Articles by Bonnie Washuk
Lewiston’s Zam Zam Mohamud becomes first Somali immigrant on school board
LEWISTON, Maine — Zam Zam Mohamud, described as popular and well-regarded in the community by a Bates College professor, is the city’s first Somali to serve on the Lewiston School Committee. Her appointment is a turning point for Lewiston, “when our city representatives begin to reflect our shifting demographics,” said ...
Auburn schools reject state’s laptop choice, go with iPads for students
AUBURN, Maine — The School Department is ditching laptop computers and going to all iPad tablet computers for kindergartners to high school seniors. This fall, middle school students will get Apple iPads with the cost covered by the state. High school students will also get iPads, as proposed in the ...
How Lewiston could save $100,000: Recycle more
LEWISTON, Maine — If you were to rip open trash bags on a curb any given day, chances are good you’d find things in there that should be recycled: glass, cans, bottles, newspaper, paper and cardboard. Some residents are vigilant about recycling and use the city’s 36-gallon recycle bin, where ...
Cocker spaniel killed by neighboring bulldogs in Turner
TURNER, Maine — Sheila Olson is mourning the death of her 14-year-old cocker spaniel, Skittles, which was recently killed by two bulldogs that live up the street. No consequences came to the two dogs. Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout said he had no history of complaints about them. On the ...
Sabattus man wants every town resident to own a gun
SABATTUS, Maine — Retiree David Marsters says there ought to be a law which mandates every Sabattus head of household to own a gun. He’s not joking. If each Sabattus home had a gun, “it would provide and protect safety of the city,” Marsters said. When the selectmen meet Tuesday, ...
Formerly homeless couple to marry at Hope Haven shelter
Marriage will mean less benefits, but wife says love is most important
Superintendent: Maine’s law against restraint teaches students they can act out
LEWISTON, Maine — A photo of chairs overturned in a Lewiston classroom, the aftermath of a first-grader out of control and who broke a teachers nose this past fall, illustrates the need to change a state law on restraining students, Lewiston School Superintendent Bill Webster said. Webster was one of ...
Edward Little teacher going to Kazakhstan
AUBURN, Maine — During her world history class at Edward Little High School, Erin Towns opened mail from the U.S. State Department last May and announced where they were sending her. “I’m going to Kazakhstan!” she said. “‘Huh? What? Kazakhstan?’” Towns recalled her students saying. “They were freaking out I ...
Education official says Oxford Casino money will go to schools, but not this year
AUGUSTA, Maine — Defending what some call a “raid on profits” from the Oxford Casino, Deputy Commissioner Jim Rier said Tuesday that money from the casino which was supposed to go to public schools will go to schools next year — but not this year. Taking $14 million of casino ...
Superintendents call LePage’s school aid push a ‘gimmick’
AUGUSTA, Maine — A state budget move to push some of the June school payments to July has superintendents nervous. They remember the payroll pushes during the McKernan administration in the 1990s. “It is a gimmick,” Mt. Blue School District Superintendent Mike Cormier said. “I believed [Gov. Paul LePage] when ...
Auburn students going to Obama’s inauguration
AUBURN, Maine — Destiny Scott voted for the first time in November, choosing Barack Obama. On Monday she’ll be in Washington, D.C., watching Obama take the oath of office. “It’s going to be amazing,” said Scott, 18. “It’s a great opportunity. Something that will never be done again.” She and ...
Lewiston school redistricting committee rejects parents’ ideas, stays with plan
LEWISTON – After hearing suggestions to change plans about sending a few hundred students to different schools, redistricting committee members said no to most ideas Monday. The committee is recommending sending 234 elementary students, about 8 percent of the total, to different schools this fall. The reasons are to handle ...
Collins, Pingree say government should do more to prevent mentally ill from owning guns
Two members of Maine’s Congressional delegation say more work needs to be done when it comes to gun control and mental health. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said there’s room for improvement. “We should examine, among other issues, whether states are reporting data on mentally ill individuals found to be ...
Report: Maine shares few mental health records for gun background checks
When it comes to sharing mental health records with safety officials for gun background checks, Maine is among the worst performing states, according to a national group promoting gun control. In the wake of 26 murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14 committed by a man believed to ...
Auburn grandmother scammed out of $985
AUBURN, Maine — Betty Lugner, 76, was scammed out of $985, and wants to warn others about phone calls asking for money to rescue a grandchild. Lugner, 76, is a widow, grandmother of six and great-grandmother of five. She has Parkinson’s disease, and lives on Social Security in an Auburn ...
Lewiston Middle School students look ahead to college, careers
LEWISTON, Maine — On a recent Thursday, Alesha Gregoire, 13, was in her career prep class at Lewiston Middle School, designing buttons she’ll wear Friday, which is College Day in Lewiston-Auburn. The buttons she and other students made show what they’re thinking about doing for a career and where they ...
Changes at Longley school mean more space, better security
LEWISTON, Maine — Hello, Longley Elementary; goodbye, Multi-Purpose Center. The Birch Street building that for years was a school on one side and a community center on the other is now just a school. On Monday, the School Committee was scheduled to tour the building. On Friday, Principal Linda St. ...
More Maine students earning college credit in high school
LEWISTON, Maine — Natalia Atkins, 17, listened to former Lewiston police Chief Andy D’Eramo lecture about police search and seizure at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center. In her law enforcement class, Atkins is earning credit for her high school diploma and college next year. A few floors down, Tyler Ford, ...
Educators: IPads improving test scores for Auburn kindergarteners
AUBURN, Maine — Test results show that iPads used by kindergarten students, combined with new teaching methods, are improving learning, educators said. Recent test scores show that in the fall of 2011, as students began the year, 19 percent were proficient in reading skills. By spring, 67 percent were proficient, ...
Edward Little senior says new way of learning is better
AUBURN, Maine — School Committee members have been hearing a lot lately about “mass customized learning,” often in wonkish terms from administrators. This week, they heard from Edward Little High School senior Holland Michaud, 16, who said she’s learning more through MCL “and am more responsible for my learning than ...
Police find remains believed to be Nichole Cable, 15, in Old Town woods
Orono man charged with murder in death of Glenburn teen
LePage hopes to eliminate income tax by end of second term
Family remembers Nichole “CoCo” Cable, warns of social media dangers
Nichole Cable: In our minds, hearts
Obama’s boyfriend line
Ignore LePage politics, get to root of DHHS funding needs
Basketball season never ends for Worcesters of Washburn, a family of 1,000-point scorers
UMaine narrows candidate list, hopes to name men’s hockey coach next week
Eastport teen notches first ‘Bandolero’ racing victory
Former Dexter, Nokomis coach Pratt takes Mount View football post
Houlton makes plans for new hockey boards at Millar Civic Center
Fun, informative or just plain strange: 8 museums in Maine worth a road trip
Not even chemotherapy could quell Maine woman’s longing to be in the kitchen
Keyboardist Ray Manzarek of The Doors dies at age 74
Microsoft unveils new Xbox One game console