5TYNK
1. USM’s Cutler Institute and Northeastern University’s Institute on Race and Justice will be reviewing the Portland and SoPo Police departments for possible biases against people of color. Over the next year they will be examining arrests, summonses, traffic citations, and uses of force. (NEWS CENTER)
2. The U.S. tops 29.6 million covid-19 cases with more than 539,000 related deaths. The Maine CDC reported 2 new deaths and 241 new cases on Wednesday keeping Maine’s death toll at 727 with 76 Mainers currently hospitalized. More than 200,000 Mainers have been fully vaccinated. President Biden said that the U.S. will have administered 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by today. (WMTW)
3. A teenager was pulled from a burning car after a serious crash in Mechanic Falls early Wednesday morning. Aryn Johnson was rescued from the wreck by Mechanic Falls police officer Officer Andre Chasse and a good Samaritan. The police department shared dashcam video of the rescue on Facebook. (WMTW)
4. Donna Colello, a custodian with the Portland School District is in the running for national Custodian on the Year. Colello is the only finalist from the Northeast for the award, and she is only one of two women in the top 10. People can vote for Colello until April 16 by going to custodianoftheyear.com. (WMTW)
5. Governor Janet Mills announced Thursday that the state will move the tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to May 17 to align with the Federal government’s recent extension. (WGME)
Made Hot in Maine by Key Ford of York! There’s one more thing you need to know this morning: the best deals are at Key Ford!