Details: cache-fra-eddf8230107-FRA 1746497671 2154203061 by Ariana St Pierre Maine (WGME) -- Two teens are accused of robbing and assaulting a victim in South Portland One of them was hit with a gun and had to be hospitalized Police say they carried out three search warrants 18-year-old Jeissey Blash Khamis and 18-year-old Mogga Wani Yanga Police say they also found the gun used in the robbery Khamis and Yanga were both charged with robbery The suspects were taken to the Cumberland County Jail Khamis was released on $1,000 cash bail and Yanga was released on $300 cash bail Police say this was a standalone incident and not connected to any other crime Media Nation The National Trust for Local News which is dealing with a leadership transition (see the last item) and business woes Three weekly papers in Maine have reached an agreement to be printed at the Trust’s presses in South Portland Become a supporter of Media Nation for just $5 a month. You’ll receive a weekly newsletter with exclusive commentary, a roundup of the week’s posts, photography and a song of the week. According to a story by Cyndi Wood in The Ellsworth American the papers will include not just the American but also the Mount Desert Islander and the  Midcoast Villager All three papers are owned by Reade Brower Continue reading “A printing deal in Maine boosts the National Trust; plus, updates on fake news and nonprofit news” Please support this free source of news and commentary by becoming a supporter of Media Nation. The cost is $5 a month, and supporters receive a weekly newsletter with a round-up of the week’s posts and other goodies. Just click here to sign up via Patreon Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email The definitive guide to Portland's food scene Lanai Monahan will be opening a second location of her Biddeford-based business The Garden Bar (website, facebook, instagram) It will be located in South Portland in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Louis The South Portland cafe will have 20 seats and Monahan is hoping to add some outdoor seating this summer The Garden Bar serves made to order salads and bowls They have a few signature combinations—you can’t go wrong with the Santa Fe—or customers can select from dozens of ingredients to make a custom combo The South Portland location will be adding a selection of wraps as well as some appetizer/snack items and a wider range of options for salads and bowls Monahan hopes to launch the South Portland location in May The Biddeford Garden Bar is located at 40 Main Street and it opened May 6 See the Under Construction page for a list of other Portland area food businesses under development Do you have some details you’d like to pass on about an upcoming business or development in the Portland food scene? Then please fill out our Contact Form by Stephanie Grindley Maine (WGME) -- Some residents in South Portland want to know what’s being done to address the odor emanating from the city's wastewater treatment facility South Portland resident Brian Guthrie asked the CBS13 I-Team: The director says most of the odor comes from the Pearl Street pump which takes in sewage from the entire western side of the city The director says the stink is mostly due to slow travel time in the piping system South Portland is in the final design stage for a major replacement project The director says with a higher pumping capacity the system would move wastewater faster to the treatment plant But it would cost an estimated $50 million The project would need voter approval through a referendum and could start as soon as summer 2026 and be completed by 2029 The director hopes South Portland residents will recognize the need for the upgrade South Portland isn't the only municipality struggling with aging wastewater infrastructure and the cost to fix it The state of Maine got a C- last year in an annual report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers KOIN.com Bodies found in Portland rivers ‘pretty normal occurrence’ Mayor’s Portland budget: ‘Back to basics,’ ‘no easy answers’ Indigenous people ‘matter and are not disposable’ The body of a kayaker from California who went over Willamette Falls in April was found early Sunday afternoon the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said VIDEO: Driver 'intentionally' sideswipes motorcycle on Hwy 26 before fleeing Auto prowling incident now tied to Vancouver weekend shooting Legacy Health announce end to merger plans Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Celebrating Our Diversity The Remarkable Women or past years and 2025 all paid a visit to the KOIN 6 News studio on Thursday Maine (WGME) -- Two teen boys are accused of robbing a home in South Portland earlier this month police say they charged a 17-year-old Windham boy with criminal threatening and terrorizing and a 17-year-old Portland boy with robbery The Windham boy was released to the custody of his parents The Portland boy was taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland Police say they're still looking for the gun used in the robbery Police believe this is a standalone incident and not related to any other recent crime by Ariana St Pierre, WGME SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) -- A Maine man was arrested after police say they found fentanyl, meth, and more during a traffic stop in South Portland. Police say they stopped a vehicle driven by 47-year-old Michael Myrick of South Portland near Gorham Road and Clarks Pond Parkway on Sunday around 1 a.m. According to police, officers spotted a gun and drugs inside the vehicle. Police then searched the car and reportedly found 159.2 grams of fentanyl, 7.2 grams of crack cocaine, 12.8 grams of methamphetamine, and a handgun. Based on the items found during the traffic stop, police say they searched Myrick’s home on Marcelle Avenue in South Portland and found more drugs and a shotgun. Myrick was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, illegal possession of a firearm, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, and unlawful trafficking scheduled drugs. He is currently being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $20,000 cash bail. