Cumberland County, Portland | featured news

Town officials have reopened Highland Lake Beach in Bridgton a day after it was closed because of high E. coli counts.

Many people come to Maine for the lobster.
PETA wants them to rethink that once they hit the state’s doorstep.
PETA has bought ads at the Portland International Jetport, featuring a lobster holding a sign proclaiming, “I’m ME, Not Meat.”
It further encourages visitors to “See the individual. Go Vegan.”
PETA, which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is an animal rights group that advocates against the use of animals for food, entertainment or experimentation.

President Trump on Wednesday said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should terminate the investigation into Russian election interference and called the prosecution of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort “a hoax.”
In several inflammatory tweets, Trump escalated his attacks on the investigation, led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, that includes examining whether Trump’s campaign coordinated with Russia and whether Trump has obstructed the probe.

A serious motor-vehicle accident late Wednesday morning snarled traffic on Interstate 295 southbound in Freeport.
Police initially closed both southbound lanes near mile 22 and then opened one lane. An hour later, both lanes had reopened.
An emergency alert from dispatchers indicated that at least one person was trapped inside a vehicle and emergency crews were working to remove them.
At 11:30 a.m., an empty but badly mangled gray Toyota Corolla with Maine plates was still in the breakdown lane, surrounded by emergency response vehicles.

LEWISTON — In response to stalled contract negotiations between the city and its police union, Lewiston officers will wear alternate uniforms while on the job to express “dissatisfaction” with the situation.
Corey Jacques, president of the Lewiston Maine Association of Police, announced the action late Tuesday, with city officials responding early Wednesday, threatening disciplinary action.

Every so often Emily Buker pauses in her busy day to reflect on how much her life has changed in the last year.
The 28-year-old woman who nine months ago was homeless, unemployed, addicted to drugs, committing crimes to support her habit and hanging out with the wrong crowd now is clean, sober, working and getting her life back together.

It was a game of high-low for the Portland Sea Dogs’ fans at Hadlock Field.
One moment, the fans’ only fret was the infield single in the fourth inning that ruined Teddy Stankiewicz’s no-hit pitching.
The next moment, the Sea Dogs trailed 7-2.
From that low came hope. Portland rallied for four runs in the ninth, and had the bases loaded with two outs.
But Erie Seawolves reliever Trent Szkutnik entered to face Deiner Lopez, and struck him out, giving the Seawolves a 7-6 win over Portland before a crowd of 6,067.

Two Portland restaurants have been nominated by Bon Appetit for a spot on its coveted list of America’s Best New Restaurants.
Drifters Wife, an eclectic, modern American restaurant on Washington Avenue that has garnered rave views, and Rose Foods, an updated version of a Jewish deli on Forest Avenue, won two of 50 spots on the food magazine’s annual list of nominees. The list will be whittled down to the “Hot 10” restaurants in America, and the results will be announced Aug. 14.