Maine

Maine Sep 15

Missing Maine Woman Found After Silver Alert Issued

A missing Maine woman has been found safe after a silver alert was issued for her. Police said 59-year-old Renee Roach had last been seen in the front yard of her Windham home around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Tuesday night, police said Roach had been found safe in Westbrook and reunited with her family.

Maine Sep 14

3 Teens Charged With Setting Fatal Lewiston Fire

Three teenagers have been arrested for allegedly setting a fire at a Lewiston, Maine, apartment building over the weekend that resulted in the death of a 70-year-old man. Authorities announced Tuesday that two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old had been taken into custody on arson charges. They were transported to the Long Creek Correctional Facility, ...

Maine Sep 14

Police Discover Human Remains in Maine

Police are investigating the discovery of human remains over the weekend in a marshy area near Interstate 295 outside Portland, Maine. The state medical examiner’s office is working to identify the remains, and police have alerted the family of a Richmond woman who has been missing since November 2019. Anneliese Heinig was 37 when she was last seen...

Maine Sep 14

Woman, 2 Children From Maine Killed in Virginia Crash

A Maine woman and her two young children were killed in a car crash last week on a highway in Fairfax County, Virginia, state police confirmed. Lacquora Smith, 28, of Alfred, and her two daughters, a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred just after 3 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 9. A 7-year-old girl…

coronavirus Sep 14

Maine Hospitals Postpone Non-Urgent Procedures Amid Spike in COVID Cases

Some Maine hospital groups are delaying non-urgent procedures as a direct result of a surge of patients who are sick with the delta variant of COVID-19 and are not vaccinated against the disease. MaineHealth, which operates Maine Medical Center, the state’s largest hospital, said last week it was beginning what it calls a “dial back&#82...

9/11 anniversary Sep 10

Ticket Agent Describes Mental Health Struggles, Recovery 20 Years After 9/11

Twenty years after checking in two of the 9/11 terrorists onto a flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston, retired ticket agent Michael Tuohey, who worked at U.S. Airways, says seeking out mental health professionals and going to therapy was critical in coming to terms with deep feelings of regret. Early in the morning on Sept. 11, 2001, Tuohey was s...

coronavirus Sep 10

Maine's Biggest City Considers Reinstituting Indoor Mask Mandate

Portland may become Maine’s first city with an indoor mask requirement since state restrictions were lifted earlier this year. The Portland City Council held a workshop Wednesday to discuss days after city health officials recommended leaders make mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces, regardless of whether or not someone has bee...

coronavirus Sep 9

Penobscot Nation Closes Youth Program, Day Care Amid Maine's COVID-19 Surge

The Penobscot Nation is suspending its youth program and day care at week’s end as the tribe grapples with the surge of COVID-19. “I understand that this is disappointing and frustrating news. Our hope is that these measures will only have to be in place short term,” Chief Kirk Francis wrote in the letter to the community. Other measures...

texas abortion law Sep 8

Sens. Collins and King of Maine Condemn Texas' Abortion Law

Both of Maine’s U.S. senators say they support Congress strengthening Roe v. Wade protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to block a restrictive Texas law banning abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The restriction also allows anyone in Texas to sue people who provide abortions, as well as people who help s...

manslaughter Sep 8

Maine Dad Arrested in 2-Month-Old Baby's Death in 2020

A man was arrested Wednesday in the death of his two-month old daughter in Turner, Maine, last year. The girl, Harper Averill, was in medical distress when first responders arrived to help at a home on North Parish Road near Pleasant Pond on July 22, 2020, Maine State Police said Wednesday. Harper was rushed to Maine Medical Center but died…...

travel Sep 7

Maine Businesses Brace for Increase in Fall Travel While Staffing Remains Down

If you’re traveling to Maine this fall, a time when “we’re hiring” signs line roads and are posted in bold-type on restaurant Facebook pages, you’re not alone. A number of those businesses have full reservation logs into September and October, said Matt Lewis, the president and CEO of HospitalityMaine, an industry grou...

Maine Sep 7

Data Shows Maine's Fast Distribution of Rental Aid Staved Off Evictions: Report

Maine has been efficient in distributing money from rental assistance programs, staving off mass evictions. State data shows Maine has been faster than most states in distributing rental assistance from two congressional COVID-19 relief packages, the Bangor Daily News reported. The prevented evictions due to non-payment of rent as a patchwork of fe...

