(NEWS CENTER Maine) — Here is what you need to know as you start your day.
1. LETTER CLAIMING TO CONTAIN RISIN MAILED TO SEN. COLLINS
A letter mailed to Senator Susan Collins' home in Bangor claimed to contain risin, a highly dangerous poison. However, there is no official word yet whether the letter actually contained risin. Sen. Collins' husband, Tom Daffron, was home at the time, and Collins was not. The house was quarantined, but Daffron and Collins were cleared to spend the night. Multiple agencies are investigating, including the FBI. Officials do not have a suspect yet.
2. TUESDAY DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR MAIL-IN VOTING FOR MAINE
Maine residents must register at a local town office or city hall by Tuesday, October 16, 2018 to mail-in a vote for the upcoming November elections. Eligible Maine residents can register to vote in person right up to election day on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
►National Voter Registration Day: How to register in Maine, by what time, and where (Note: the day has passed, but the article contains useful voting information.)
3. FMR. HEAD OF DHHS TAPPED TO LEAD NATION'S MEDICAID PROGRAM
Mary Mayhew, the former head of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, is taking a job with the Trump administration in the form of leading the nation's Medicaid program. Mayhew will be deputy administrator at the U.S. Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. She will also be director of the Children's Health Insurance Program.
4. NO SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN MECHANIC FALLS PAPER MILL FIRE
The town manager of Mechanic Falls says the sprinkler system in the Old Marcal Paper mill was not functioning at the time of the 4-alarm fire that began Sunday and continued well into Monday. The fire destroyed the mill, turning four businesses and two apartments to ash, and causing millions in damage. All residents made it out safely.
5. SEARS FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY
Sears Holdings announced Monday it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company plans to shut down 142 stores by the end of the year and company CEO Eddie Lampert is immediately stepping down. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy is an attempt to reorganize the company and create a plan to pay back debt over time.
