Jessica Lowell

Kennebec Journal

Jessica Lowell covers business and economic development and general news in the Gardiner area. After short but intense aspirations to be an opera singer (age 4) and a deep-sea diver (age 6) her most enduring passion has been telling stories. A University of Maine graduate, she worked for newspapers in New Hampshire, upstate New York and Wyoming, where she has won awards for investigative and explanatory journalism. She’s a fellow of the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism and the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. After several years out of journalism, she returned to Maine and to writing, where she spends her free time enjoying both trees and the ocean, two commodities that Wyoming lacks.

Latest

Published
November 15, 2023

Key witness says explicit photo shoot led to 2019 murder of Richmond man

Chanda Lilly took the stand Tuesday in the murder trial of Tyon Shuron to testify against Shuron, who is charged with the 2019 shooting death of Andrew Sherman in Richmond.
Published
November 10, 2023

Agency to fork up nearly $200,000 for shielding public records related to Kennebec County jail

The Maine County Commissioners Association Risk Pool is the first government entity in Maine to be penalized for wrongly withholding documents since the Freedom of Access Act became law in 1959.
Published
November 10, 2023

Tears, laughter at service for Winthrop father and son killed in Lewiston mass shooting

The celebration of life for Bill Young, 44, and Aaron Young, 14, was held at Hope Baptist Church in Manchester on Friday, drawing more than 200 family and community members.
Published
November 9, 2023

Trial begins for Augusta man accused of killing Richmond photographer over salacious images

Tyon Shuron is accused of murdering Andrew Sherman at Sherman’s Richmond home in 2019 and trying to compel a witness to change the story she told police.
Published
November 3, 2023

Augusta teen charged with terrorizing following report of weapon at school

Police have issued a summons to a 15-year-old Augusta boy on a felony charge of terrorizing following an incident Thursday at Cony High School.
Published
October 19, 2023

Prosecutor in Kennebec, Somerset counties hired to lead new public defender office in Augusta

Beginning in November, Frayla Tarpinian, who has worked in the Kennebec and Somerset County District Attorney’s Office for more than a decade, is to oversee the first brick-and-mortar public defender office in Maine.
Published
October 17, 2023

Months after placing Kennebec County emergency management director on paid leave, officials will not say why

While John Brenenstuhl has not been coming in to work since Aug. 14, he has been assigned special projects.
Published
October 13, 2023

Lottery winnings give Gardiner woman a chance to invest in son’s Poopah Scoopah business

Ricci Abbott, who won $10,000 on Sunday, is the second person with Maine ties to take home a large lottery prize this week.
Published
October 13, 2023

Antisemitic message found at Augusta’s Cony High School

Principal Kimberly Liscomb said the student who wrote the message has been identified and ‘consequences and education have been implemented.’
Published
October 8, 2023

Johnson Hall co-founder says renovation of Gardiner theater is ‘beyond our expectation’

Four decades after Denise and Benny Reehl formed a group to buy Johnson Hall, renovations to the historic opera house are nearing completion. To meet the requirements of the tax credit program funding part of the work, the building must be safe for occupancy by Dec. 31.

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