I remember being only 10 or 11 and hearing my mother yelling and crying on the phone to the insurance company. They wanted to deny coverage to me for something I was born with on a genetic level. I was diagnosed with Becker’s muscular dystrophy at 8 years of age, and at various points in […]

Re: “Portland residents pursue referendum to block 200-bed homeless shelter” (April 21): Portland is in danger of shooting itself in the foot again with another referendum that seems to smell OK on the surface but is rotten underneath. When the actual cause-and-effect is the opposite of the advertised emotional appeal, your vote for a happy […]

“Died suddenly.”… ”Ended their earthly bonds.”…“Was killed when a firearm accidentally discharged.” …“Died after failing to open the garage door while the vehicle was running.”…”Gas oven failed to ignite, resulting in the death of …”…“Died of tainted drug overdose.” Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., with 132 Americans on average […]

Kudos to Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins for leading the effort to reinstate limits on methane emissions! These regulations were repealed in the previous administration, and our Maine senators deserve high praise for correcting this dangerous misstep (particularly Sen. Collins, who bravely provided the only Republican vote). Having the distinction as the only state […]

A commentary about electric-car drivers, written by Peter Murray and published April 23, caught my attention. Murray is of the opinion that elected officials both state and federal have proclaimed their support of electric vehicle charging stations nationwide. I understand his concern: He has an electric car and he can’t go from point A to […]

The recent articles on the Maine State Police by the Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News are quite alarming. I am a strong supporter of police officers, but it is clear that a change has to happen at the top of the MSP. I feel for the many Maine troopers who are doing an […]

Both your series on the Maine State Police sharing of records and Bill Nemitz’s column on April 22 (“Feeling, more than ever, the weight of a police badge,” Page B1) are illustrative. The responsibility that comes with the badge is part of the power that one who wears it wields. Transparency is the currency of […]

As a high school teacher, I encourage my elected officials to pass L.D. 452, which would require certain schools in Maine to provide menstrual products to students. Studies, along with common sense, continue to demonstrate that students cannot learn when they do not have their basic needs met. We often think of basic needs as […]