Latest news with #MaineSeaGrant
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Maine fishermen support Jordon Hudson after her advocacy during pageant: 'Together, we persevere'
The Maine Coast Fisherman's Association praised Jordon Hudson for her advocacy during the Miss Maine USA pageant earlier this month. Support for Maine fishermen appeared to be close to Hudson's heart. She has championed their cause, not only in the pageant, but also thanked Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and the Trump administration for its renegotiation of the Maine Sea Grant funding. "Advocating for Maine's commercial fisherman takes many forms, and sometimes it walks across a stage in heels wearing a bikini," the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association wrote on its Instagram Stories on Monday. "Jordon Hudson is helping shine a spotlight on Maine fishing communities in ways we never imagined, from the stage to the working waterfront. "We're grateful for voices like Jordon's that remind us advocacy doesn't always look the same, but it always matters. Together, we persevere." Hudson was asked during the Miss Maine USA pageant a moment in life she would want to go back to. She said she wished she could be transported back to her family's fishing boat. "I think about this often because there's a mass exodus for fishermen occurring in the rural areas of Maine, and I don't want to see more fishermen leave this place," she said, via Mass Live. "As your next Miss Maine USA, I would make a point to go to communities … to go into the government and advocate for these people so that they don't have to think about these memories as a past moment." Hudson's parents owned a fishing business, Frenchman's Bay Fisheries, in Maine. However, after the area they used to fish, Taunton Bay, was closed off to fishing by the state in 2000, their business eventually went bankrupt years later. Her family's ship reportedly suffered damage and couldn't afford repairs. The family attempted to lobby the state and local legislatures to ease up on regulations that impeded the fishing industry, and eventually the closure of their business. The family eventually moved to Massachusetts. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jordon Hudson Breaks Silence on Miss Maine USA Pageant with Very Specific Taylor Swift Lyrics
Over one week after placing third at Miss Maine USA, Jordon Hudson is looking back on her recent pageant experience. On Monday, May 19, the former cheerleader, 24, posted a carousel of Instagram photos captured of her on stage at the two-day competition in Portland, Maine, where she was supported by boyfriend Bill Belichick, 73. Hudson shared images of her evening gown look — a sparkly violet dress decorated with a sash representing the town of Hancock — and her shimmery teal swimwear ensemble. In one of the snaps, Hudson is seen accepting the pageant's style award while sporting the gold mini dress she wore during the event's opening number. She didn't add any commentary in her caption and instead simply tagged the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association and the Maine Sea Grant page. Hudson did, however, add a musical accompaniment to her post, soundtracking the carousel to Taylor Swift's song "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince." Related: Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick Leave Miss Maine USA Holding Hands After Pageant Upset Though Swift's 2019 track does make a mention of a "pageant smile" in an earlier verse, Hudson's music selection begins later in the song. "No cameras catch my muffled cries/I counted days, I counted miles/To see you there, to see you there/And now the storm is coming," Swift sings before launching into the chorus, which references rumors and skewed reputations: "They whisper in the hallway, 'She's a bad, bad girl.'" The song, which was released on the 14-time Grammy winner's Lover album, nods to themes of school-age gossiping. Swift's perspective is notably unconcerned by the talk around her; instead, the singer focuses on a romance undeterred by criticism. Considering recent press attention on Hudson and Belichick, the Miss Maine USA contestant — who competed in the pageant in 2024 as well, previously placing second — could be using the song to characterize her own situation. Related: Inside Jordon Hudson's Miss Maine USA Pageant Weekend with Boyfriend Bill Belichick (Exclusive) Before their weekend in Portland, the couple caught criticism after their awkward CBS News appearance on April 27, prompting their relationship to become a regular subject of news headlines. Another photo from Hudson's recent Instagram post shows her speaking into a microphone held by the emcee as she answered a question during the last round of judging. As she took center stage, she began by sending another pointed message seemingly about the scrutiny of her situation. "I'm feeling an immense amount of pride right now," she said into the microphone. "I'm hoping that anybody who is watching this finds the strength to push through whatever it is that they're going through and embodies that hate never wins." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jordon Hudson Breaks Silence on Miss Maine USA Pageant with Very Specific Taylor Swift Lyrics
