MAINE, USA — Here are some stories to keep on your radar this week:
Monday, November 15
The Ahmaud Arbery murder trial gets back underway on Monday. Last week, the jury heard 911 calls and saw the video that the defense says shows Arbery previously visiting the neighborhood where he died. The presence of the Rev. Al Sharpton has also become a point of contention in the trial, with defense attorney Kevin Gough saying Thursday the court didn't want "any more black pastors” in the courtroom after Sharpton sat with Arbery’s family. Gough represents William “Roddie” Bryan, who along with father and son Greg and Travis McMichael is charged with murder and other crimes in Arbery’s Feb. 23, 2020, killing. The 25-year-old Black man was chased and fatally shot after the defendants spotted him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick.
Tuesday, November 16
President Biden will make a trip to New Hampshire on Tuesday. According to White House press officials, Biden will visit Woodstock to tour a bridge in town, talk about the newly-signed infrastructure deal, and discuss how it will help repair and rebuild roads and bridges. The president is calling the bill "a once-in-a-generation investment" to tackle a range of challenges: gaps in access to affordable internet, water tainted by lead pipes, plus homes and cities that are ill-prepared to cope with increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions.
Thursday, November 18
On Thursday, a man from Camden facing kidnapping and sexual assault charges will be back in court. Richard Ellis is accused of holding a woman against her will for more than a week and sexually assaulting her back in September. Police say Ellis also took away her phone, car key, and glasses while holding her captive. Ellis is currently being held without bail in the Knox County Jail.
Also on Thursday, some of the people charged in an illegal marijuana growing operation and conspiracy are set to appear in court in Bangor. Court documents state Randal Cousineau allegedly participated in a conspiracy with twelve others to illegally cultivate and sell marijuana at Narrow Gauge Distributors from 2016 through July 2020. Those documents reveal the conspiracy involved thousands of pounds of marijuana, millions of dollars in cash, and public officials who allegedly abused their power to get information on the investigation.
RELATED: Maine law enforcement officers, town officials, prosecutor charged in $13 million pot conspiracy