Posted on 02/02/2020 11:38:41 PM PST by nickcarraway
A threat made Friday that mentioned U.S. Sen. Susan Collins forced several schools from Machias to Bangor and Aroostook County into a “soft lockdown.” School remained in session, but no one could enter or leave the buildings without authorization.
A business in Orono received the threat Friday morning through a “vague, email message,” according to Orono High School Principal Reg Ruhlin.
Scott Porter, the superintendent of Machias schools, said the threat specified Collins and listed high schools in Bangor, Brewer, East Millinocket, Caribou, Houlton, Madawaska, Jonesport, Machias and Harrington.
School districts did not see the actual message, according to Brewer schools Superintendent Gregg Palmer.
The threat came Friday as the Republican-led Senate looked to be moving toward the acquittal of President Donald Trump on impeachment charges. Collins, a Republican up for re-election in 2020, has been one of the most-watched senators on the issue.
Collins spokeswoman Annie Clark said the senator’s office “immediately contacted the Capitol Police, who worked closely with the FBI and state and local law enforcement to quickly ensure the safety of Maine schools.”
Kristin Setera, a spokeswoman for FBI’s Boston division, said the agency was working with state and local law enforcement to identify the threat’s source. She declined further comment.
Bangor schools Superintendent Betsy Webb said Friday in a message to parents that all students were safe and that the city’s schools were taking the lockdown measure “out of an abundance of caution.”
Parents in Bangor were able to pick up their children from school, but only after showing identification and waiting outside for a staff member to escort their child out, according to a Bangor School Department alert.
In Aroostook County, schools in Fort Kent and Frenchville were also in soft lockdown. The Madawaska School department dismissed all students at 12:30 p.m. Although Houlton was on the list, the superintendent said schools were not in lockdown or going to early dismissal. Caribou High School entered a soft lockdown at approximately 11 a.m. and remained on lockdown throughout the day. School was released as usual.
After-school activities in many of the affected school districts were called off Friday, and basketball games involving high schools in Machias, Millinocket, Jonesport and Narraguagus were postponed because of the threat. Brewer High School withdrew from a swim meet against John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor. The meet will happen Monday instead.
Authorities investigating the threat aren’t releasing its specific wording, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Around the time of another high-profile Senate vote — the vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in the fall of 2018 — Collins was also the subject of threats. A New York man who pleaded guilty to sending threatening voicemails to the senator was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and a Burlington, Maine, woman who was found guilty of mailing a threatening letter with white powder to Collins’ Bangor home is awaiting sentencing.
Here we go.
Ifn it was my youngun, I'd be perturbed!
Holding my child hostage in an undefended area? It's almost as crazy as the TSA treating US like they should treat slimes.
Kind of off subject. The Guy who runs the Bangor Maine PD FB page is hilarious.
https://m.facebook.com/bangormainepolice/
Why is she being threatened? I don’t get it
Oh come on. If the kids didn't study for a test... this is the sort of idiotic thing they would do to get out of it.
“Authorities investigating the threat aren’t releasing its specific wording,”
And why the heck not? The powers
that be must really think we’re
stupid, or that conservative,
god fearing people are the threat
since that’s where this would
leave us to believe. We’re adults,
we can handle this. Without all
the facts, why even bring it up?
This is like a soap opera where
the next plot or twist will be
revealed next week.
The kids have to try harder next time to get the skools to shut down completely.
Maybe they believe they’re more likely to identify the originator if they haven’t told everyone exactly what the message says.
IMHO, the people who run these schools are more childish and less sensible than the children they are supposed to educate.
As are the reporters who write these articles.
The Bitch is a RINO and has always been......why do stupid people from Maine keep electing her???
anyone know the political affiliation of the two people who were caught threatening her?
Not sure what the Dems are complaining about...they got her vote. If they keep this crap up, they’ll make her a martyr and get her re-elected.
“The Bitch is a RINO and has always been......why do stupid people from Maine keep electing her?”
You might want to compare her voting record, particularly on judges, against ANY DEMOCRAT. I’d certainly vote for her in any November election...not even close.
Crazy. Honestly I had no idea who my senators were in school. I didn’t get politically knowledgeable until around 23. Of course I voted for and knew President but just voted straight republican not knowing much more. These kids today are miserable.
I hope they do one more time. With probably losing Colorado and Arizona senate seats, we need this seat warts and all.
Up in the county, by keeping the doors locked they probably have more people in that building than have been there in 100 years.
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What a pussified world we live in today!
I can remember (in the early days of the war) sitting on pieces of cardboard in the coatroom for our classroom while we could hear the thunder of the action off the coast near Boston Harbor as the Germans raised hell...
Thunder stopped, classes resumed... No panic... No screaming... No cancellations...
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