1. Absentee voting for the March 5 presidential primaries started Monday with former President Donald Trump’s name on the Republican ballot in Maine despite a pending challenge to his eligibility. Voters have until Feb. 29 to vote in-person absentee or request an absentee ballot, which must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The primaries are now one month away as Maine is still awaiting final court rulings on Trump’s eligibility to appear on the ballot. (PH)
2. Officials say the fake President Joe Biden robocalls encouraging people not to vote in the New Hampshire primary have been linked to a company in Texas. The source of the calls was identified as Texas-based Life Corporation and an individual named Walter Monk. No charges have been filed yet but New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella says a criminal investigation is underway.(WGME)
3. Four bolts meant to hold the Boeing 737 Max 9 door plug in place were missing last month when part of a plane blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight, the National Transportation Safety Board found in a preliminary report released on Tuesday. The door plug, which covers an unused exit door, is typically secured with four bolts to prevent it from moving vertically, according to the report. The door blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9 at about 16,000 feet over Oregon during a trip to California on Jan. 5, forcing an emergency landing. FAA chief Mike Whitaker on Tuesday told a House panel that his agency would step up inspections of Boeing. (CBS)
4. The first firearm detected at a Maine airport this year was reported at the Bangor International Airport on Monday morning. While Transportation Security Administration officers were conducting security screening Monday morning, they immediately notified Bangor police after they detected a firearm in a man’s carry-on bag, TSA said in a news release Tuesday. In December 2022, TSA also increased the maximum civil penalty for a firearms violation to nearly $15,000. (NCM)
5. A Maine resident has received a high honor from King Charles III. John Thompson was awarded the MBE award (Member of the Order of the British Empire Award), which honors the organization he and his wife started 25 years ago in a small South African town. The couple wanted to help kids and teens with some of their basic needs and education, and the effort turned into a charity called Masicorps. Thanks to many donations they have received throughout the years, the couple was able to build five daycares, a youth center, a library, many houses, and a recreation center, and they’re in the process of building more. (NCM)
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