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Longhorn Steakhouse in South Portland reopens for curbside-to-go ordersby Ariana St Pierre Maine (WGME) -- The Longhorn Steakhouse in South Portland is now open for curbside-to-go orders following a ceiling collapse last month Officials say no one was seriously hurt by the partial-ceiling collapse The city of South Portland says an inspection didn't uncover any structural problems or leaks that could have led to the collapse A spokesperson for Longhorn says the South Portland restaurant is now open for curbside-to-go orders Longhorn will be closed for dine-in patrons until they can repair the damage to the ceiling South Portland—your dog's social life is about to get as cool as yours The Barkery Dog Bar is coming to 180 Waterman Drive in the Millcreek Plaza and it’s shaping up to be the ultimate hangout for dogs and their humans Founded by Maine natives (and certified dog people) Nate & Haley The Barkery will be the first of its kind in the state—an indoor dog park combined with a full-service bar and restaurant Think less “chaotic backyard meetup” and more “pub food I reached out to owner Nate and he filled me on what we can expect running around and living its best life in a supervised play area while you’re sipping a local craft beer or cocktail and maybe crushing a burger in peace no "my dog won’t stop eating sticks again." Just good vibes The Barkery will have three distinct spaces: An indoor dog park that includes a leash-required dining section off-leash zone where your pup can romp while you relax Day passes and memberships will be available It is worth noting that all pups will need up-to-date vaccination records to join the fun Nate and Haley got the idea after visiting a dog bar in South Carolina while Haley was in grad school they hit up several dog bars across the country before deciding Maine needed one of its own The Barkery has been a labor of love and they've had massive support from the City of South Portland along the way The Barkery is a great place to grab a beer while your dog burns off energy—but it’s also a space built around connection Nate and Haley want it to be a hub for dog people to meet They’re also big on partnering with other local pet businesses so expect some cool collaborations and events down the road Their dog Gibbs (a cattle dog/shepherd mix) is the face of the brand and his partner-in-crime Abby is never far behind—together they're the unofficial mascots of the whole operation I’m really excited for this. Maine’s weather doesn’t always play nice and it’s about time we had a place where dogs and humans can hang out Keep an eye out, The Barkery plans to open late summer 2025. You can learn more and sign up for updates at barkerydogbar.com Gallery Credit: Meghan Morrison Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka This new spot will be the first of its kind in Maine—combining the best of both worlds: an indoor dog park where your well-socialized dog can play off-leash, and a full-service bar serving up gourmet food, craft beer, and cocktails for the humans.\nRead More The Barkery Dog Bar is coming to 180 Waterman Drive in the Millcreek Plaza Keep an eye out, The Barkery plans to open late summer 2025. You can learn more and sign up for updates at barkerydogbar.com This is the most genuine concern I could ever express Maine not only doesn't accept Apple Pay or digital payments of any kind they also don't give you an option to "buy a bag for 5 cents" That's the one line I can't stand hearing "would you like to buy a bag for 5 cents?" I don't want to but I know I have to so here's my money Avocados might even be a tie up for the worst sentence in the world with "guac is extra is that okay?" Yes Also Read: The One Gas Station in Maine with a Surprisingly Delicious Slice not having an option to buy a 5 cent bag to hold all my toiletries and trinkets I didn't need to buy is criminal They've got me speed-walking to my car just so that I don't drop one of my 19 things that I wasn't allowed to put in a bag Almost ever other business in Maine has a paper or plastic bag option so it's consistently confusing me why Walmart can't jump on that train They've got us out here playing arm roulette with everything we just bought just to get it all to the car in one shot Once Maine took away our free plastic grocery bags Walmart decided to go their own direction in the bagging department While you can still bring your own reusable bags Walmart stores across Maine have transitioned to a "bagless" policy The state of Maine also has a plastic bag ban in place that encourages the use of reusable bags- Walmart.com This was the most inconvenient thing Walmart has ever put on us While I'll still be going there for my late night romps and cheaper cleaning supplies I'll still never forget the day I dropped a new loofah in the dirty parking lot and cried Gallery Credit: Erik Owens Have you ever looked up Walmart's bag policy? It's wild. There's a reason for the frustration you feel at the check-out counter when they tell you that they don't offer an option to buy a paper or plastic bag anymore.\nRead More This is the most genuine concern I could ever express. The Walmart in South Portland, Maine not only doesn't accept Apple Pay or digital payments of any kind, they also don't give you an option to "buy a bag for 5 cents". Why? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Walmart (@walmart) Also Read: The One Gas Station in Maine with a Surprisingly Delicious Slice The state of Maine also has a plastic bag ban in place that encourages the use of reusable bags- Walmart.com Tote-ally dependable. (We had to.) 