Lana Cohen
Portland Press Herald
Portland, ME, United States
Contact Lana
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 Lana:
Portland police make arrest in death of woman whose body was found on street
Police arrested Frederick Johnson, 45, on Tuesday in the death of 23-year-old Bethany Kelley in November. → Read More
From south to north, Maine’s lack of snow puts winter activities on hold
Snowfall has been sparse for most of the state, and above average temperatures and rainfall are keeping it that way. → Read More
Can a severe ice storm like the one in 1998 happen again?
Climate change creates the potential for more ice storms in Maine, but scientists don't know if there will be more extreme icing events like the one that struck Maine 25 years ago. → Read More
Portland school board rejected city’s offer to help with payroll problems
In an email exchange with Mayor Kate Snyder in October, former school board Chair Emily Figdor accused city officials of trying to exploit the problems for political purposes. → Read More
Portland school district says ed techs have been paid correctly, with back pay
School board Chair Emily Figdor said ed techs received their raises and retroactive pay on Friday. → Read More
Portland superintendent apologizes for payroll problems, says long-term fix expected by next fall
Xavier Botana said in an email to staff that the transition to outside payroll processing might not be completed until next fall. → Read More
Lower enrollment leaves University of Maine System with a $5 million budget gap
Schools are making plans to dig into reserves and remaining federal COVID relief funds, keep vacant teaching positions open, limit travel and other expenses and boost marketing campaigns. → Read More
College students worry about decreasing diversity if affirmative action is overturned
They say their schools would lose an important tool for giving opportunities to marginalized groups and bringing people from different backgrounds together. → Read More
Pious Ali, Regina Phillips win Portland City Council races
Ali ran for reelection to his at-large seat and Phillips ran to replace Tae Chong. → Read More
Pandemic takes toll on Maine students’ math and reading scores
The pandemic erased decades of academic progress for K-12 students in Maine and nationwide, according data released by the U.S. Department of Education Monday. → Read More
Supreme Court ruling on religious schools has broader impact in Maine
A special exception in state law already allows the use of taxpayer funds to send students to private schools, extending the reach of the Supreme Court’s decision. → Read More
USM on track to build arts center as fundraising reaches final phase
The school is entering the public phase of the largest fundraising campaign in its history, which includes money for the new arts center in Portland. → Read More
Portland school board votes to limit school choice
After a lengthy discussion and two failed amendments, Portland's board members vote 5-2 to change the district's policy allowing students to attend the school of their choice. → Read More
Chronic absenteeism on the rise in Portland public schools
Nearly 25 percent of students missed at least 10 percent of school days during the 2021-22 year. → Read More
Portland school district may consider 4-day weeks for some students
The district is trying to address a severe shortage of education technicians in special education programs. → Read More
Portland parents, teachers opposed to limiting high school choice
Those who spoke at the board meeting Tuesday night said the decision was being rushed and that the district should spend more time speaking to students and parents about why they chose the schools they did. → Read More
Portland may limit high school choice to balance enrollments
A proposed hybrid system to be presented Tuesday would allow students to choose a school as usual, but administrators could reassign some of them if needed to balance enrollments. → Read More
Maine school districts scramble to hire up for the school year
Schools around the country are struggling to fill vacancies, and Maine schools are having mixed success. → Read More
Squash center plans $6 million expansion to further mission
Portland Community Squash has attracted kids who come for the game, but stay for the relationships. Now it's in the midst of campaign to offer more services to more families. → Read More
Applications swell with Maine’s offer of free community college
The state's seven community colleges see an 11 percent increase in summer applications compared to this time last year. → Read More