The Text Messages That Preceded an Accusation of Going AWOL
The Maine Mirror launches The Pease Accountability Files with an investigation into events at Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire involving then-commander Captain Emily Hanson. Through contemporaneous text messages, medical documentation, and official military records, Ryan Michaels examines the chronology surrounding allegations that he went AWOL and invites readers to compare what was documented in real time with what was later alleged. This is Part One of an ongoing investigative series examining the final months of his military career through primary-source evidence.
Introducing the TRACE Initiative: A Citizen Proposal to Strengthen Transparency in Maine’s Administrative Appeals Process
The TRACE Initiative is a citizen-led proposal to strengthen transparency in Maine’s administrative appeals process by requiring significant department-wide decisions affecting appeals to be documented, periodically reviewed, and communicated to affected individuals. Learn what the proposed TRACE Rule would do, why it was created, and how you can review the full proposal.
The Price of Transparency: How Maine DHHS Turned Public Records into a Paywall
A Maine citizen’s Freedom of Access Act requests began with a promise of $0 and a four-week turnaround, only to grow into invoices totaling $450 and $50,875, months of delays, and ultimately no records produced. This investigative report examines the timeline, escalating costs, procedural hurdles, and broader questions surrounding transparency, public records, and accountability within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Paper Trail Deep Dive: The Cost of Accountability
Before Episode 002 of Paper Trail Deep Dive premieres, review the email correspondence at the center of the investigation. This documented chain involving Senator Trey Stewart, Peter Schleck of OPEGA, and Maine’s oversight process raises important questions about transparency, accountability, public records, and what it actually takes for an ordinary citizen to seek review of government conduct.
The Footage Exists: Following the Paper Trail Through Maine’s Judicial Branch
What began as a request for preserved courthouse security footage evolved into a complex examination of administrative procedure, disability accommodation, and institutional accountability. When the footage was confirmed to exist but the path to obtain it remained unclear, a simple records request became a paper trail raising broader questions about transparency, access, and the mechanisms citizens rely upon when seeking answers from public institutions.
PUBLIC PULSE | PRESQUE ISLE CITY COUNCIL
As part of The Maine Mirror’s Public Pulse series, we reviewed public records and agenda materials from the June 3, 2026 Presque Isle City Council meeting. Key topics included potential future property valuation adjustments, homelessness funding, code enforcement actions, recreation facility policies, and tourism updates. Here’s what residents may want to know—and what questions may be worth watching moving forward.
The Budget Discussion That Ended Before the Answer Arrived
A Berwick resident asked about virtual participation before a public budget discussion. The answer didn’t arrive until after the discussion had ended and residents had already voted, raising broader questions about accessibility, civic engagement, and government responsiveness.
When “Public Participation” Isn’t Truly Public in Berwick
A Berwick resident’s attempt to participate in a public budget discussion raises broader questions about accessibility, virtual participation, transparency, and whether meaningful civic engagement is truly being encouraged in local government.
LD 1893 — An Act to Establish the Maine Office of Child Advocate as an Independent Agency
LD 1891 focused on strengthening the independence of Maine’s Office of Child Advocate and expanding oversight related to the state’s child welfare system. In this edition of Reflections from Augusta, The Maine Mirror examines what the bill aimed to change, why independent oversight matters, and how transparency and accountability continue to shape public trust in Maine’s child welfare agencies.
REFLECTIONS FROM AUGUSTA
The Maine Senate voted 16-12 to adjourn the 132nd Legislature “Sine Die,” formally ending the legislative session and procedurally killing unfinished bills, including LD 127. In this edition of Reflections from Augusta, The Maine Mirror breaks down what “Adjourn Sine Die” actually means, why procedural votes matter, and how legislative process can determine whether major bills ultimately survive or fail.