Articles by David Sharp

Maine Insurers Request Double-Digit Rate Hikes Under Health Care Law

Insurers are seeking double-digit premium increases in the coming year for tens of thousands of Mainers who receive insurance through President Barack Obama’s health care law. Proposals filed with the Maine Bureau of Insurance would raise individual plan premiums between …

Maine Sees Most Motorcycle Deaths Since 1991

Maine ended the year 2015 with 32 motorcycle deaths, the most since 1991, and safety officials say there’s no single factor that seems to be behind the spike. Mild weather that extended the riding season through early December may have …

Farmers’ Almanac Predicts Harsh Winter for Northeast in 2016

It’s not what Bostonians want to hear: The Farmer’s Almanac says another rough winter is in your stars. A year after Boston was pummeled with the snowiest winter on record, editors of the Maine-based publication have dubbed their latest forecast …

In Maine, 3,300 Policyholders Likely to See Flood Insurance Rate Increases

Thousands of Maine homeowners and businesses could see their rates for flood insurance rise as the federal government attempts to put the troubled National Flood Insurance Program back on sound financial footing. Most of the communities with the largest number …

Maine Gets Break in Federal Health Care Overhaul

The federal government has granted Maine a waiver of a key provision in President Obama’s health care overhaul, citing the likelihood that enforcement could destabilize the state’s market for individual health insurance. The U.S. Health and Human Services department said …

Judge Tosses Most Supermarket Data Breach Claims

Only those customers who weren’t reimbursed for fraudulent charges may sue the Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain over a data breach that exposed 4.2 million credit and debit card numbers to computer hackers, a federal judge has ruled. The decision by …

Judge Tosses Most Supermarket Data Breach Claims

Only those customers who weren’t reimbursed for fraudulent charges may sue the Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain over a data breach that exposed 4.2 million credit and debit card numbers to computer hackers, a federal judge has ruled. The decision by …

Northern Maine Floodwaters Recede, Damage Assessments Begin

A river that flooded parts of northern Maine dropped much faster than expected, allowing hundreds of residents who fled their homes to return and assess the damage Friday, officials said. The St. John River dropped below flood stage just two …

Levee Protects Downtown But Flooding Still Severe in Fort Kent, Maine

The rain-swollen St. John River crested early Thursday, May 1, after hitting a record high, forcing residents in Fort Kent, Maine to flee to higher ground as more than 100 homes flooded. Rain and melting snow raised the St. John …

Nor’easter Damage to Public Property in Maine Nears $30 Million

Mainers like to boast that they live in the nation’s most heavily forested state, but residents paid a heavy price for that distinction when a deadly nor’easter whipped the coast with winds gusting to 81 mph. Thousands of those trees …