Peter McGuire
Kennebec Journal
Waterville, ME, United States
Contact Peter
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Peter:
How can Maine solve its workforce crisis?
Maine has lost more than 20,000 employees since the pandemic started. Fixing this will take a combination of strategies and years of work. → Read More
How can Maine solve its workforce crisis?
Maine has lost more than 20,000 employees since the pandemic started. Fixing this will take a combination of strategies and years of work. → Read More
A wave of older workers was already headed into retirement. The pandemic worsened things.
Brenda Chaimowitz lost her job in the early days of the pandemic and decided to retire early. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer Second of five parts Brenda Chaimowitz started working when she was a sophomore in high school and didn’t stop until April 2020, when she was laid off from her job as a manager at a business travel agency. Like so many others, Chaimowitz thought the furlough was a hiccup.… → Read More
N.Y. firm to buy Yarmouth nursing home for $2.5 million
The sale of Coastal Manor continues a trend of consolidation in the industry as owners try to manage rising costs. → Read More
Where have all the workers gone? And when will they return?
Joe Qualey, a welder and grinder with Messer Truck Equipment, welds a tailgate that is being installed on a pickup. The Westbrook manufacturer is always looking for technicians, welders and people who can work with electrical systems, but those skilled workers can often be lured away. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer First of five parts Read the Not Working series * Today: Where have… → Read More
Travel rebound expected for Labor Day weekend
Traffic moves up the northbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike in Wells on Friday afternoon, the start of the long Labor Day weekend. With gas prices easing, state officials were expecting heavy tourist traffic over the three days and into the fall. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer More than 1 million vehicles are expected on the Maine Turnpike this long, holiday weekend as travelers and locals… → Read More
Maine farmers struggle with labor shortage, push for immigration reform
Nicoy Simpson works at Pierson Nurseries on Thursday. Simpson is from Jamaica and has been coming to work at the nursery since 2020. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer DAYTON — Maine farmers are joining a push for national immigration reform that they say could help ease labor shortages, strengthen businesses and lower food prices. A shortage of skilled labor is stifling growth and hurting… → Read More
New traffic pattern sparks confusion in Deering Center
New lane striping is intended to reduce speeding on Ludlow Street, but the unfamiliar pattern and limited public outreach about the "advisory bike lanes" have befuddled residents and commuters. → Read More
Despite secrecy, technology grant program protects taxpayer funds, experts say
The public benefit of a state-funded $45 million business development program may be obscured by secrecy, but it helps protect taxpayer investment from exploitation by private beneficiaries, according to state and national analysts. The Maine Technology Asset Fund, a grant program paid for with a state bond, has paid out tens of millions of dollars to almost 30 Maine companies since 2019.… → Read More
Long-awaited cold storage warehouse to break ground Monday
A rendering of the cold storage warehouse that is set to break ground on Portland’s waterfront on Monday following seven years of planning shaped by opposition from West End residents. Rendering courtesy of Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Construction of a gigantic refrigerated warehouse on Portland’s waterfront is set to begin after seven years of planning and false starts that have played… → Read More
Maine’s unemployment rate heads toward record low
Maine’s unemployment rate in July slipped to its lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic in a labor market that remains strong despite high inflation and recession worries. The statewide unemployment rate was 2.8 percent last month, which is the first time it has been below 3 percent since February 2020 and nearing the record low joblessness rate set three years ago, the Maine… → Read More
Did it work? The elusive impact of a $45 million state grant to grow jobs
The Maine Technology Institute, which awarded the taxpayer funds, makes very little data available about the investments. → Read More
Did it work? The elusive impact of a $45 million state grant to grow jobs
In 2017, Maine voters approved borrowing $45 million to pay for private sector development, encouraged by the promise of new jobs and economic growth the investment was expected to generate. Money from the program, known as the Maine Technology Asset Fund, was awarded to nearly 30 private companies in grants ranging from less than $100,000 for software improvements to a Brunswick call center to… → Read More
Short-term rentals to be focus of new state housing commission
The legislative panel will collect data to see how much of a role short-term rentals play in the housing crunch. It also is expected to consider statewide regulation. → Read More
`The worst-kept secret in Scarborough:’ Amazon is scouting for a warehouse
The giant internet retailer is looking for sites around Running Hill Road, near the Maine Mall and the Maine Turnpike. → Read More
`The worst-kept secret in Scarborough:’ Amazon is scouting for a warehouse
The giant internet retailer is looking for sites around Running Hill Road, near the Maine Mall and the Maine Turnpike. → Read More
ACLU says pot store camera requirements violate Maine’s ban on facial surveillance
State regulators say the draft rules to require recreational cannabis stores to use video cameras to record shoppers' faces simply update existing requirements to cover newly approved cannabis delivery. → Read More
At summer’s peak, tourism has been a mixed bag so far in Maine
Visitors are still coming, but higher gas and other prices have some reining in their spending. → Read More
At summer’s peak, tourism has been a mixed bag so far in Maine
Visitors are still coming, but higher gas and other prices have some reining in their spending. → Read More
New agency pitches $150 million to stretch broadband across Maine
The Maine Connectivity Authority has a goal to offer every home and business in Maine a high-speed internet connection by 2024. → Read More