Patty Wight

In less than two weeks, Mainers will cast their votes on a referendum that seeks to repeal a new law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions for vaccines.

Two Maine hospitals are listed on a federal government website that tracks the most serious quality deficiencies cited in the past six months. As the Bangor Daily News first reported this week, Maine Medical Center and York Hospital were both identified for patient safety issues.

A bill before state lawmakers would allocate $2 million to Maine Family Planning to make up for lost federal funds after the organization withdrew as a statewide grantee from the federal Title X program last year. 

Update: Feb. 13, 2020: In a press release, the DHHS announced that the individual in Maine tested for the 2019 novel coronavirus tested negative. Maine has no confirmed cases and the risk to the general public remains low.

The Maine Center for Disease Control is testing the first individual in Maine for the coronavirus.

Over the past several decades the use of therapy dogs has grown in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, schools and hospitals. But it's within the past 10 years that they've started to appear in airports. Last fall, the Portland International Jetport introduced a dog therapy program that has become popular with stressed travelers and workers.

The opposing sides in Maine’s upcoming vaccination referendum officially kicked off their campaigns Tuesday in Augusta.

On March 3, Maine voters will be asked to overturn a new law that eliminates religious and philosophical exemptions for child vaccinations. The campaigns both for and against Question 1 say there’s much more at stake than the fate of the new law.

The Yes and No campaigns for Question 1 held back-to-back press conferences in packed rooms at the State House Tuesday morning. The Yes campaign, which spearheaded the veto referendum, was first up.

The announcement this week that a Maine home care agency is closing due to financial challenges means that nearly 600 seniors will have to find services elsewhere. But advocates say Maine lacks the capacity to absorb these clients, and that the situation underscores a crisis that has been building for years.

A program in Portland that helped 170 people with serious mental illness live in the community has been shut down.