😉 #WalmartFinds https://walmrt.us/42e47iw This was the most inconvenient thing Walmart has ever put on us. While I'll still be going there for my late night romps and cheaper cleaning supplies, I'll still never forget the day I dropped a new loofah in the dirty parking lot and cried. Longhorn Steakhouse in South Portland closed after ceiling collapseby WGME Staff SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) -- It's still not clear why part of the ceiling at Longhorn Steakhouse in South Portland came crashing down. During the busy dinner rush on Friday, a section of the ceiling fell, sending diners and employees scrambling. The city of South Portland says an inspection didn't uncover any structural problems or leaks that could have led to the collapse. Longhorn will be closed until they can get the required permits and repair the damage to the ceiling. Officials say no one was seriously hurt from the partial-ceiling collapse. SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) -- Playing hoops for a great cause! Around 150 people hit the court as part of the annual "Swish-Out" childhood cancer challenge. The event, now in its 31st year, raises money for the Maine Children's Cancer Program. It happened at the University of Southern Maine. Saturday's event raised $40,000 for the Maine Cancer Program. In its 31-year history, it's raised more than $800,000. It's the longest running charity basketball tournament in the state. CBS13 and FOX23's annual Shred-A-Thon is Friday 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at our studios at 81 Northport Drive in Portland. South Portland orders remediation from Portland Jetport over unpermitted clear cuttingby Anna Coon SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) – The city of South Portland has issued a notice of violation to the Portland Jetport over unpermitted clear cutting The Portland International Jetport cleared trees from a lot on Dawson Street in January to comply with Federal Aviation Administration clearance guidelines The lot is part of the Calvary Cemetery and is owned by Portland Diocese But South Portland officials say the work went beyond what had been approved “We knew they were going to do some selective cutting who lives next to the lot at 36 Dawson St. “But I didn’t know when they came in with a feller buncher and started destroying it; I was in tears.” Moon says the clearing has displaced local wildlife and audibly changed the atmosphere of her neighborhood The notice of violation was sent to both the Jetport and the Portland Diocese stating the tree clearing impacted wetlands and exceeded the scope of what was permitted The Jetport did obtain a permit in 2019 to cut trees on an adjacent lot in Calvary Cemetery to maintain a safe flight path for incoming aircraft the city says no permit was issued for clearing on the Dawson Street lot which has now been stripped of most of its vegetation “An error was definitely made,” South Portland Planning Director Milan Nevajda said and we’re working on it now to determine the best course of action going forward.” City officials say remediation may involve replanting vegetation in the affected area or paying fines Moon hopes whatever steps are taken will help restore some of the nature that was lost A spokesperson for the Portland Diocese said the diocese had no involvement in the project and encourages the Jetport to resolve the issue A Jetport official said they are currently determining next steps A new campaign in South Portland wants a Canadian oil company to remove old mostly empty holding tanks from a residential area And supporters are imagining the possibilities for sprawling real estate the tanks occupy in the heart of the city "Toss The Tanks" wants to persuade Suncor Energy that their Hill Street tank farm isn’t a good fit for the city "Suncor has to understand that the community does not want them here any longer," said organizer Tim Honey during a recent community forum Almost 20 tanks sit on about 100 acres bordered by schools and homes. Some of the tanks date back to the Second World War, and they have prompted concerns about health and environmental safety but are designed to hold crude oil shipped to Canada through the pipeline — not for U.S "We need to be concerned about safety for the neighborhoods and the whole city because one explosion one fire could be disastrous for all of us," Honey said Suncor owns the tanks through a subsidiary called Portland Pipe Line Co Campaigners want the company to dismantle the tanks and remediate the property it can sell the parcel to private developers At least 100 people attended a community forum on the campaign this week During a session to imagine what the land could be used for instead by Anna Coon SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) — South Portland leaders are moving forward with a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers The City Council voted 4-3 in favor of the proposal Tuesday night it will ban hand-held gas-powered leaf blowers in 2026 followed by a ban on backpack blowers in 2028 The city’s sustainability director cited concerns over noise and air pollution “One hour of gas-powered leaf blower use emits the same air pollution as driving 1,100 miles,” said Julie Rosenbach “It’s government overreach,” said South Portland resident David Gaudreau One landscaper said electric blowers are not as effective as their gas-powered alternative “There are no backpack leaf blowers on the market that are adequate replacements for what we currently use,” said Jack Vose Others raised concerns about the cost and the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries that power electric tools “Who’s responsible if my home burns down because I’m charging batteries that you’ve insisted I use?” asked South Portland resident Angela Tinkham The city does loan out free electric lawn tools but some councilors are still worried that the ban will have high costs forcing residents to throw out their current equipment “I just don’t want to shove things down people’s throats and cost them more money,” said South Portland City Councilor Linda Cohen Councilors supporting the ban say gas-powered blowers are harmful to