINGS
Railroad crossings in Portland area to be reconstructed
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine officials, a pair of cities and Pan Am Railways are working together to reconstruct two major railroad crossings in the Portland area. The Maine Department of Transportation said it’s working with Portland and Westbrook on the project. The Portland crossing is on Route 25, and the Westbrook crossing is on Larrabee Road. The state said the crossings will be reconstructed one at a time and the work will require road closures. The Portland work began on July 19. The state said it expects all of the work to be finished by the end of July.
TEACHER BULLYING
New law designed to protect Maine teachers from bullying
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine teachers will be protected by a new law designed to prevent workplace bullying of educators. The proposal requires school districts to have internal policies that address and stop bullying and harassment of educators and school staff members. The Maine Legislature passed the proposal and it became law in mid-July without the signature of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. Democratic Sen. Mattie Daughtry proposed the new law and said it reflects that “districts need to have the backs of their teachers and staff if they’re facing harassment or bullying.”