A family had been renting the house to celebrate the 50th birthday of Baldomero ‘Bart’ Zamora, one of the two men killed in the fire.
Noel K. Gallagher
Noel Gallagher covers K-12 and higher education issues statewide. Her stories are a mix of breaking news and trend stories. In recent years, they’ve ranged from why college costs so much, the launch of the state’s first charter schools, how a school welcomed a transgender student and why Maine schools have a hard time finding teachers. She’s enough of a news nerd to enjoy sitting through legislative education committee meetings and hours-long school board meetings so you don’t have to.
The Maine Press Association has honored Noel’s work, but she says she writes for the readers, in the firm belief that an informed citizenry is key to a healthy democracy.
Noel is a California native who has worked at wire services, online websites and newspapers across the country. She was in Washington D.C. during the early Clinton years, covering AIDS activism in 1990s San Francisco, documenting the business of wine in Sonoma County and riding out the boom and bust cycle of the early Internet era in early 2000s Silicon Valley. She arrived in Maine at the beginning of the recession and wrote quite a bit about the downturn here.
In her free time, Noel writes the occasional cookbook review, spends an inordinate amount of time at the Portland Public Library and hangs out with her three fabulous kids and wonderful husband. She is not a former member of the band Oasis.
Millions flowing into Maine to influence referendum results in November
Much of the $9.5 million came from out of state, and groups tied to the background check question took in the most.
Alternative school’s application still alive after Maine charter commission splits vote
The commission’s review team had recommended against moving to the next step on Wayfinder Academy’s application to be the state’s 10th charter school.
Maine will have 2nd highest top tax rate in U.S. if Question 2 passes
If voters approve Question 2, households with incomes of more than $200,000 would pay the second-highest tax rate in the nation, which would raise $159 million for schools.
Maine Community College System to request 13 percent increase in state funding
Most of the money would pay for expanding programs to train the types of workers needed by Maine’s businesses.
Support for tax to fund education splits along party lines in survey
But those in favor of requiring wealthy earners to pay more hold a distinct advantage – 60 percent.
A former Mainer completes her winding run to the Smithsonian
Seba Johnson, the first black female Alpine skier to compete in the Olympics, says it warms her heart to be in the African-American history museum that opens today.
‘Time to invest’: UMaine System seeks 12% increase in state funding
System officials say that trustees likely will have to raise tuition and fees if state funding falls short of the request.
Green Party’s Stein plays to younger generation in visit to USM
The presidential candidate visited college campuses in Maine Wednesday to talk about wiping out student loan debt and her ‘Green New Deal.’
Portland man catches a bit of baseball history off the bat of David Ortiz
Rob Jordan gets to meet Big Papi after returning the home run ball that tied the Red Sox slugger with Mickey Mantle on the all-time home run list.