Category: State of Maine

Former Maine Police Chief Stacy Carter’s Missed Personnel Intervention: What Competent Town of Rumford Leadership Could Have Done Instead (October 9, 2026)

October 9, 2026

When Image Matters More Than Truth: How Toxic People Control the Narrative and Create Scapegoats to Avoid Accountability (August 5, 2026) The Tracey Higley disciplinary record was not merely a personnel problem. It was an institutional risk warning. What should responsible municipal leadership do when it learns that a police officer entrusted with the power … More Former Maine Police Chief Stacy Carter’s Missed Personnel Intervention: What Competent Town of Rumford Leadership Could Have Done Instead (October 9, 2026)

Would You Hire Him? Tracey Higley and the Cost of Ignoring Red Flags in Rumford, Maine (October 5, 2026)

October 5, 2026

Five of these police officers abused me by either participating in the gang bullying of a Finance Committee member or they covered for each other and happily scapegoated me, Lee, and our family. This is the definition of institutional betrayal. Copyright © Jennifer and Lee Norris. All rights reserved. Imagine reviewing an applicant for a … More Would You Hire Him? Tracey Higley and the Cost of Ignoring Red Flags in Rumford, Maine (October 5, 2026)

Mill Town Book Review and the Questions Every Maine Family Should Ask (October 4, 2026)

October 4, 2026

Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains by Kerri Arsenault You can love your hometown and still want to know what is in its air and water. That is why Kerri Arsenault’s Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains belongs on Maine’s reading list. Arsenault grew up in Mexico, Maine, across the river from the Rumford paper … More Mill Town Book Review and the Questions Every Maine Family Should Ask (October 4, 2026)

Rumford’s Warning Signs Were Already on Paper: Why Maine Needs Independent Police Shooting Reviews (October 3, 2026)

October 3, 2026

Edmund Muskie Was Right: Clean Air, Clean Water, and Our Right to Demand Answers (August 20, 2026) Copyright © Jennifer Norris. All rights reserved. Maine needs officer-involved shooting reviews that operate outside the Attorney General’s Office, with appointments, staff, and funding that the Attorney General does not control. Lee and I learned in Rumford how … More Rumford’s Warning Signs Were Already on Paper: Why Maine Needs Independent Police Shooting Reviews (October 3, 2026)

National Service Dog Day: Onyx Saved My Life, One Day at a Time (September 20, 2026)

September 20, 2026

Christine Hassing Published ‘Jennifer and Onyx’ in the Hope Has a Cold Nose Book (February 17, 2019) For National Service Dog Day, a tribute to the dog who helped me feel safe enough to live again. By Jen Norris Onyx turned 14 this month. She is still here with me, healthy and thriving. Sometimes I … More National Service Dog Day: Onyx Saved My Life, One Day at a Time (September 20, 2026)

A Mother’s Account Raises New Questions About Escalation, Use of Force, and Police Accountability in Rumford, Maine (September 2, 2026)

September 2, 2026

Complaint to Maine Attorney General: Overview of Police Officer’s Disturbing History Prior to Officer Involved Shooting of A Suicidal Woman With Mental Illness (2014) Summary A concerned mother contacted us after receiving a video of an encounter involving her 20-year-old son and the Rumford Police Department. She says police were initially dealing with other young people—not … More A Mother’s Account Raises New Questions About Escalation, Use of Force, and Police Accountability in Rumford, Maine (September 2, 2026)

Video Raises Questions About Escalation and Use of Force in Rumford, Maine (August 24, 2026)

August 24, 2026

Editor’s Note: A concerned mother contacted us after receiving a video of an encounter involving her 20-year-old son and officers from the Rumford Police Department. Because the video is now being presented separately on our timeline, this article focuses only on the incident, the family’s account, and the questions raised by the footage. We have … More Video Raises Questions About Escalation and Use of Force in Rumford, Maine (August 24, 2026)

Edmund Muskie Was Right: Clean Air, Clean Water, and Our Right to Demand Answers (August 20, 2026)

August 21, 2026

After Lead Poisoning Symptoms Dismissed by PTSD Diagnosis, It Results in Brain Inflammation, Fatigue, Muscle Weakness, Digestion Issues & Chronic Pain (2024) “You have the God-given right to kick the government around—don’t hesitate to do so.” —Edmund S. Muskie Of all people to say this—Edmund Muskie. That hits differently for me. Muskie was born in Rumford, … More Edmund Muskie Was Right: Clean Air, Clean Water, and Our Right to Demand Answers (August 20, 2026)

A Letter to the Brother I’ve Wondered About My Entire Life (August 17, 2026)

August 17, 2026

This is the only picture of all four of your full blooded family members. WRS fathered a child prior to your birth in 1967. And ACD and her new husband had a son who was born in 1978. So technically you have two half brothers as well. Our family is full of secrets that people … More A Letter to the Brother I’ve Wondered About My Entire Life (August 17, 2026)

Toxic Air Force Leadership, CPTSD, and Institutional Betrayal: How a Squadron Commander Failed Two Vulnerable Airmen (August 13, 2026)

August 13, 2026

Workplace Betrayal & Ostracism: A Letter to the Commander Explaining How Toxic Military Leaders Negatively Impact CPTSD (2010) How failed supervision, professional jealousy, medical-retirement obstruction, and command indifference compounded decades of trauma, military sexual trauma, brain injury, and toxic exposure. By Jennifer Norris, U.S. Air Force RetiredAugust 13, 2026 He Wasn’t Protecting the Mission. He Was … More Toxic Air Force Leadership, CPTSD, and Institutional Betrayal: How a Squadron Commander Failed Two Vulnerable Airmen (August 13, 2026)