people “You’re holding that thing in your hand and you’ve got all these emissions blowing in your face I’m not okay with that for anybody,” said City Councilor Misha Pride The proposal still faces a second vote before it would take effect SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) -- More than 20 positions a social worker and even district staff would need to be cut if a proposed South Portland school district budget ultimately gets the go-ahead Superintendent Timothy Matheney went through a lengthy presentation at Monday night's school board meeting He did so in front of a packed house of people many wearing red shirts displaying the words "Our Voices Matter." The superintendent says the district has a $5 million budget shortfall for the upcoming year His $72 million budget represents at 5.9 percent increase The plan was met with concern and confusion are deeply transformative,” South Portland Teachers Association President Sarah Gay said and I think that if the budget is 98 percent done I do need our community to know that our three staff district unions have not been included in that decision making up to this point if there's 2 percent left to negotiate The school board will get an opportunity to approve The budget will then go to the city council for a vote in May before the voters ultimately decide in June SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) -- Officials say an electrical failure sparked a fire at a South Portland motel on Tuesday night The fire at the Budget Inn at 634 Main Street started around 6:50 p.m Firefighters say they encountered heavy smoke coming from the building and discovered intense fire conditions in the attic space officials say the fire spread rapidly throughout the structure All residents were relocated to an adjacent hotel building The American Red Cross is assisting those affected officials say the fire was determined to have been caused by an electrical failure in the ceiling of one of the motel rooms you can't see any of South Portland's oil tanks — but on certain days wide loop that takes you down to Fore River and you can see them unloading tankers there." an environmental activist and retired Physician's Assistant He said the odor from the tanks has become all too familiar and it feels dark and icky and dirty," he said "And so to smell that and know that I'm breathing it in and to be unsure how it's affecting me is troubling." South Portland is a fairly densely populated city Klotz and other residents of South Portland have been concerned about air quality when it comes to the tanks That came to a head in 2019 when the federal Environmental Protection Agency sued Sprague and Global The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has since installed air monitors around the city the marine terminal operators have installed fence-line air monitoring; those have been on line for less than a year there's still not enough information about how residents living near the tanks are being impacted by emissions And the city is still waiting on a comprehensive health study from Maine CDC containing air quality data from the DEP and the terminals Residents want to definitively know whether or when they can link what they’re smelling to harmful air pollution and how is it impacting our health?" said State Senator Anne Carney of South Portland at a recent public hearing South Portland Representative Matthew Beck is sponsoring legislation that would require the terminal companies to issue public alerts during loading and offloading times "This notice would give members of the public the opportunity to plan their day so they may be able to leave the immediate vicinity during oil transfers or at least close their windows to minimize their potential exposure to any hazardous vapors that may be released," Beck said The hazardous vapors in this case are VOCs respiratory problems and even cancer with prolonged exposure Of particular concern to residents are emissions that occur at specific times: when petroleum products are being loaded and unloaded from the storage tanks David Carpenter is a professor of environmental health at the University of Albany who has studied air pollution issues “A high episodic release is probably as dangerous to maybe even more dangerous than in small continuous release over long periods of time,” he said the existing vapors inside are displaced by the liquid which can also lead to the release of VOCs Carpenter said these emissions can be a blind spot in air quality regulations "A release that doesn't last for a whole week but lasts for maybe 30 minutes at an extremely high level and that's not captured by most of our federal standards," Carpenter said Some residents have called for a study specifically of those emissions "I do think if there was an intense one year focus we would really understand what actually is going on and we could take the appropriate steps again specifically to protect public health," Carney said The terminal operators have so far resisted calls to issue air quality warnings voluntarily said that the strong odors aren't necessarily VOCs "We all remember from chemistry that a few molecules of a of a compound open up in chemistry class will create an odor that permeates the room but there's no harm to us as students," Winters said couldn't comment on ongoing discussions with the city when reached directly but said the companies already report their shipping schedule to the local fire department and other authorities for security reasons "There's a lot of reporting that happens currently you're going to start scaring your citizens unnecessarily." Skally said the concerns that you think you might have." residents want to know for certain that their air is safe — especially given how close some of the schools are to tank farms "Kaler Elementary school is very close to an oil tank If you stand on the playground and you're a third grader you can probably throw a tennis ball and hit or come close to hitting the tank," she said the operators would