Stories
Holly Gochis, a 54-year-old hospital nurse, contracted her second case of COVID last November and is still sick. “I can’t even go down one flight of stairs without my heart rate going to 150 and myself becoming short of breath. And that’s today,” says Gochis. “It’s been a year.” A year of migraines, chest and…
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York County is the historical epicenter in Maine for vector-borne diseases. Since deer ticks first appeared in southern portions of the state in the late 1980s, they’ve gained a strong foothold — as have the diseases they carry, such as Lyme, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. York County is also home to the state’s only human cases…
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More than 30% of Vermont kids between the ages of 5 and 11 have signed up through the state portal to get their first COVID shot, and more will be able to choose pharmacies and pediatricians’ offices as the state gets additional doses. For many families, this is a momentous occasion. But even exciting things…
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Nearly 50,000 people live within two miles of a major trash incinerator in Hartford. In a few months, that garbage plant is slated to close. And as officials decide what’s next for the key piece of riverfront land, debate is focusing on a decades-old issue: environmental justice. Think of environmental justice as environmentalism meets civil…
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Burundians and Rwandans find friends – and friendly competition – at community soccer match in Maine
Barely fifteen minutes into a recent soccer match between the Burundian and Rwandan communities in Portland, Evrard Ngabirano already had a lot of celebrate. “We got a second goal on our side, the Burundian team,” Ngabirano said with a big smile. While the event was billed as a friendly matchup, the game itself was competitive.…
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It was 10 years ago, but when Lori Mathieu thinks about extreme weather events, she remembers Hurricane Irene. “Which was a hurricane that turned into a tropical storm, but hit us pretty hard,” she said. “And then we had that incredibly odd snowstorm that hit us while the leaves were still on the trees.” And…
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Educators across Maine expected an adjustment when students returned to school full time this year, with unfamiliar routines and the enduring pandemic. But now, they’re grappling with a rise in behavior challenges, which come as studies show depression and anxiety have doubled for children and teens since before the pandemic. This week, three leading pediatric health organizations warned that…
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PFAS chemicals are everywhere — woven into the fabrics of modern life as components of carpeting, clothing and cosmetics. They’re also in cookware, food packaging, drinking water and personal hygiene products. This family of long-lasting “forever chemicals” can accumulate over time in the body and may lead to certain cancers, according to the Centers for…
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Dreya Catozzi started selling her body for cash at age 17. Born identified as a boy, Catozzi says she always knew she was female. She grew up in an impoverished family, was molested as a child and learned quickly that she had to take care of herself to stay alive. “I figured out the game…
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Outside a mobile home in Vermont’s Franklin County, large white chickens patrol the yard. Green fields roll out in every direction. Big sky stretches overhead. This is where several dairy workers live. Among them is Eva. We’re using first names to protect worker identity and avoid employment or legal repercussions. Eva is 30, and has…
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