Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. V M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 3 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E additional $69,800 in funding to non- profit organizations in the state. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden said that the state of Maine will receive an additional $6.5 million of supplemental funding for LIHEAP through the 2023 govern- ment funding bill that was signed into law in December. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $18 million to the state of Maine from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure through this year's Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The funding will support Maine communities in upgrading essential water, wastewater, and stormwater in- frastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies. Portland hires DEI director e city of Portland has hired a former civil rights investigator from Iowa as its first justice, diversity, equity and inclusion director. Umaru W. Balde will advise Portland City Council on a report released by the Racial Equity Steering Committee and how to address the recommenda- tions included. Balde will also help facilitate the City Council's 2023 goal of prioritizing racial, social and justice equity and advise the city manager on DEI issues and inclusive practices within both city govern- ment and the community. Balde's annual salary will be $113,168. e city created the position and included funding for it in the fiscal year 2023 budget following the recommenda- tion of the council-appointed Racial Equity Steering Committee. Maine Med, nurses reach accord on benefits Maine Medical Center nurses will receive paid leave benefits under an amended collective bargaining agree- ment with their employer. e benefits were left out of a contract finalized last September after more than a year of negotiations. Under the amendments, paid leave benefits will be retroactive to December 2022 to compensate nurses who used personal time off or went unpaid to cover their time away from work. Paid parental, bereavement, jury duty, witness and military leaves are also covered in the amended accord. Credit union offers translation services Town & Country Federal Credit Union has partnered with a Portland company to offer translation services for 30 lan- guages via on-demand phone and video as well as in-person appointments. e new translation service is available at all six Town & Country branches in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland and Saco. ere is also an in-person option for other services by appointment. e credit union anticipates expanding the House of Languages services and offerings into other departments in the future. "Language bar- riers can make it difficult for non-English speakers to access banking services," said Dolgormaa Hersom, president and CEO of Portland-based House of Languages. "Working together, we are helping make financial services more accessible for new Mainers with limited English skills." N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N Full Plates Full Potential in Brunswick said its 2022-2023 John T. Woods Innovation Fund awarded Cultivating Community and the Cumberland County Food Security Council, MaineHealth/Let's Go! and South Portland Public Schools a total of $85,000 to create better access to meals for children in Maine. You Regatta, a promotional products distributor in Falmouth, merged with Logo Owl, a promotional advertising agency in Cumberland. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine in South Portland added Novella Infusion, an outpatient infu- sion therapy provider, to its care pro- vider network. The organization also said it was partnering with Aspire365 to offer in-home substance use disor- der and mental health programs for members 12 and older. P O L I T I C S & C O. $15M in state funds to expand career, technical education in Maine B y R e n e e C o r d e s F our Career and Technical Education schools in Maine will receive $15 million in grant funding for program, equipment and facility upgrades, Gov. Janet Mills announced during a visit to one of the schools. Maine's 27 Career and Technical Education regions and centers enroll more than 9,800 students in 85 programs. Students learn skills and gain real-life experience in programs ranging from plumbing and welding to culinary arts and early childhood education while completing high school. Many are able to receive industry accreditation and earn college credits through dual-enrollment opportunities. The recent funding, from the governor's Maine Jobs & Recovery Program, will allow the schools in Norway, Biddeford, Lincoln and Mexico to add or expand programming in areas from construction to culinary arts. "I have always been a strong believer in the power of CTEs because they equip students with the skills and hands-on experience needed to take good-paying jobs and have reward- ing, lifelong careers in the trades," Mills said. "We all know that Maine desperately needs more elec- tricians, plumbers, welders, and other skilled workers, and investments like this one through my Jobs Plan will help deliver them," she added. Mills announced the funding at Oxford Hills Technical School in Norway, which will receive more than $2 million for a new free-standing building to expand the school's plumbing, electrician and building construction programs. Oxford Technical School Director Randy Crockett said the funds will be used to build a 6,000-square-foot, free-standing building on campus that will have three classrooms and shop space for a plumbing program and a new electrical technology program. Biddeford Regional Center of Technology in Biddeford will receive more than $7 million to build a two-story addition to the high school to create a culinary arts and hospitality pro- gram as well as an athletic training program and to expand plumbing and emergency medical technician programs. Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico will receive $5.5 million to expand and enhance CTE facilities for four programs, including establishing a four-season outdoor education center, creating new classroom and lab space for the welding program, and expanding the culinary arts program to include an outdoor education space with a greenhouse, store, outdoor kitchen and classroom. In Lincoln, Northern Penobscot Tech Region III will receive $570,000 to expand the welding program by building an addition to the school that will add five welding booth venti- lators, 10 welding booths, and 10 welders. S O U T H E R N I have always been a strong believer in the power of CTEs because they equip students with the skills and hands-on experience needed to take good- paying jobs and have rewarding, lifelong careers in the trades. — Gov. Janet Mills P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F T H E O F F I C E O F G OV. M I L L S Oxford Hills Technical School in Norway will receive more than $2 million for a new free-standing building to expand its plumbing, electrician and building construction tech programs. Gov. Janet Mills is shown here with plumbing students.

• Cover