be required to begin issuing notices in mid-2026 the city and the terminal companies are still in talks he said the uncertainty affects his day to day life from morning exercise to time spent in the garden "This is a big raspberry bush that our neighbors are allowed to participate in And the raised bed back over there is really pretty dedicated to garlic because I think we just have to have garlic all the time," Klotz said He said he's quite strict about organic growing practices in his yard "But if that toxic stuff is landing on this but I'm just concerned that it's a greater risk given this community's realities," he said New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know: For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties Maine (WGME) -- Officials say a homemade battery pack for an e-bike appears to have sparked a fire at a large apartment building in South Portland Crews responded to a fire on the 7th floor of an apartment building at 425 Broadway near the Cottage Rd The building is called Hazard Towers and is owned by the South Portland Housing Authority Officials say crews found significant smoke and an e-bike on fire in a 7th floor apartment Firefighters evacuated the building and extinguished the fire The South Portland fire chief says the sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading and causing more damage One person was evaluated for smoke exposure Officials say water damage occurred on several floors The South Portland Housing Authority evaluated the damage and determined that five units are unfit for occupancy as a result of the fire Officials say the housing authority will provide temporary accommodations for those displaced Investigators say a battery powered e-bike that had been modified with a homemade battery pack intended to replace the original battery pack was the likely cause of the fire The South Portland Fire Department says devices like e-bikes should not be left to charge or generally be stored inside a living space Lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy in a small space and when damaged or used inappropriately can overheat according to the South Portland Fire Department SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) – More than 100 diners and employees avoided serious injuries when the ceiling collapsed in the center of the dining room at Longhorn Steakhouse Friday night Employees say they began quickly moving patrons when they saw ceiling tiles begin to fall That's when a "significant" portion of the ceiling came collapsing down One person was checked on the scene but denied a trip to the hospital South Portland’s fire chief says roughly 150 people were in the restaurant at the time There is no word yet on what exactly caused the collapse The restaurant will remain closed indefinitely SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) – The South Portland school district is facing tough decisions as officials look to close a $5 million budget gap Superintendent Tim Matheney says the current budget is up more than 11 percent over last year He cites the increasing demand for special education teachers and declining federal funds as the main factors driving up costs "Eighty percent of our costs are our fantastic employees We are hopeful that a majority of those impacted staff members can be placed in another position in the district," Matheney said Employees will be alerted in the next couple of weeks if they are going to be let go City officials in South Portland have halted a tree removal project near the Portland International Jetport and are now investigating the legality of the cutting A contractor began clear cutting trees in a 5-acre swath of forest near the Portland International Jetport last month which needed to remove trees in order to stay in compliance with FAA glide path tree height limits But South Portland planning director Milan Nevajda said the Jetport hadn't informed the city that the cutting had started and that there may have been tree removals that were not allowed in the permit the exact dimensions of the impacted wetlands in the area is under question "We have a significant amount of tree removal that was allowed to occur and was lawfully done by the Jetport the city investigated a violation associated with the tree removal which may have exceeded its allowance," Nevadja said "It's going to take a significant amount of time to resolve this." The swath of land is across the I-295 from the Jetport At issue are the exact parameters of the wetlands Nevajda said the wetland area outlined in the Jetport's 2019 permit paperwork from don't match a more recent permit request from New Leaf Energy a company that wants to put a solar farm on an overlapping part of the land New Leaf's impact report shows that the wetlands area is much larger "At the core of the issue is this wetland discrepancy which significantly influences how we need to interpret the impact," Nevadja said State and federal wetland protections do not allow stump removal or soil disturbances South Portland school superintendent Tim Matheney said the district needs to cut $5 million from its proposed budget Matheney said the current budget is up more than eleven percent which he believes is more than voters will accept "We have not taken forward a 11.4% local budget increase in anyone's memory in this district We saw that as an untenable increase," Matheney said And he said labor represents the largest share of district costs "We will need to reductions in employee positions We will seek to minimize them every way possible but as I just noted 80% of our costs are our fantastic employees," Matheney said Matheney said employees with be alerted in the next couple weeks if they are going to be let go He attributes rising costs to factors such as increased demand for special education teachers declining federal funding and decreased philanthropic funding for the adult education program Matheney has instituted a non-essential spending freeze across the district through June 30.