Rachel Ohm

Press Herald

Rachel covers state government and politics for the Portland Press Herald. It’s her third beat at the paper after stints covering City Hall and education. Prior to her arrival at the Press Herald in the summer of 2019, Rachel worked at the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, covering Franklin and Somerset counties, and the Knoxville News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tennessee, covering higher education. She has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and when she’s not writing and reporting enjoys running, cooking and traveling to new places.

Latest

Published
September 12, 2021

COVID-19 quarantines disrupt return to school, with remote options limited

Maine school districts are scrambling all over again to set up technology, remote learning and pooled testing as kids are forced back home.
Published
September 10, 2021

Looking back on fateful first day, teacher says, ‘How it affected people is still palpable’

Caroline Patrie was launching a new career as a teacher on the day of the terrorist attacks. The excitement of her first day was replaced with a feeling of chaos and dread.
Published
September 3, 2021

Maine colleges report small numbers of COVID-19 cases as classes resume

Bowdoin College in Brunswick, which has reported 21 student cases since Monday, transitioned to ‘yellow’ status, so dining halls are to-go only and gatherings are not permitted in residence halls.
Published
September 2, 2021

Nurses overwhelmed by COVID surge call on Mainers to get vaccinated and wear masks

Health care workers are tired and frustrated as the pandemic carries on, and they’re urging the public to get vaccinated and take other precautions.
Published
September 1, 2021

Rockport man pleads guilty to 4 murders, including his mother and grandparents

Orion Krause is sentenced to life in prison for the 2017 beating deaths of his mother and grandparents and his grandparents’ home health aide in Groton, Mass.
Published
August 27, 2021

Parent sues district over mask mandate in Winslow schools

Scott Fortuna says a decision by the Winslow School Board to require masks indoors infringes on his rights as a parent to make medical decisions for his child.
Published
August 27, 2021

Willard Beach in South Portland to reopen Saturday, 4 days after oil spill

The city received lab results late Friday indicating there is no longer a risk to human health.
Published
August 26, 2021

USM students return to campus with hopes for a more normal school year

Students began moving in at the University of Southern Maine on Thursday, and many said they are excited and hopeful for the school year, even with COVID cases on the rise in Maine.
Published
August 26, 2021

Shortage of school bus drivers prompts districts to offer big incentives

Some are trying to lure new hires by offering bonuses as big as $3,000, as the pandemic makes a longstanding problem worse.
Published
August 24, 2021

New data show wide range of COVID-19 vaccination rates among Maine students

Some school districts, including Portland, have high estimated vaccination rates, but others appear to have much lower rates among vaccine-eligible students, age 12 or older.