TROOPERS SAY THEY STOPPED 55 DRIVERS. A MAINE SCHOOL SHUTTING DOWN TODAY OVER WHAT DISTRICT OFFICIALS ARE CALLING "WIDESPREAD ILLNESS." THIS IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL SCHOOLS WITH AN "OPEN RESPIRATORY ILLNESS OUTBREAK" ACCORDING TO THE MAINE CDC. OUR MILES HOOD IS LIVE NOW IN PORTLAND AND CHECKED IN WITH A FEW DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND PARENTS MILES-- HOW ARE THEY DEALING WITH ALL THIS ILLNESS? WHETHER ITS COVID, THE COLD OR RSV, PARENTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAY THEY'RE KEEPING AN EYE OUT AND HOPING FOR THE BEST EARLIER TODAY WE REPORTED ON TWO SCHOOLS IN MSAD 75 WERE CLOSED DUE TO MOSTLY RESPIRATORY ISSUES. THOSE TWO SCHOOLS WERE THE LATEST IN A TREND THAT HAS PARENTS CONCERNED <" I THINK THERE'S MORE TO IT NOW, JUST BECAUSE, YOU HAVING A PANDEMIC HAPPEN, EVERYBODY'S (HI SARAH) MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ABOUT THINGS SPREADING.> JOHN MCQUINN IS A PARENT OF A STUDENT AT LONGEFELLOW IN PORTLAND. HE HAS A UNQIUE WAY TO TRY AND KEEP KIDS SAFE <"WE'RE ALL JUST PROGRAM NOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU NOT, YOU KNOW, SPITTING ON PEOPLE, YOU'RE FINE."> PORTLAND SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAS HAD ITS FAIR SHARE OF CLOSINGS DUE TO ILLNESS--JUST LAST WEEK CASCO BAY HIGH HAD TO CLOSE WHILE PEAKS ISLAND ELEMENTARY ALSO CLOSED ITS DOORS BEFORE THANKSGIVING (GFX) THE MAINE CDC TELLS ME CURRENTLY 17 SCHOOLS HAVE OPEN RESPIRATORY ILLNESS OUTBREAK AND THAT THE DEFINITION OF AN OUTBREAK VARIES BY CONDITION SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO MAINE CDC ABSENTEEISM GREATER THAN 15 PERCENT AND WHEN THAT 15 PERCENT IS DUE TO ILLNESS AND THE MAJORITY OF CASES ARE DUE TO ONE TYPE OF ILLNESS, AN OUTBREAK IS OPENED WHICH HAS SOME ADULTS LOOKING FOR ANSWERES <"BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WERE STAYING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER FOR TWO YEARS NOW THAT THEY'RE GETTING EXPOSED AND, YOU KNOW, ARE LIKE THAT TOLD ME HER GRANDCHILD IS TRYING TO STAY SAFE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES <" MY GRANDSON, WHO'S IN SECOND GRADE, STILL WEARS A MASK. I THINK HE'S ABOUT THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE WE HAVE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE IN OUR FAMILY"> WHILE PORTLAND AND MSAD 75 HAVE HAD TO CLOSE SCHOOOLS OTHER DISTRICS LIKE LEWSITON HAVE NOT AND THE PRINICPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL TELLS ME HE'S SEEING SOME RISE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO RAISE AN ALARM BUT ALL OF THEM SAY THEY ARE KEEPING AN EYE OUT REPORTING IN PORTLAN, MH, MTC