Things You Need to Know: Latest Info on Power Restoration + 8 Dead in NYC Attack
Here are the things you need to know today......
The power companies are still working to get power back on to Mainers. There were still about a 250,000 outages in Maine. They continue to work around the clock to get the power back on.
Outage information Central Maine Power and Emera Maine
Auburn's Krispy Kream will open in 2018. The Sun Journal reports there have been some design delays, but they are getting close to starting their hiring process.
The executive director of the Humane Society Waterville Area resigned. Centralmaine.com reports officials are still investigating the disappearance of dogs from the shelter ordered euthanized by the courts.
From the Associated Press:
Drought conditions across much of Maine may have contributed to the large numbers of trees that toppled during a storm that walloped the Northeast this week. The storm cut power to more than a million people in the region at its peak. It left more Mainers in the dark than even the infamous 1998 ice storm, but the long-term effects will likely be much different. Officials with the Maine Emergency Management Agency say because of dry conditions, the roots of many trees weren't healthy.
A Maine man has been charged with assault after police say he attacked a 14-year-old boy who pushed his daughter into a river. Police say 33-year-old James Beaulieu II, of Waterville, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault Sunday evening for the alleged assault of the teenager and his adult brother. Deputy Police Chief Bill Bonney tells the Morning Sentinel he used a piece of strapping to commit the assaults. According to Bonney, Beaulieu's daughter was pushed into the Kennebec River by the boy. After his 14-year-old daughter told Beaulieu, he went to the boy's house and confronted him. The boy was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, and his brother did not need treatment. Beaulieu is out on bail.
The national debate over the government's proper role in health care is coming to a head in a state more commonly known for moose, lobster and L.L. Bean. On Nov. 7, voters in Maine will decide whether to join 31 other states and expand Medicaid under former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. It's the first time since the law took effect nearly four years ago that the expansion question has been put to voters. If the initiative passes, an estimated 70,000 people in Maine would gain health coverage. But Republican Gov. Paul LePage says he will have to divert $54 million from programs for the elderly, disabled and children to pay for it.
The lawyer for a Portland landlord convicted of violations following a deadly apartment fire is running short on time to continue his appeal. Gregory Nisbet sought a new trial when he was convicted of code violations stemming from a fire that killed six people in November 2014. His lawyers later asked to be removed from the appeal. Nisbet has until Nov. 10 to either file a brief or hire a new lawyer to file one on his behalf.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is advising people who stole live lobsters from a crash site in New Brunswick that the critters might be contaminated and shouldn't be eaten. Police from Blackville responded to an overturned truck on Highway 8 early Tuesday morning. The truck had been transporting live lobsters, and they spilled onto the road. Police say some lobsters were stolen before they could arrive to the scene.
Two U.S. representatives say a fishing magnate who pleaded guilty to evading fishing quotas should also be charged under federal fishery laws. Carlos Rafael, known as "The Codfather," also pleaded guilty to smuggling money to Portugal and was sentenced to nearly four years in prison in September. Arizona Democratic Rep. Raul M. Grijalva and Maine Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree say more penalties are warranted.
Investigators are working to determine what led a pickup truck driver to plow down people on a riverfront bike path near the World Trade Center, killing eight. The mayor called Tuesday's attack "a particularly cowardly act of terror." The driver is in critical condition after police shot him. Officials who weren't authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity identified him as Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old immigrant from Uzbekistan.
The lone man eyed as the perpetrator of the New York bike path attack that left eight people dead was a native of Uzbekistan who drove trucks and also drove for Uber. Officials have identified the suspect as Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old who came to the U.S. legally in 2010 and has apparent ties to Ohio, Florida and New Jersey.
A document released Tuesday shows that the financial holdings of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort are "substantial," with residences in New York, Virginia and Florida. The document shows that in November 2016 and January 2017, Manafort noted his assets to be worth approximately $25 million, but were valued at $136 million months earlier. Manafort and business associate Rick Gates face federal charges including money laundering.
President Donald Trump is offering words of encouragement to House Republicans as they struggle to come up with a tax plan. In a tweet late Tuesday, Trump writes: "The Republican House members are working hard (and late) toward the Massive Tax Cuts that they know you deserve. These will be biggest ever!" Members of the House Ways and Means Committee are trying to finalize a bill, with the rollout delayed to Thursday.
Young Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong warns that China's rise means human rights are in increasingly greater danger of being overshadowed globally by business interests. He was responding Wednesday to AP questions about his expectations for an upcoming Asian tour by President Donald Trump, who will visit China and four other countries. The 21-year-old is out on bail while he appeals a prison sentence related to his involvement in massive 2014 pro-democracy protests.