Today’s top 5 stories in New England begin in Maine, where a police department is demanding answers after one of its own officers was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Officer Jon Luke Evans was taken into custody by ICE, which said he was in the U.S. illegally. But the police chief countered that Evans had federal approval to work in the country as of May. The department has called for a full investigation into the arrest, which has raised questions about federal coordination and communication.
Also in Maine, Graham Platner, a 40-year-old veteran of both the Army and the Marines who completed four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has entered the race for the U.S. Senate. Platner, who grew up in Sullivan and now works as an oyster farmer, announced Tuesday that he will run as a Democrat on a platform of universal health care, housing affordability, and ending American involvement in foreign wars. He joins a growing primary field of Democrats seeking to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins.
In Connecticut, the investigation continues into a devastating house fire in Hartford that killed four people on Monday. Flames tore through the home on Shultas Place in the early morning hours, claiming the lives of two children and two adults. Outside the burned home, a memorial has taken shape, with neighbors and loved ones leaving candles, balloons, and stuffed animals to honor the victims. Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
In New Hampshire, a judge ruled Monday that the state is spending too little on special education. Superior Court Judge David Ruoff said the current funding levels fall short, echoing a similar ruling from the state Supreme Court in July, which found general education was also underfunded. While Ruoff stopped short of ordering lawmakers to allocate more money, he emphasized that the state’s obligation to adequately fund schools includes special education. The decision now puts pressure on the Legislature to determine both the funding source and the appropriate spending level.
And finally, New England’s Little League team is back home in Massachusetts after its run at the World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Braintree-based squad returned to a hero’s welcome Monday afternoon, with a fire truck escort through town and cheering fans lined up to greet them at Hollingsworth Park. While the team did not advance deep into the tournament, they earned a win in Williamsport and nearly secured a second, leaving their community proud of their accomplishments on the national stage.