Over one week after placing third at Miss Maine USA, Jordon Hudson is looking back on her recent pageant experience. On Monday, May 19, the former cheerleader, 24, posted a carousel of Instagram photos captured of her on stage at the two-day competition in Portland, Maine, where she was supported by boyfriend Bill Belichick, 73. Hudson shared images of her evening gown look — a sparkly violet dress decorated with a sash representing the town of Hancock — and her shimmery teal swimwear ensemble. In one of the snaps, Hudson is seen accepting the pageant's style award while sporting the gold mini dress she wore during the event's opening number. She didn't add any commentary in her caption and instead simply tagged the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association and the Maine Sea Grant page. Hudson did, however, add a musical accompaniment to her post, soundtracking the carousel to Taylor Swift's song "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince." Related: Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick Leave Miss Maine USA Holding Hands After Pageant Upset Though Swift's 2019 track does make a mention of a "pageant smile" in an earlier verse, Hudson's music selection begins later in the song. "No cameras catch my muffled cries/I counted days, I counted miles/To see you there, to see you there/And now the storm is coming," Swift sings before launching into the chorus, which references rumors and skewed reputations: "They whisper in the hallway, 'She's a bad, bad girl.'" The song, which was released on the 14-time Grammy winner's Lover album, nods to themes of school-age gossiping. Swift's perspective is notably unconcerned by the talk around her; instead, the singer focuses on a romance undeterred by criticism. Considering recent press attention on Hudson and Belichick, the Miss Maine USA contestant — who competed in the pageant in 2024 as well, previously placing second — could be using the song to characterize her own situation. Related: Inside Jordon Hudson's Miss Maine USA Pageant Weekend with Boyfriend Bill Belichick (Exclusive) Before their weekend in Portland, the couple caught criticism after their awkward CBS News appearance on April 27, prompting their relationship to become a regular subject of news headlines. Another photo from Hudson's recent Instagram post shows her speaking into a microphone held by the emcee as she answered a question during the last round of judging. As she took center stage, she began by sending another pointed message seemingly about the scrutiny of her situation. "I'm feeling an immense amount of pride right now," she said into the microphone. "I'm hoping that anybody who is watching this finds the strength to push through whatever it is that they're going through and embodies that hate never wins." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Sea Grant funding restored
May 2—Federal funding for Maine Sea Grant has been restored. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration informed the University of Maine on Monday that it was reinstating all $4.5 million in federal funding it had previously cut from Maine Sea Grant. The 20-person program provides technical and research support to the state's fisheries and coastal economies. "The groundswell of support for Maine Sea Grant and the stories that have surfaced about its incredible impact on our state's working waterfronts have been extraordinary and effective," UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a prepared statement Friday. Begun in 1971, Maine Sea Grant conducts coastal workforce and business development, marine science education and outreach, fisheries management research, and provides technical assistance to help working waterfronts prepare for storms, sea level rise and climate change. In 2023, Maine Sea Grant estimated its programs helped generate $23.5 million for the state economy. NOAA did not respond Friday to emails or phone calls asking why it had reversed its earlier decision. NOAA's decision to terminate funding for Maine Sea Grant drew criticism from Maine's elected leaders and the fishermen that rely on the program. Maine's program was the only one of the 34 sea grant programs nationwide to be affected. In its termination letter, a NOAA grants supervisor said Maine Sea Grant was "no longer relevant to the focus of the administration's priorities and program objectives." It was the first of many cost-cutting orders implemented at NOAA, including deep cuts to the National Weather Service. But the termination also came about a week after President Donald Trump threatened to cut all federal funding to Maine after after clashing with Gov. Janet Mills over an executive order banning transgender student athletes from participating in women's sports. After facing intense criticism for the cut, NOAA announced in early March that it would release unspent funds from the first year of the original four-year award and renegotiate the remaining three years of funding. The renegotiated award announced this week mirrors the original four-year agreement. Although the total funding remains the same, it is unclear if Maine Sea Grant will have to change its work or its focus to fall in line with the Trump administration's priorities. NOAA staff have been told to search existing grants for terms like "climate science" when evaluating which programs should be cut. Ferrini-Mundy thanked Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for her "relentless advocacy" for Maine Sea Grant. "I