Panel Split on Bill to Slow Minimum Wage Increase

A proposal to slow the rise of Maine’s minimum wage and create a lower wage for younger workers has split a legislative committee along partisan lines.

Governor Moves to Empty Prison as Lawmakers Mull its Future

LePage spokesman Peter Steele said Downeast Correctional Facility’s beds will no longer be needed as of March 31.

Halfway House for Young Offenders to Open in Portland

Maine’s first state-funded halfway house for young men leaving juvenile detention is scheduled to open in Portland in March.

Westbrook Police Investigating Unarmed Robbery

WESTBROOK, Maine (WGAN)  Westbrook Police are investigating a theft at the Sticker Station on Main Street

Waterville Man Arrested for Supplying Fatal Fentanyl Dose

WATERVILLE, Maine (WGAN)  A man from Waterville is accused of giving a deadly dose of fentanyl to a man who died in his home

Officials: 5 Vehicle Crash Slows Interstate in Scarborough

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)   Maine officials say a five vehicle pileup on Interstate 95 near Scarborough slowed traffic on the highway, though there were no injuries

Feds Award More than $270K to Improve Telehealth in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)   The federal government is giving a Maine health organization more than $270,000 to improve access to telehealth in rural parts of the state

Maine Senator Says ‘Tip Pool’ Rule Transparency is Lacking

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)   Maine Sen. Angus King is calling on the U.S. Department of Labor to release a report about proposed rules that would allow employers to create “tip pools” for tipped workers

Police: Distracted Driver Rear-Ended School Bus

BUXTON, Maine (AP)   Police say a Maine woman was distracted and without a valid license when she crashed into the back of a school bus carrying more than 30 students

LePage Administration Wants to Impose Fee for Electric Cars

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   The LePage administration is proposing legislation that would add an annual fee on electric and hybrid cars in order to pay for highway maintenance