Berwick Denied a $50 Fee Waiver. An Outside Attorney Delivered the Answer. Residents Are Asking Why.
The Town of Berwick asked an outside attorney to communicate its denial of a $50 public records fee waiver. Early public comments raised a question the town has yet to answer: What did it cost to say no?
A Year to See the Record: Berwick Police Footage, an “Unfounded” Finding, and New Questions About What the Town Produced
A Town-provided Berwick Police surveillance recording does not contain dialogue captured by a contemporaneous recording of the same lobby encounter. The Maine Mirror examines the recordings, Chief Timothy Towne’s 2025 “unfounded” finding, and the public-record trail that followed.
MIRROR UPDATE: Berwick Declines to Answer Nine Questions About Chief Towne’s Proposed Dual Role
The Town of Berwick, responding through its attorney, declined to answer nine questions from The Maine Mirror concerning the Select Board’s May 2026 approval of Police Chief Timothy Towne’s proposed dual role.
Under One Roof: What Months of Recordings at Biddeford DHHS Reveal About Access, Credibility, and Accountability
Months of recordings, written requests, emails and public-records correspondence document repeated attempts to obtain answers from Maine DHHS in Biddeford. The record includes statements made to law enforcement, later disputes over recorded words, hand-delivered requests for clarification, and unanswered questions about communication and recordkeeping.
Mr. Capello, You Say Berwick Will Remember Your Transparency. I Remember Something Different.
Arthur Capello says he hopes Berwick remembers his transparency and willingness to talk with anybody. One Berwick resident looks back at the documented record—including the very budget meeting Capello references—and describes a very different experience with access, answers and local government.
Pease Airmen Were Helping New Hampshire Process Unemployment Claims. I Remember Some Collecting Unemployment, Too.
Military records confirm Ryan Michaels worked New Hampshire’s COVID-era unemployment call center and completed roughly 1,600 calls. Six years later, he is seeking government records to determine whether his firsthand recollection of Guard members receiving unemployment benefits while also receiving military pay can be independently documented.
Rockland Scores 80/100 in Maine Accessibility Project After Seven-Week Response
Rockland earned an 80/100 in The Maine Mirror’s Maine Accessibility Project after providing a detailed and professional response to an election information request approximately seven weeks after it was sent.
Thousands of Mainers Forced a MaineCare Accountability Debate — Now DHHS Must Hear From the Public
Maine DHHS will hold a public hearing Sept. 10 on citizen-petitioned MaineCare accountability proposals involving provider inspections, improper payments and stronger oversight. Here’s what is being proposed, who brought it forward and how Mainers can participate.
UPDATE: Towne Responds, Working Copy Prepared
Berwick Police Chief and House District 149 candidate Timothy Towne has responded to The Maine Mirror, confirming that a new copy of the previously unresolved police recording has been prepared and is available for pickup.
New Records Reveal Thomas Lavigne’s Role in Timothy Towne’s Berwick Police Chief-Legislature Plan
Newly obtained Berwick public records reveal Rep. Thomas Lavigne’s role in Timothy Towne’s reconsideration of a Maine House run while remaining police chief—and raise new questions about what the Select Board ultimately approved.