The family of a former figure skater who died of a drug overdose is opening a facility in the Knox County town of Washington as Maine moves to bolster addiction treatment in rural communities.
Dylan Tusinski
Staff Writer
Dylan Tusinski is an investigative reporter with the Maine Trust for Local News' quick strike team, where his stories largely focus on money, drugs and government accountability. He has written about international drug trafficking rings, Maine's housing crisis, political polarization and much more. He previously worked for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville from 2023 to 2025. When he's not on the clock, Dylan can often be found at the nearest Grateful Dead cover band show or minor league hockey game.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News
Mold, arsenic, chemicals found in weed from Maine’s illegal grow houses
The amount of mold in some cannabis samples from illegal Chinese operations maxed out the laboratory’s equipment while others contained lead, pesticides and banned chemicals.
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Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News, Politics
How a former lawmaker grew weed with alleged Chinese crime groups in rural Maine
A web of shell companies and illegal grows allegedly linked to Chinese organized crime traces its start to one former Democratic legislator, his cannabis consulting business, and his chain of central Maine dispensaries.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics, Schools and Education
Trump administration has frozen $50M in UMaine System funding so far
More than $21 million in grants was either terminated or put on hold as the university system was negotiating their terms and conditions, college officials say.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Wells halts ICE partnership after pushback from legislators, residents
The police chief of the York County town said the department is taking a ‘wait-and-see approach’ after state lawmakers introduced bills to bar police from carrying out federal immigration policy.
Posted inLocal & State, Maine Crime, News, Politics
Lawmakers want to combat illegal Chinese weed grows
But industry advocates testify against 4 bills that would target illicit cannabis operations allegedly associated with Chinese organized crime that have obtained licenses to grow and sell in Maine’s medical market amid a recent law enforcement crackdown.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
Medical cannabis industry organizes against Maine proposals to test for mold, track plants
Maine is the only state in the country that doesn’t mandate testing for mold, yeast, chemicals or heavy metal in its medical marijuana. The state’s medical growers are fighting to keep it that way.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics, Schools and Education
Maine settles lawsuit against USDA over $3 million in school funds
The Department of Agriculture agreed it will not interfere with Maine school funding based on alleged Title IX violations without following the proper procedure, according to a settlement announced Friday.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
What do Canada’s election results mean for Maine?
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in his victory speech that Canada’s relationship with America ‘is over,’ exacerbating concerns among Maine officials and businesses about the impacts a widening international divide will have on the state’s economy.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics, Schools and Education
As Trump targets higher education, Maine colleges worry endowments are next
The state’s higher education leaders say Republican-backed bills to raise endowment taxes would produce negligible benefits while forcing schools to slash financial aid and operating budgets.