The American Airlines agent who gave two of the 9/11 terrorists their boarding passes from Portland to Boston is haunted by that unthinkable day.
Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
Posted inLocal Elections, Maine, News, Politics
Portland councilor, a plaintiff in lawsuit against the city, won’t recuse herself from dispute
April Fournier’s decision runs counter to the city attorney’s recommendation that she recuse herself from deliberations of the clean-elections case.
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Posted inMaine
Jon Jennings selected as next city manager of Clearwater, Fla.
Jennings, who was named Portland’s city manager in 2015, said he is excited to begin negotiations in Clearwater but sad to be ‘possibly leaving Portland city staff.’
Posted inLocal Elections, Maine, News, Politics
Portland councilors consider next move in clean elections case, but too late for fall vote
Advocates want the City Council to reverse course and put the 2019 citizen initiative on the November ballot, but the clerk says ballots are already being printed.
Posted inMaine
Portland City Council debates how to go about its search for a city manager
Current City Manager Jon Jennings could leave in as little as 90 days if hired for a job in Florida, but the city’s Charter Commission might change the job description, and some said looking for an interim candidate might make sense.
Posted inMaine
Sixty years after Union Station demolition, historic preservation in Portland looks to the future
Greater Portland Landmarks plans to focus more on community and culture over bricks and mortar, and connect preservation to sustainability. But critics argue preservationists are overreaching and trying to stop development.
Posted inMaine, Uncategorized
Candidates set for council, school board races in Portland
With 3 city councilors not seeking re-election, 8 candidates have qualified to compete for their seats.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland shelter on track for planning approval that may foil referendum effort
If approved Sept. 14, the shelter project may be shielded from a citizens initiative in November that’s meant to derail it.
Posted inBusiness, Maine, News
Portland council considers mask mandate for all public indoor spaces
The City Council next month will discuss mandating mask-wearing in public indoor spaces as the delta variant surges across the state.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland council decides to offer competing shelter proposals to voters
The council’s measure seeks to outmaneuver a citizen initiative to limit the size of new emergency shelters, which could block the city’s plan to build a 200-bed shelter in Riverside.