Hannah LaClaire

Staff Writer

Hannah LaClaire is a business reporter at The Portland Press Herald, covering topics such as real estate and development, entrepreneurship and the cannabis industry among others. Before joining the Press Herald in January 2021, Hannah covered the town of Brunswick for The Times Record. She graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Journalism, and reported for The Cape Cod Times in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and The Telegraph in Nashua, N.H., before moving back to Maine. In her free time, Hannah enjoys reading, running, cooking (eating) and traveling. She lives in Saco with her husband, her dog Olive and her cat Fred.

Latest

Published
November 19, 2020

For those with intellectual disabilities, COVID presents unique risks

Independence Association assists nearly 450 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Midcoast and throughout Maine. The day program is temporarily shut down, limiting clients’ ability to be out and about in the community, and staff and clients alike are struggling to keep spirits high.
Published
November 18, 2020

Brunswick hires first grant writer and economic development specialist

The position is split, with a dual focus on grant writing and assisting Sally Costello, the economic and community development director and sole member of her department.
Published
November 17, 2020

Brunswick on track for April landfill closure, price tag could exceed $7 million

The closure construction project was awarded to Alton-based Sargent Corporation for $5.9 million, and Town Manager John Eldridge anticipates contracting with Portland’s Woodard and Curran for onsite inspection and materials testing, which could add another $1.3 million.
Published
November 16, 2020

Days before Thanksgiving break, 2 Bowdoin employees, 1 student test positive for COVID

So far, the college has reported 8 positive COVID-19 cases this semester — four students and four employees.
Published
November 16, 2020

Maine State Music Theatre weathers continued setbacks of pandemic

Maine State Music Theatre is trying to plan for a ‘triumphant return’ in 2021, but continued financial, state and union roadblocks are slowing efforts.
Published
November 15, 2020

Brunswick schools to continue hybrid learning ‘for the foreseeable future’

As of Friday, there have been four positive coronavirus cases within the district’s schools, and according to Dr. Alyssa Goodwin, district pediatrician, there has been no evidence of in-school transmission.
Published
November 12, 2020

Desert of Maine’s revitalization plans moving forward

Doug and Mela Heestand, who purchased the Freeport property in late 2018, are in the midst of a multi-year, almost $2.5 million Desert of Maine revamp.
Published
November 11, 2020

Brunswick Veterans Plaza opens, honoring all who served

What started as an idea for a Purple Heart monument on the Brunswick Mall, proposed by local veterans Gil Ormsby and Chick Ciciotte, quickly grew into an entire plaza honoring not just those who were wounded or who served in combat, but every person who took an oath to protect the United States.
Published
November 10, 2020

Grant will reimburse Brunswick businesses for outdoor heaters

The goal is to help businesses extend outdoor dining and shopping for as long as possible. The town has $10,000 to use and estimates it can help between 20 and 25 businesses, but so far only four have applied.
Published
November 10, 2020

Brunswick business owner says she’ll comply with mask rule after controversial Facebook post

In the widely circulated post, Heather Pelletier, owner of Brunswick’s The Rumpus Room, an indoor playground and activity space for children, said she would “never require a guest to mask up.” But Monday, she said her words were misconstrued.