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🌱 Patch AM: How an Augusta court ruling reshapes Maine’s child welfare and housing debate

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Hey hey Augusta! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How an Augusta court ruling reshapes Maine's child welfare and housing debate
  • Augusta-area man gets 25 years after "sustained campaign of terror"
  • Why one longtime Augusta resident feels she no longer belongs here

Today's riddle: What is full of holes but still holds water? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Partly sunny, with a high of 81 and low of 56 degrees.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny and delightful, temps: high: 73, low: 63.
  • Sunday: Cloudy with a few showers, with a high of 74 and low of 64 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Maine terminated parental rights over a lack of affordable housing (themainemonitor.org) — A Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling out of Augusta says a District Court judge wrongly terminated a New Mexico mother's parental rights because she couldn't secure affordable housing in Maine. The decision underscores growing concern in Augusta that the state's child welfare system may be punishing poverty and housing scarcity, especially amid Maine's broader affordable housing crisis.
   

2. Maine man sentenced to 25 years for sexual assault of longtime partner (fox23maine.com) — In a case prosecuted out of Augusta, a man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting his longtime partner, who is also the mother of his children. Kennebec and Somerset County prosecutors described his actions as a "sustained campaign of terror," and the judge imposed an additional 18 years of probation with the possibility of far more prison time for violations.
   

3. What are Mainers so angry about? We went to the bar to find out. (centralmaine.com) — A statewide look at what's making Mainers angry includes Augusta resident Sue Bundy, who says the city now feels desolate and disconnected compared with the smaller towns where she raised her kids. From barstools and coffee counters, people describe frustrations with politics, social media, rising costs and frayed community ties, while also sharing how friendships and local hangouts help them cope.
   

4. Lawmakers order independent review into Bangor boy's death (wmtw.com) — From the State House in Augusta, lawmakers have ordered an independent investigation into how state agencies handled the abuse case that led to a 10-year-old Bangor boy's death. The Government Oversight Committee voted to have OPEGA review the state's involvement and the child's homeschooling circumstances, amid frustration over limited information so far from the Department of Health and Human Services.
   

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    Wednesday August 26
  • Board of Education Workshop
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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Hi neighbor
    I have a lovely 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom mobile home available for rent here in Augusta. It's a $1,500 a month and would make nice comfortable home… (Nextdoor West Side Augusta)
  • KBP Brands posted a job opening for KFC Shift Manager in Augusta. Apply here.
  • Circle K Stores, Inc. posted a job opening for Customer Service Representative in Augusta. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Augusta here.

Ok Augusta! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A sponge (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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