Press Herald

Rachel Ohm Staff Writer

Rachel covers K-12 schools, higher education and statewide education issues for the Press Herald. She previously covered Franklin and Somerset counties for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville and higher education at the Knoxville News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to her arrival in Maine, Rachel spent time in New York City and earned a master’s degree in journalism from New York University. A native of upstate New York, she loves the outdoorsy life in Maine and spends as much time hiking and exploring the coast as possible.

Latest

Published
January 17, 2021

School nurses on the front lines of fighting COVID-19 and keeping schools open

Between contact tracing, testing and educational outreach, they are taking on new duties essential to keeping schools open this year.
Published
January 15, 2021

Maine colleges will expand COVID-19 testing for spring semester

The University of Maine System announces a move to weekly testing for all in-person staff and students as some private colleges also plan for more rigorous screening.
Published
January 13, 2021

State launches campaign to help students with college admissions process

The On Track for College series will deliver a dozen virtual college counseling and decision-making events for high school students this spring.
Published
January 10, 2021

‘A lot of people are struggling’: Pandemic adds to challenges facing college students

Campuses are responding with emergency relief funds, technology and food distribution as students face hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Published
January 6, 2021

Maine to receive $183 million for schools in latest coronavirus relief package

The funding is part of $82 billion in emergency relief funds that have been allocated to support education nationwide.
Published
January 4, 2021

Pandemic leads school districts to consider skipping test for English language learners

Portland’s school board will consider not giving the annual ACCESS test this year because of concerns about the logistics of testing and the value of the data during the pandemic.
Published
December 29, 2020

Sens. Collins and King support upping stimulus checks to $2,000

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a vote Tuesday on House-approved legislation that would raise the payments to most Americans from $600 to $2,000.
Published
December 28, 2020

Rare camera obscura raised to roof of Children’s Museum & Theatre

The large periscopic camera will once again be available for public viewing when the museum and theater reopen this spring at a new location at Thompson’s Point in Portland.
Published
December 27, 2020

Maine CDC reports another 333 COVID-19 cases, 4 additional deaths

The public health agency is expecting an influx of test results from outside labs early this week because some did not report numbers to the state over the holiday weekend.
Published
December 27, 2020

Maine schools report lower test scores, more course failures amid hybrid learning

Teachers are brainstorming ways to keep students engaged on Zoom and how to maximize in-person time in response to the challenges some students are seeing with remote instruction.