FALMOUTH, Maine — The teachers’ union and School Board have reached an agreement on a three-year contract that includes wage increases for each year. The contract, which was formalized on March 13, will add an estimated $830,000 to the roughly $30 million School Department budget. Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — The Falmouth Police Department hopes to add another detective to its workforce, but the proposal isn’t necessarily a response to increased crime. Rather, the new detective would help sort out evidence. Security cameras and other digital devices have increased the solvability… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — A proposed school budget for fiscal year 2015 calls for a nearly 4 percent increase in spending and no cuts to staff positions. Portland Public Schools Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk presented his proposed $102.3 million budget to the School Board on Tuesday night at… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — It may be difficult to reconcile against the backdrop of this week’s arctic temperatures, but mud season is upon us. And with the change of seasons comes the annual arrival of potholes. It has been a tough winter, one that introduced… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — It could take several weeks before the state’s medical examiner determines the cause behind the sudden death of a Cheverus High School student last month. Benjamin E. LaMontagne, 18, died Feb. 22 at his home on Long Island. About 1,000 mourners attended his… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — You don’t back out of a bet with a biker club, but you can improve on it. In January, Stephen Betters felt so strongly the New England Patriots would beat the Denver Broncos, he promised members of the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association in… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — During its 38-year history, rock band Foreigner has cycled through dozens of members. On Tuesday night, the group briefly gained another 24 when the Deering High School chorus joined their ranks for a sold-out show at the State Theatre. John Lappen,… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — Earlier this month, when Falmouth High School junior Sarah Caldwell was told to report to the principal’s office, two possibilities ran through her mind. “This is either really good or really bad,” she recalled. The news was good. Caldwell… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — The School Department’s unprecedented effort to solicit budget advice from the public was met with a middling response, but the superintendent is undaunted. On Thursday, about a dozen city residents met with local politicians and school teachers, administrators and board members at King… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — The School Board could reach a decision next week on whether to hire it’s only finalist for superintendent. School Board Chairman Andrew Kinley said Tuesday that no date has been set to discuss Geoff Bruno’s candidacy. “Right now we’re moving as… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — Easy come, easy go. That’s the assessment from several area municipal managers regarding a projected windfall of savings from the regional trash service, ecomaine. Those savings will likely be used to offset proposed cuts in state revenue sharing. Last month, ecomaine’s… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — While high-end restaurants on the peninsula clamor for farm-to-table cred, a lesser-known kitchen on the city’s outskirts may be poised to outdo them. Call it the farm-to-school movement. In an industrial lot off Riverside Street sits Portland Public Schools’ Central Kitchen. Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — Six residents and nearly all town councilors voiced skepticism during an hour-long discussion of a proposal to outsource Falmouth’s assessing services to Cumberland County on Monday. Nonetheless, the council voted 6-0 to authorize Town Manager Nathan Poore to negotiate a contract with the… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — A short meeting agenda turned into a long night for the Town Council on Monday when two items dominated discussion. First, a local hockey organization pitched a new ice rink on town-owned land. Then, the public sounded off on a proposal that would… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — A housecleaner was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing prescription drugs from an elderly client. Kathy A. Vargas, 45, of Portland, was charged with a felony count after she “stole various amounts of prescription medications,” according to a news release from Falmouth police. Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — A former Falmouth part-time firefighter has been indicted for arson by a Cumberland County grand jury. Griffin Kline, 20, of Falmouth was indicted Friday, Jan. 10, on a single Class A felony charge, nearly two months after his arrest for allegedly setting two… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — With the turning of a new year, a new budget season begins for Portland Public Schools. This year, however, the district is offering two ways for the public to provide input on the school department’s nearly $100 million annual budget. Superintendent… Read More
PORTLAND, Maine — A spotty driving record has landed a newly elected Portland School Board member in minor legal trouble. Pious Ali, 44, was issued a summons Dec. 20 in Falmouth on a charge of driving with a suspended license. The summons shed light on a… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — The air was so cold, the snow squeaked beneath Robert Shafto’s boots as he walked through the forest. It was late afternoon and the low sun shone beneath the pine canopy, casting long shadows across the trail. When Shafto reached an open field,… Read More
FALMOUTH, Maine — The town has made available a map that details future natural gas distribution lines. The color-coded map, which is available on the town website, shows four phases of the project over four years, beginning in 2014. It is part… Read More
