Stories

Common mergansers swimming on a section of the Meduxnekeag River that's been restored to a more natural state.

A tribe is restoring a northern Maine river so that it’ll be cooler and more hospitable to salmon

September 21, 2022

There are eight Maine rivers that are federally recognized as having distinct populations of Atlantic salmon, from the Sheepscot River in the Midcoast, to the Denny’s River Down East. But salmon also once spawned further north, in Aroostook County, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians is trying to bring them back by restoring not…

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Trolling Martha’s Vineyard: Island residents on the receiving end of abuse over helping migrants

September 20, 2022

Online, by phone, and even by aerial banner, the Vineyard has become a target for threats and angry comments about immigration. People on Martha’s Vineyard are being trolled and harassed following the flight of migrants to the island last week at the behest of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. State Representative Dylan Fernandes, who represents the…

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Maine farmers hope that breeding a better potato can help the industry deal with a warming climate

September 19, 2022

From his pickup truck, Robbie Irving points to a wide irrigation system providing water to hundreds of acres of plants on the Caribou potato farm that his family has harvested since 1936. Irving’s grandfather started on the system decades ago, and Irving said it’s proved to be vital as temperatures in Aroostook County, Maine, have…

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Migrant group sheltering on Martha’s Vineyard moves to Joint Base Cape Cod

September 16, 2022

The group of about 50 migrants who have been in temporary shelter on Martha’s Vineyard has moved to Joint Base Cape Cod. The move is voluntary. The group traveled by bus and ferry, surrounded by media. Around 10 o’clock this morning, teary migrants hugged volunteers, took selfies, and gave thanks to those who supported them…

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Advocates question whether Florida gov. broke laws by shipping migrants to Vineyard

September 16, 2022

Immigration rights advocates and lawmakers are questioning whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis violated any laws when he unexpectedly flew nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard this week, catching many local officials by surprise. Advocacy groups say there are several potential legal issues with the transfer. First, some advocates say the South American immigrants were deceived…

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Scenes from Martha’s Vineyard, where lawyers, volunteers aid migrants sent by Florida governor

September 16, 2022

Outside St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Edgartown on Thursday, several young Venezuelans kicked around soccer balls, smoked cigarettes and interacted with hundreds of Martha’s Vineyard islanders who came out to donate money and supplies, and show their solidarity. Nearly 50 Venezuelans were flown to the island from Texas under what they said was a false pretense. Florida…

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USDA grants $30 million for increased carbon storage in New England forests

September 15, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday funding for what’s being called a potentially transformational pilot program to help forest landowners in Maine and the rest of New England mitigate climate change. The goal of the program is to remove more carbon from the atmosphere by growing more and better quality wood, verifying the…

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Migrants’ plane lands on Martha’s Vineyard: island mobilizes, with many unanswered questions

September 14, 2022

About 50 migrants, most from Venezuela, including children, arrived by chartered plane on Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday afternoon. Surprised island officials scrambled to care for them. The migrants’ arrival on the island is apparently part of a larger tactic by Republican-led states to transport immigrants to so-called liberal states as a protest over the Biden administration’s…

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Hartford, Conn. schools bring in 16 teachers from Puerto Rico, but islanders fear ‘brain drain’

September 9, 2022

Back in April, Marcos Gabriel Valentin-Ortiz wanted to get a sense of what Hartford, Conn., looked like. “In Puerto Rico, I didn’t see many opportunities and possibilities to progress,” Valentin-Ortiz said. “After eight years with the same salary, I was beginning to feel a little bit frustrated.” After an offer to more than triple his salary,…

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Organized school supplies such as markers, different crayons like red, green and black, in a preschool classroom in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Springfield, Mass. now offering free, universal, full-day pre-K

September 9, 2022

As she walked through the hallways of Balliet Pre-school, in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Thursday, Principal Jessica McCloskey visited several classrooms to greet students. “We are so excited to get the school year started in this wonderful space,” said McCloskey, referring to the former elementary school on Seymour Avenue , which now serves as a preschool…

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