Maine Things Considered

A Naples man detained last month on immigration charges was deported to his native Guatemala Thursday. Otto Morales-Caballeros had been living in Maine for some two decades, working most recently at a Saco lobster packing plant. But he was undocumented, and immigration officials say he was subject to a deportation order dating from 2010, and had also confessed to falsifying a social security number. He was picked up a month ago near the home in Naples where he lived with Sandra Scribner Merlim,

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has been touring the country to hear about states’ efforts to combat the opiate crisis. Here in Maine, Price was greeted by protestors, met with a group of health care providers and spoke at a news conference with Gov. Paul LePage and a top advisor to Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway. Price and Conway were met with chanting protestors as they went into a meeting in the governor’s cabinet room with more than a dozen health care providers, state

A longtime Naples resident who was detained by immigration agents last month will be deported to his native Guatemala Thursday. That’s according to his wife, who says she will continue to press for his freedom, and eventual admittance back to the states.

For decades Maine has had a bottle redemption system for soda, beer and liquor bottles to encourage recycling and prevent littering of those containers. Now the Maine House has voted to expand the deposit law to include small liquor bottles called nips. Rep. Richard Campbell, a Republican from Orrington, lives near a local store and says he’s surprised by the number of empty bottles and cans he finds scattered across his yard. “It’s not so much litter, but it’s the distance from picking it up at

The judge presiding over the Anthony Sanborn murder case has declined a motion to recuse herself. The Maine Attorney General’s office made the request due to concerns over Justice Joyce Wheeler’s impartiality. The developing case calls into question a Sanborn’s conviction, handed down nearly 30 years ago. The request is based on two statements she made during a bail hearing for Sanborn in April. “This is only a bail hearing, so I cannot apologize to you, Mr. Sanborn, at this time. All I can say

A Maine businessman and a national conservation group are seeking $6 million to protect a prized plantation of sugar maples in Somerset County. But the project’s remote location and its Canadian-produced maple syrup raise questions about whether Mainers should subsidize a conservation easement.

Navigating life as a teenager can be difficult — there’s prom, drivers ed, preparing for college and managing relationships. But how about being a teen from a foreign country without parents or an adult guardian to guide you?

The Augusta lobbyist who testified on behalf an offshore investment firm run by a controversial casino developer now says he made a mistake. Back in March, attorney Dan Riley told the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee that he had been hired by Bridge Capital , an investment firm located in the Mariana Islands. Shawn Scott, who could benefit from a casino referendum set to appear before voters in November, is a partner in the firm. Riley didn’t have a lot to say during the

Maine Democrats say the LePage administration must do more to reduce the numbers of children in severe poverty — and they’re proposing that the state access $150 million in available federal block grant funding to that end. But Gov. Paul LePage and other Republicans say the Democrats’ plan to expand welfare would actually make many Mainers more dependent on state benefits. Here in Maine the poorest of the poor earn about $10,000 a year for a family of three. That’s considered deep poverty, and

New England states are considering the idea of sticking with daylight saving time year 'round. Proposals to make the switch are being taken up by several legislatures, including Maine's.

The U.S. Department of Interior has announced that it will be reviewing Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument through a 60-day public comment period starting May 12. In a press release, the Interior Department says it will review the designation to determine whether it was “made without adequate public outreach and coordination with relevant stakeholders.” Katahdin Woods and Waters is one of 27 national monuments it’s reviewing under a presidential order. Maine Gov. Paul LePage,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFdbuStGQTo A congressional subcommittee heard two starkly contrasting views about the recent designation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine. Gov. Paul LePage, an outspoken opponent, and Lucas St. Clair, its chief supporter, were among four panelists invited to speak to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands about past use of the Antiquities Act to create national monuments like the one in Maine. Republican committee members made it

Teachers in Maine have the lowest starting pay in New England, and Maine ranks 41st in the nation for teacher salaries. Lawmakers are considering some measures aimed at addressing that issue.

The sounds of spring. Peepers, songbirds, revving engines. Producer Matt Roberts stopped by opening day at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, recently and filed this audio postcard.

Maine’s third largest city is in the midst of a transformation.