We’re shocked that the Maine State Police have resorted to a controversial DNA dragnet to, apparently, help solve a vandalism case.First, it is absurdly out of proportion to the severity of the crime.Second, it is an invasion of privacy.Third, it casts completely unwarranted aspersions on the characters of everyone involved in the environmental movement in […]

The deputies in Androscoggin County, citing county policy, have declined to go on the record in favor of either candidate for Androscoggin County Sheriff in next week’s primary. Their choices are the current sheriff, Ronald Gagnon, or Guy Desjardins, the sheriff’s former chief deputy.We urge them to reconsider. Voters need some direction to make the […]

By Alberto R. Gonzales,U.S. Attorney General There is a broad consensus in America on the issue of immigration. Extreme views, however, are polarizing the debate and preventing mainstream voices from being heard.The American consensus reflects our character as a welcoming and a law-abiding nation. As the country’s chief law enforcement officer and the grandson of […]

Bravo to the Cianbro Corp. and Bath Iron Works for partnering on a $100-million project that promises to bring jobs and stability to Maine’s marine construction industry.Cianbro revealed Wednesday that it has been hired to convert two large ships into giant supply vessels for the off-shore oil industry. The Portland Press Herald reported that the […]

Judge, we hate to say we told you so … but we did.In an editorial in March we questioned the court’s decision to reduce bail for a felony suspect that police had just spent a month locating.The suspect, Jesse Caron, is charged with aggravated trafficking in narcotics and firearms possession, plus he’s a suspect in […]

We’re not sure what it means, but the fate of our two local paper mills now seems to be in the hands of the gods – Greek ones, specifically.It is a strange turn of events for an industry so grounded, some would say mired, in the realities of the marketplace.Early in 2005, Rumford’s MeadWestvaco mill […]

Corrupt congressmen working at the behest of corrupt corporate contractors. Political gridlock on important issues. Polarization of the national debate.If you are tired of politics as usual, former Maine Gov. Angus King would like for you to try something different: Unity.King, always the independent, is helping to spearhead a national movement to push politics away […]

How many employers actually call the college that prospective employees say they graduated from to verify they have, indeed, earned the degree they claim?We guess it’s not very many.Employers rely on interviews and personal references, trusting that a resume submitted with a job application is truthful. In too many cases, it is misplaced trust.The production […]

On Thursday last week, Irving and Judith Isaacson distributed laptops to 50 students in Lewiston and Auburn to take to college.It was more than generous; it was acknowledgment that computers are as essential to education as textbooks and calculators.High school students who become college students will enter a computer-based workforce. Education is more than enrichment. […]

Candidate: Gov. John Baldacci, who’s running for a second term and faces a primary challenge from Chris MillerTV ad: “Accomplishments”Length: 30 secondsProducer: McMahon, Squier and Associates, Alexandria, Va.Market: Statewide, with slightly different scripts in Portland and Bangor. The campaign described it as a substantial media buy, that began last week before the Democratic Convention and […]