Hussam Al Rawi and his wife, Kathryn Piper, opened Five Pillars Butchery, a halal meat processing business in 2017, after moving to Maine the previous year. The couple were awarded nearly $3 million in federal grants earlier this year to add a slaughterhouse to the butchery at 119 Bangor Road.
Dylan Tusinski
Staff Writer
Dylan Tusinski is an investigative reporter with the Maine Trust for Local News' quick strike team, where his stories largely focus on money, drugs and government accountability. He has written about international drug trafficking rings, Maine's housing crisis, political polarization and much more. He previously worked for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville from 2023 to 2025. When he's not on the clock, Dylan can often be found at the nearest Grateful Dead cover band show or minor league hockey game.
Posted inCops & Courts, Maine, News
Two arrested while allegedly stealing copper from former junior high
According to officials, Winslow police arrested the pair in the midst of the attempted heist.
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Posted inMaine, News
United Bikers of Maine holds largest toy run since COVID-19 forced event’s cancellation in 2020, organizers say
The UBM event brings in thousands of toys that are donated at Christmas to Maine children in need.
Posted inCops & Courts, Maine, News
Settlement reportedly reached in civil case involving Ayla Reynolds’ disappearance in 2011 in Waterville
Trista Reynolds, the mother of Ayla, has sought civil action against her daughter’s father and other family members in connection with the case.
Posted inMaine, News
Belgrade home raided for illegal marijuana operation back on market for $388,000
Police say more than 1,500 cannabis plants were seized and one man was arrested at 24 Guptill Road in January. Now, the refurbished four-bedroom home is listed for sale.
Posted inMaine, News
China residents to vote on high-voltage power line ban after citizens’ petition
Residents will decide in November whether to enact a temporary ban on constructing high-voltage power lines, nearly a year after a controversial proposed renewable energy project was put on hold.
Posted inMaine
Fire damages Civil War-era home of former Maine Gov. Abner Coburn in Skowhegan
Flames and smoke were seen billowing from the attic of the historic mansion at 24 Main St. shortly before 4:30 p.m., according to witnesses.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland box truck driver injured in I-95 crash near Pittsfield
The box truck, driven by Patricio Mabaza of Portland, was traveling north in the right lane near mile marker 148 and slowed to almost a stop, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Posted inNews
‘Tax fairness ordinance’ considered by Belgrade board
Over 250 residents have signed the petition, which organizers say would create a $2.5 million fund for homestead tax credits as a response to rising tax bills.
Posted inMaine, News
These Maine farmers will not let their 80-year-old tractors die
As many of the nearly century-old “doodlebug” tractors have fallen apart or flat-out died in the decades since they were built, tight-knit communities of enthusiasts have coalesced around their love for keeping these machines alive.