1. TIME has named Greta Thunberg its 2019 Person of the Year. “She is an ordinary teenage girl who, in summoning the courage to speak truth to power, became the icon of a generation,” the outlet says. TIME editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal adds, “She became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year.” The 16-year-old is the youngest person to ever receive the honor. (TIME)
2. Maine’s minimum wage rises from $11 to $12 per hour for most workers on January 1, 2020. The state’s minimum salary for exemption from overtime eligibility rises from $33,000 to $36,000 per year. (NEWS CENTER MAINE)
3. A third case of whooping cough has been reported at Freeport High School. The CDC now considers this an outbreak. Maine has the highest rate of whooping cough in the country. The state’s low vaccination rates are a major factor. (WGME)
4. Starting this spring Southwest Airlines at the Portland International Jetport plans to offer weekend flights to Chicago. It also will introduce a Saturday flight to Nashville. The limited service will run from June 7 through Aug. 10. (PRESS HERALD)
5. Augusta resident, Raynard Grover found a money bag containing $10,000 in the parking lot of a local store and turned it over to police. The money was reunited with its owner, who had left it on his truck’s bumper when he took off. (WGME)
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