Calling himself ‘an average Joe,’ a state representative from Oakland said he’ll wind up as his party’s choice to take on Jared Golden next year in the 2nd Congressional District race.
Steve Collins
Columnist
Steve Collins became an opinion columnist for the Maine Trust for Local News in April of 2025. A journalist since 1987, Steve has worked for daily newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Maine and served as the State House reporter for the Sun Journal since 2016. The Maine Press Association named him Maine's Journalist of the Year in 2022. Among his other awards are the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2016 Ethics in Journalism Award, the I.F. Stone Whistle-Blower Award in 2015 and the Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award from the New England Newspaper & Press Association. Steve is a founder and board president of Youth Journalism International, a charity that teaches students around the globe about news writing, media literacy and issues of the day. His wife, Jackie Majerus, serves as its executive director. Born in Massachusetts, he grew up in a military family that took him to Norway, Ohio and Virginia, where he earned a degree in history from the University of Virginia. He and Jackie live in Auburn. They have two adult children, two collies and not enough time.
Posted inElection 2022, Elections, Local & State, Politics
Trey Stewart drops out of congressional race
The Presque Isle Republican threw his support behind Bruce Poliquin’s bid to regain the 2nd District seat he lost in 2018.
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Local & State
Auburn considers getting on board with a plan to connect rail trail to Portland
AUBURN – There is “growing momentum” in the area to create a rail trail that would extend along an unused section of track that stretches from Auburn to Portland. Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque said this week that he expects many people “will love to hike and bike and walk” along the corridor. The unused rail […]
Posted inHealth, Lewiston-Auburn, Local & State
Auburn officials worry that vaccine mandate for EMS workers may lead to resignations
State panel working on rules for new mandate inundated Tuesday with so many requests to participate online that it postponed its meeting.
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Local & State, Schools and Education
Bates College tells students, faculty and staff they must wear masks
Reversing fall plans, the Lewiston college tells its mostly-vaccinated community that high COVID-19 rates in Lewiston require a return to a mask mandate on campus.
Posted inElection 2022, Lewiston-Auburn, Local & State, Politics
Bruce Poliquin’s bid for his old position fascinates Maine politics professors
Several keen observers said Jared Golden may be stronger than Republicans think — and Poliquin may face trouble in a primary.
Posted inElections, Lewiston-Auburn, Local & State, Politics
Bruce Poliquin seeks to reclaim his old seat in Congress
The two-term Republican hopes to knock out the Lewiston Democrat, who beat him in 2018, in next year’s U.S. House race in Maine’s 2nd District.
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Local & State
Bates College seeks to reduce heated interactions between students and campus security
New report on campus safety urges more residential life staffers and greater effort to ease tensions between safety officers and students at the Lewiston college.
Posted inLocal & State
New state law aims to help former inmates find jobs
In most cases, employers will not be allowed to ask applicants about criminal history on applications, though they can do so during job interviews.
Posted inLocal & State
America’s water systems are vulnerable to a Pearl Harbor-level cyberattack, Angus King warns
Maine’s junior senator said the nation faces “an extremely dangerous situation” until it bolsters its security against web-based attacks on critical infrastructure.