Portland school chief stands by statements

PORTLAND (AP) — A school superintendent who drew the wrath of the Maine Republican Party for linking a hate crime with President Donald Trump’s administration says he stands by his statements.

Maine GOP has said Portland Public Schools Superintendent Xavier Botana created a hostile political environment in the city’s public schools in the wake of the Jan. 27 attack. It has said it will issue a Maine Freedom of Access Act request for Botana’s written communications.

Botana said Monday that he welcomes the request and remains convinced Trump’s antagonism toward immigrants and minorities played a role in the attack.

Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Hoffman of Portland last week on charges stemming from the attack on black students. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday in Portland.

Augusta areas named to historic registry

AUGUSTA — A number of buildings in the downtown area of Maine’s capital city have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Kennebec Journal reports the designation opens up access to state and federal historic preservation tax credits that could pay for as much as 45 percent of renovation costs for eligible projects.

Developers renovating any one of the 51 buildings designated as “contributing” will be eligible for tax credits.

The designated area, the Water Street Historic District, includes most buildings on both sides of Water Street. It was deemed significant in areas of commerce, industry, transportation, entertainment and recreation. The period of significance for the district’s architecture is 1835 to 1957.

Mayor David Rollins says the designation effort has been going on for seven or eight years.

Rare skier death at Baxter State Park

 MILLINOCKET (AP) — Authorities say a 56-year-old New Hampshire man died while skiing in Baxter State Park.

Officials with the park say the man was separated from companions during a 17-mile skiing trip and was found near the outlet of Abol Pond by two hikers on Sunday. Officials did not identify the skier on Monday.

Authorities say the man was unresponsive to treatment and pronounced dead at the scene.

The body was taken to a Millinocket funeral home. A spokesman for the park says officials at Baxter are not aware if a cause of death has been determined.

Park officials say it was the first fatality at Baxter State Park in about 10 years.