Alex Lear
Staff Writer
Alex Lear is a lifelong Mainer who has spent 25 years in journalism -- the first 20 as a reporter for newspapers in Damariscotta and Falmouth, then as Opinions section editor for the Sun Journal and now a digital producer with the Maine Trust for Local News. His long-running “Learics” column won first place in the Maine Press Association’s 2023 Better Newspaper Contest. He and his wife Lauren are kept young by their 9-year-old daughter Alaina. Send feedback and suggestions to Alex.
Leonard Pitts Jr.: And so this is Christmas
And so this is Christmas. So sang John Lennon in 1971. The Vietnam War took 2,414 American lives that year, so the song was a prayer of harmony and peace with a scrim of irony. Nor did the irony end there. Lennon was shot to death nine years later, 40 years ago Dec. 8. And […]
Cal Thomas: The dog, the fracture and the ‘palmists’
Whenever president-elect Joe Biden makes a rare public appearance and is out of the immediate control of his team it increases my suspicions that he is not physically, and above all mentally, up to the job he is about to take over. Last week, Biden fractured his foot and now must wear a walking boot […]
Owen Smith: Tips for staying safe as life shifts online
As life shifts online and we take advantage of opportunities to virtually engage, older adults — and people of all ages, for that matter — need to be aware of potential risks.
Cynthia Stancioff: A campaign for a climate solution
Now, due to the efforts of thousands of volunteers with the national Citizens’ Climate Lobby, there is a bill before Congress called the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that proposes cash-back carbon pricing.
USDA launches AskUSDA to streamline customer services
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched its AskUSDA Contact Center program. The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat and web inquires, transforming how the public interacts with USDA. Prior to the creation and implementation of AskUSDA, members of the public had to navigate […]
Students give back to community during Advent
LEWISTON — Advent is a special time at Saint Dominic Academy’s Lewiston campus, pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, where students look forward to acts of kindness as they prepare for Christmas. This year is no different. Even during a pandemic and contending with daily protocols, the school community is still driven to complete service projects as […]
Rich Lowry: The conspiracy theory that could hand Joe Biden the Senate
There’s a reason parties seek unity before important elections. At best, Wood-Powell are distracting from the GOP message in the races and, at worst, convincing persuadable Georgians that it is the Republican Party that needs to be checked, not Joe Biden.
MaineCF grants available for Franklin and Somerset county nonprofits
ELLSWORTH — The Maine Community Foundation’s Community Building Grant Program is open and accepting applications from nonprofit and public organizations seeking funding for projects that strengthen communities. The 2021 Community Building Grant Program will focus on funding to build community resilience during the pandemic, with changes to program criteria, priorities and types of funding. Priority […]