am thrilled that Maine Sea Grant has received its full funding so that the important work they do to conduct research, support a robust pipeline of skilled labor, and enrich our coastal economies can continue unimpeded," Collins said in a prepared statement. All four members of Maine's congressional delegation have rallied to support the program's work. Sen. Angus King, an independent, and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, also criticized the Trump administration for targeting a university program that has nothing to do with transgender student athletes. Program supporters like the Maine Lobstermen's Association expressed relief about the funding reversal. "Maine Sea Grant has long been an important partner in supporting our coastal communities and sustainable fisheries," said MLA executive director Patrice McCarron. "Continued funding will support initiatives that benefit not only the lobstering community but all of Maine's coastal economy." Maine Sea Grant has been supporting Ready Seafood since it started as a small lobster company on Hobson's Pier in Portland in 2004, said Curt Brown, a Cape Elizabeth lobsterman and biologist for Ready Seafood. Now Ready is the largest lobster processing company in the world. "This vital funding for Maine Sea Grant is not a cost," Brown said. "It is an investment in the future of Maine's coastal industries and communities, an investment that has paid dividends for decades." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University of Maine receives restored Sea Grant funding
Students from Sacopee Valley High School visit Bang's Island Mussel and Kelp Farm as part of Maine Sea Grant's new Bringing the Sea to Inland and Rural Communities program. (Photo by Maine Sea Grant) After an abrupt cancellation, funding for the Maine Sea Grant has been restored. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notified the University of Maine this week that it was awarding three more years of funding for the Maine Sea Grant, according to a news release from the university Friday. The money for the upcoming year was made available immediately, while the remaining two years of funding will be contingent on future appropriations from Congress. 'This vital funding for Maine Sea Grant is not a cost,' said lobsterman and marine biologist Curt Brown, in the release. 'It is an investment in the future of Maine's coastal industries and communities, an investment that has paid dividends for decades and will continue to support these iconic industries for generations to come.' Maine's Sea Grant program is one of 34 across coastal and Great Lakes states throughout the country. It has helped finance statewide research, strengthened coastal communities and supported thousands of jobs over more than five decades. The restoration of funding comes after the university received a letter in late February stating that NOAA was immediately discontinuing funding for the $4.5 million Maine Sea Grant because the grant's work was 'no longer relevant to the focus of the Administration's priorities and program objectives.' Maine's program seems to have been the only one in the country affected. The decision came about a week after President Donald Trump threatened Gov. Janet Mills during a heated exchange over the state not complying with an executive order barring transgender students from competing in women's athletics. Multiple members of Maine's congressional delegation pushed back on the decision, calling for its reversal. For example, independent Sen. Angus King and Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree wrote a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick demanding he immediately reverse the 'reckless decision' to terminate the federal grant that boosts research and economic development for coastal communities. Republican Sen. Susan Collins also spoke with Lutnick about how Maine's coastal communities could be hurt by ending that funding. Following that conversation, Vice Admiral Nancy Hann issued a memo that the department would renegotiate the Maine Sea Grant, according to a news release from Collins' office. 'The groundswell of support for Maine Sea Grant and the stories that have surfaced about its incredible impact on our state's working waterfronts have been extraordinary and effective,' said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. In line with the original four-year agreement, the award from the U.S. Department of Commerce this week was just shy of $1.5 million, the release said. That money will be matched by nearly $810,000 from non-federal sources, including industry and state research funding, as is required by the program. If Congress continues to fund the National Sea Grant College Program, it will provide $3 million in additional funding to the Maine Sea Grant through Jan. 31, 2028. That would be matched by another $1.6 million, the release added. That money will allow the Maine Sea Grant to continue fostering coastal workforce development, hands-on marine science education for students of all grade levels, research to inform lobster and other fisheries management, as well as storm preparedness for working waterfronts. Every federal dollar spent to support those activities resulted in $15 of economic activity in the state, amounting to a total annual impact of $23.5 million in 2023, the release said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
