WILTON — Tuesday’s election produced a first-time selectperson: Philip Hilton won the three-year seat, replacing Jeff Adams, who was elected in 2015. Tom Saviello will return for his third term as a selectperson, finishing out the remaining year of Ruth Cushman’s three-year term. Saviello is on the Planning Board, and will need to resign from that […]
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Posted inFranklin
Wilton selectboard cautioned by Senator on CMP deal
WILTON — State Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, attended the Board of Selectpersons meeting Tuesday night to urge board members to be cautious when considering Central Maine Power’s proposed, 145-mile transmission line, which would allow hydroelectric power to be delivered from Quebec to Massachusetts. The line would run through several Maine towns and CMP is offering […]
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Posted inMaine
By one vote Maine Senate agrees to expand Medicaid, bill faces all-but-certain veto
AUGUSTA – By a single vote Tuesday night, Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, secured approval of his proposal to expand the state’s Medicaid system, MaineCare, by using federal funds to buy private insurance for the state’s poorest residents. But Saviello was joined by only two of his Republican colleagues, as well as the entire caucus of […]
Posted inMaine
Wilton Republican wants to fight drug crisis with Medicaid expansion
The move to expand is backed by the state’s hospitals, as well as advocates for the poor and a large portion of Maine’s law-enforcement community. “Increasing access to MaineCare coverage means increasing access to mental health counseling, drug addiction treatment and counseling and preventive health care, providing measurable cost-savings and beneficial health outcomes across Maine,” Saviello […]
Posted inFranklin, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Maine
Lawmakers: Mill slowdown, layoffs “devastating’ and ‘drastic’
AUGUSTA — State and federal lawmakers in Maine and Washington, D.C., reacted with frustration and concern Thursday at the news Verso will idle part of its mill in Jay — laying off about 300 employees permanently. “The news of the planned layoffs at the Jay mill is devastating for the community,” Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, […]
Posted inMaine
Wilton’s Saviello says state should take over General Assistance
AUGUSTA — A Wilton Republican said Wednesday if the state wants its General Assistance program run with fairness and consistency, it should take over administration of the program, which currently is run by town and city officials. “I am tired of the argument about one town not doing this the right way,” state Sen. Tom […]
Posted inMaine
Tax for bottled water companies faces struggle in Maine Legislature
AUGUSTA — Western Maine lawmakers are rallying against a bill that seeks to tax companies that bottle water when they extract more than 1 million gallons a year from a groundwater aquifer. The bill, LD 16, sponsored by state Rep. Victoria Kornfield, D-Bangor, which would apply a penny-per-gallon tax on companies that bottle water in […]
Posted inMaine
County jails may face funding crisis
AUGUSTA — With the resignations of one member of the Maine Board of Corrections and its only two staff members, county jails could be facing a critical funding shortage. The board, down to two members, lacks a quorum to do its business, including authorizing state funding for county jails. Amy Fowler, a Waldo County commissioner, […]
Posted inFranklin
Wilton board reviews new, used options for firetruck
WILTON — The considered purchase of a practically new versus used firetruck raised questions by the Board of Selectpersons Tuesday. Planned as an update on the Fire Department’s search for an aerial truck, some board members considered approving a demo truck, one used for dealer demonstrations, until a second option was voiced — a 2000 […]
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
Gas company not committing to Farmington line by 2016, UMF says
FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington has received notice from Summit Natural Gas of Maine that the company is unable to commit to providing natural gas to UMF by 2016, according to a statement released Friday. “In light of Summit’s decision, UMF will continue to explore alternative energy sources in its commitment to […]