School officials are scrambling to use millions of dollars in COVID-19 aid before Dec. 30.
Steve Collins
Columnist
Steve Collins became an opinion columnist for the Maine Trust for Local News in April of 2025. A journalist since 1987, Steve has worked for daily newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Maine and served as the State House reporter for the Sun Journal since 2016. The Maine Press Association named him Maine's Journalist of the Year in 2022. Among his other awards are the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2016 Ethics in Journalism Award, the I.F. Stone Whistle-Blower Award in 2015 and the Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award from the New England Newspaper & Press Association. Steve is a founder and board president of Youth Journalism International, a charity that teaches students around the globe about news writing, media literacy and issues of the day. His wife, Jackie Majerus, serves as its executive director. Born in Massachusetts, he grew up in a military family that took him to Norway, Ohio and Virginia, where he earned a degree in history from the University of Virginia. He and Jackie live in Auburn. They have two adult children, two collies and not enough time.
Posted inElection 2020, Maine, Politics
Retired TV reporter Bill Green backs Susan Collins in series of ads
Green breaks his journalistic neutrality to back Collins and Joe Biden in this year’s election.
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Posted inElection 2020, Maine, Politics
Heat is way down this year in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race
First-term Democrat Jared Golden appears to have a big advantage over Republican challenger Dale Crafts.
Posted inBusiness, Maine
Poland Spring seeks new packaging materials derived from Maine’s woods
The Poland-based bottler is collaborating with the University of Maine to find alternative packaging that would lessen its use of petroleum-based products.
Posted inElection 2020, Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, Politics
Donald Trump Jr. fires up a crowd in Auburn
The president’s eldest son made a quick campaign stop Thursday at Rolly’s Diner.
Posted inElection 2020, Elections, Maine, Politics
Pandemic relief lands front and center in 2nd District congressional race
Jared Golden and Dale Crafts each want more relief for those struggling, but they differ on how best to do it.
Posted inHealth, Maine
New unit at Togus to help veterans with mental health and substance abuse issues
Prodded by Jared Golden, the VA plans to open a 24-bed facility in 2022 so Maine veterans won’t have to travel out of state for treatment.
Posted inMaine, Politics
Jared Golden’s reelection appears more likely to national expert
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifts Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race to “leans Democratic” instead of a toss-up.
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Still only one positive COVID-19 case at Bates College
Like its NESCAC sister schools, Bates College has seen a paltry number of positive tests for the deadly coronavirus.
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Student tests positive for COVID-19 at Bates College
Everyone must wear masks inside and outside, except in limited cases.