Israel Keyes confessed to slayings in Vermont and Alaska, but before killing himself, he hinted at more.

The Portland Pudgy is a chubby, blunt-nosed dinghy, possessing neither the glamour nor the grace of the sleek pleasure cruisers that dominate Maine’s boat-building industry. But the squat little boat serves a serious purpose, said David Hulbert, who manufactures the boat in a former refrigerated warehouse on Anderson Street in Portland. It could save lives. […]

Fire-safety improvements propel a trend for which the city has remained ‘very progressive.’ Now, officials want to be certain staffing patterns are keeping pace with the shift.

Some argue that the schedule the Portland Fire Department has been using for 17 years benefits firefighters and reduces coverage gaps. Others say it comes with potential costs.