What's up Portland! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Dr. Steve Taubman's Mind Magic: A Night of Laughter and Astonishment and 11 more events.
Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Portland code enforcement officer assaulted woman on the job, newly released reports show (pressherald.com) — Portland readers are learning that a former city code enforcement officer and fire inspector is serving a 90-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman during a 2024 fire response on Brighton Avenue. Newly released police reports detail the investigation, DNA evidence, and plea deal, while also listing statewide resources for sexual assault and mental health support.
2. 44 miles of I-295 will be repaved (pressherald.com) — Drivers in Portland should expect major changes ahead on I-295, as nearly 44 miles between Portland and Topsham will be fully resurfaced using a $27.8 million federal INFRA grant. Crews will strip old asphalt, repair the base, add new layers and reflective markings, upgrade drainage and guardrails, and replace traffic-count and weigh-in-motion systems, though the state has not yet released a project timeline or traffic impact details.
3. Man who was shot by Portland Police during fatal assault dies (newscentermaine.com) — Portland residents are learning that the man shot by Portland police during a reported assault on Colonial Road has died at Maine Medical Center, while the victim he was allegedly attacking died at the scene. The officers involved are on standard administrative leave, and the Maine Attorney General is investigating the use of deadly force.
4. Maine turns October into a festival season of pumpkin boats, coastal food and peak foliage (travelprnews.com) — Portland's Harvest on the Harbor food festival returns October 15–17, spotlighting local chefs, lobsters, and oysters along the city's working waterfront. The broader fall calendar also features Damariscotta's PumpkinFest, Bar Harbor ghost tours with Wabanaki storytelling, western Maine foliage drives, and November events like Ellsworth's cider-and-cheese festival and Boothbay's Gardens Aglow light display.
5. Maine's candidates for governor talk pocketbook issues and spar over one another's records (newscentermaine.com) — Portland residents heard Maine's three gubernatorial candidates lay out sharply different plans on housing costs, taxes, energy prices, and homelessness during a debate held in the city. Hannah Pingree, Bobby Charles, and Rick Bennett clashed over budget cuts, regulations, and harm-reduction strategies, while each pitched specific ideas they say would make living and working in Maine more affordable for families and businesses.
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Ok Portland! 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: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
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