Panel to look at women, black and tribal fights for suffrage
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The struggle for women’s, African-American, and Native-American suffrage is getting its due at the Maine governor’s residence.
A panel Thursday afternoon at the Blaine House is set to include Penobscot Indian Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana, Reverend Kenneth I. Lewis, Jr. and independent historian of women’s suffrage Anne Gass.
The panel marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the country.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ inauguration included speeches by Lewis and Dana, who acts as a diplomat on behalf of the nation to local, state and federal government.
Lewis serves as senior pastor of the historic Green Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Portland.
Gass lectures on the history of women’s suffrage and wrote a book about her great-grandmother’s leadership of suffrage battles in Maine.
School district implements first-ever remote school day
CAMDEN, Maine (AP) — A Maine school district has implemented the state’s first-ever remote school day.
Superintendent Maria Libby announced Wednesday that Camden schools would take part in the first-ever remote school day for Maine public schools on Thursday. Administrators decided that two snow days this school year would be remote school days, when students are required to complete school work and teachers are required to be available via email from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Officials say elementary students will use the time to complete a project to present to their class, while middle and high school students will work on assignments and check in with teachers throughout the day.
School officials say accommodations are in place for students who don’t have internet access at home.
Another Maine homeowner dies trying to save pet
DEDHAM, Maine (AP) — Officials say a Maine man escaped from a burning house only to die when he went back inside to try to save his dog.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office says the body of 76-year-old Jerry Bishop was found Wednesday near a door inside the log cabin in Dedham.
Officials say it was the second death in little more than a week of a Maine homeowner who re-entered a burning house to look for a dog. The other incident happened on Feb. 4 in Orland.
Officials said Bishop and his 77-year-old wife, Phyllis, had escaped after smoke detectors went off, but the husband went back inside.
Fire marshal investigators said Phyllis Bishop told them there had been electrical problems the day before. The dog, a Siberian husky, was not found.
Maine creates a world record for moose-calling
SKOWHEGAN, Maine (AP) — Guinness World Records has never had an entry for group moose-calling. Until now.
Organizers of the Maine Moose Festival announced Wednesday that Guinness World Records signed off on the record-setting attempt featuring 1,054 people grunting and groaning like moose.
The effort took place in June when a registered guide taught the sizable crowd at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds how to call a moose.
Then folks began making noise.
Kristina Cannon, executive director of Main Street Skowhegan, says festival organizers “are thrilled to hold this world record.”
Maine US senators divided on pick for attorney general
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s U.S. senators have split on whether to support the president’s nominee for attorney general.
The office of Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins says she will vote in support of William Barr’s confirmation Thursday, while independent U.S. Sen. Angus King says he will vote against Barr.
A spokeswoman for Collins says she believes it’s important to have an experienced attorney general to oversee the investigation into Russian election interference.
King said Tuesday Barr’s belief in “sweeping executive powers,” particularly in connection with the Russian investigation, is “concerning.”
Barr has said Special Counsel Robert Mueller will continue the investigation under his watch, despite publicly criticizing it.
4 groups seek final charter school slot in Maine
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — State officials say four groups are vying for the last charter school slot available in Maine.
The Portland Press Herald reports the groups identified Tuesday are the Ecology Learning Center, Inspire ME Academy, Sheffwood Academy and Umbrella Preschool.
The Ecology Learner Center would be a high school of fewer than 100 students in Montville.
Inspire ME Academy, which unsuccessfully applied in 2015, is a proposed K-8 school near Sanford.
Sheffwood Academy would be an arts and technology-focused school in Topsham for grades six-12.
Umbrella Preschool would be a pre-K program in public schools.
The Maine Charter School Commission will make its final decision to approve or deny applications Sept. 3.
About 2,200 of the state’s 181,000 students attend charter schools. State funding for charter schools is $25.7 million for 2018-19.
Gov. Mills shows new support for transmission line project
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills is showing new support for a proposed 145-mile power transmission line.
Maine Public reports Mills questioned the project during her campaign for election, saying the proposal needed to offer concrete and long-term benefits to Maine residents.
Mills told the station Tuesday she is pleased with what the companies involved are offering for rate subsidies and funding for new energy technology such as electric vehicles.
Central Maine Power’s planned New England Clean Energy Connect project would bring power from Quebec to southern New England.
Mills says she wants to see a finalized package before passing judgment.
CMP needs approval from the state Public Utilities Commission and federal authorities before it can move forward with construction.
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