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“I go in now with my eyes open,” a member of an Auburn synagogue told our religion reporter. “I’m looking for things. I’m looking around corners. I’m looking at exits.”
He said being Jewish has always come with safety risks, but he has felt them ratchet up in recent years. This fear has led his synagogue and other Jewish institutions to bolster security measures, using more than half a million dollars to upgrade its alarm system, surveillance cameras and more. Now, federal funding uncertainty has led them to push for a state alternative. Leaders of other faith groups are on board too. You can read more in Sean Scott’s story below.
Meanwhile, as enrollment has declined and costs have gone up, a number of schools across Maine have closed in recent years. At least 27 of them are sitting empty, and could be good candidates to help solve another challenge in the state: the housing shortage.
That is the thinking of the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority, at least, and the idea behind a bill moving through the Legislature that would set aside funding to help towns make the switch. You can read about the pros and cons of this approach, and check out our map of the potential new apartment buildings, in the story by our new housing reporter Caitlin Andrews.
We also have reporting on the competitiveness of Maine’s county races, amphibian conservation efforts, changes to the school funding formula and more.
— Stephanie
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a new internal affairs office in Bangor owned by Dana White. You’d never know it was there
The office responsible for investigating employee misconduct is now sandwiched between a college and a driving school.
Read this story by Josh Keefe |
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As religious tensions rise, synagogues and other houses of worship in Maine look to beef up security: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would set aside $1.5 million for nonprofit organizations to make security upgrades. Read this story by Sean Scott |
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Maine could help convert empty schools into housing. But it’s tricky: A former school near the Canadian border has been empty for 15 years. One in the Midcoast closed last year. Both are trying to figure out what’s next. Read this story by Caitlin Andrews |
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Amphibian conservation group dives into municipal planning: Volunteers spend spring nights outside with flashlights and rain gear to watch as frogs and salamanders cross the road. Their data helps researchers identify dangerous areas and think through potential infrastructure changes. Read this story by Julia Tilton |
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Maine’s county races are even less competitive than 4 years ago: Among 23 commission seats with partisan elections this year, only four will be contested by both parties. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Maine Monitor and Bangor Daily News |
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How a Maine teacher’s job application sparked culture-war backlash: It started when a Republican candidate for the Maine Legislature made a Facebook post with information about the applicant that is supposed to be confidential under Maine law. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Maine Monitor and BDN |
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Note: Monitor Local publishes stories on Downeast and Western Maine every Saturday. Here are some highlights from this weekend. For more, visit our website. |
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Proposed changes to Maine’s school funding formula could benefit Calais district: If the proposed changes are enacted, Calais could receive as much as $60,000 in additional education funding. Read this story by Ethan Bien |
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Selectmen ask for patience following New Vineyard resignations: The town clerk and deputy town clerk resigned last week, leaving the municipality unable to collect or spend money. An interim clerk has since been hired. Read this story by Ben Hanstein |
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Janet Mills is targeting Graham Platner’s reddit history, as Maine’s Senate primary heats up: “The majority of voters don’t live on Twitter or digest every piece of news, and Platner hasn’t been the subject of a negative ad campaign,” a source close to the Mills campaign said. Read this story by Alex Roarty of NOTUS |
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Penalties pile up for poor Mainers facing stalled USDA foreclosures: Many already owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time the USDA filed for foreclosure because it waited years to prosecute their cases. Read this story by Sawyer Loftus of the Bangor Daily News |
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Have feedback or a correction to send to Stephanie McFeeters? Send it to her directly via email: stephanie@themainemonitor.org.
The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support. |
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