Portland Sep 6

Maine Artists Paint Over Hateful Messages After Vandals Strike Portland Mural

Over the past few days, Michael Rich has made multiple trips to the wall he curates on the side of Aura, a music venue on Center Street in Portland. Sometime between Thursday and Friday, it was one of the walls with murals in an alley behind Aura that was splattered with light pink paint and vandalized with homophobic and anti-Black…

Maine Sep 4

Landlord Finds 15 Tarantulas, 1 Python Left Behind By Tenant in Maine

A Maine landlord arranged for the rescue of 15 tarantulas and one python that had been left behind by a tenant. Animal rescuer Drew Desjardins was called to the apartment Wednesday in Auburn, the Sun Journal reported. He found that four of 19 tarantulas had died and that the ball python did not have water. Desjardins said Thursday that he took...

coronavirus Sep 4

Maine Whoopie Pie Festival a No-Go Again Amid ‘Frightening' Rise in COVID

The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival had a sweet recipe for a 2021 event but COVID-19 has totally mixed the event up once again. As of Thursday, the festival, which was scheduled for Oct. 2, is canceled. That means in it will not happen in-person for the second consecutive year, after the event went virtual in 2020 because of the coronavirus…...

Maine Sep 3

COVID-19 Surge Continues in Maine

The surge of COVID-19 is continuing in Maine, with another 665 infections and three deaths reported by the Maine Center for Disease Control on Friday. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 164 new cases per day on Aug. 18 to 316 new cases per day on Sept. 1….

Maine Sep 2

A Number of Maine's ICU Beds Are Full Amid COVID Spike

Ahead of Labor Day weekend, Maine only has a few dozen intensive care unit beds available at its hospitals. Somewhere around 40 of the state’s total ICU beds were available as of Thursday, with Maine’s recent total ICU bed number fluctuating between 320-340. “We’re at least two weeks behind the rest of the country when it comes to what...

Massachusetts Sep 2

Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Baseball Bat Killings of 4 in Mass.

A Maine man who used a baseball bat to beat his mother, his grandparents and his grandparents’ caretaker to death in Massachusetts in 2017 has pleaded guilty. Prosecutors say 26-year-old Orion Krause, of Rockport, Maine, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years after pleading guilty to four count...

baked beans Aug 31

Portland's Landmark B&M Bean Factory to Become Northeastern U. Complex

A landmark factory in Portland, Maine, has been sold, with a big repurposing planned for the site it sits on. For more than 100 years, the B&M bean factory, which sits just off I-295 on Casco Bay, has produced can after can of baked beans. For Mainers and New Englanders, the factory is an iconic local landmark for the...

Maine Warden Service Sep 1

Maine Warden Service, Volunteers Rescue Missing Man

Authorities in Maine rescued a missing 66-year-old man from Merrill on Tuesday night. Bryce Clark had last been seen on Monday in Oakfield, the Maine Warden Service said. He spoke to family and friends late Monday night and early Tuesday morning saying his vehicle had broken down. Game wardens began searching for Clark on Tuesday afternoon in the S...

Maine Sep 1

Lobster Fishing Will Face Restrictions to Try to Save Whales

America’s lobster fishing industry will face a host of new harvesting restrictions amid a new push from the federal government to try to save a vanishing species of whale. The new rules, which have loomed over the profitable lobster industry for years and were announced Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are desig...

Bar Harbor Aug 31

Dozens of Boaters Protest Proposed Salmon Farm Near Acadia National Park

On Sunday, 125 boats were part of a protest on the water over a salmon farm proposed in a bay near Maine’s Acadia National Park. The proposal, currently in a state-level permitting process with both the Maine Department of Marine Resources and Maine Department of Environmental Protection, would allow American Aquafarms, a Norwegian-backed com...

Heidi Sampson Aug 30

Maine Lawmaker Compares Vaccine Mandate to Nazi Death Camp Doctor

A group of Democrats wants a state Republican lawmaker to resign over comments in which she compared vaccine mandates to the Nazi doctor known as the “Angel of Death” who performed experiments on Jews. A letter called Rep. Heidi Sampson’s remarks “wildly unacceptable and inappropriate.” “Do I need to remind you of the ...

Delta variant Aug 26

Portland, Maine, Could Return to Indoor Mask Rules

Maine’s largest city is considering a return to indoor mask rules due to the rise of COVID-19 in the state. Portland City Council is scheduled to discuss the possibility of an indoor mask mandate on Sept. 8. The entire state was under an indoor mask mandate until late May, when it was lifted. A return to a mask mandate would…

oil spill Aug 25

Oil Spill Closes Maine Beach on Sizzling Hot Day

In South Portland, Maine, an oil spill sparked frustration, an investigation and a big beach clean-up. On Wednesday, one of the summer’s warmest days, with no rain and few clouds, popular Willard Beach was closed due to an oil spill the night before. Instead of parking spaces packed with visiting families, there were Maine Department of Envir...

Maine Aug 25

Governor Urges Mainers to Get Their Now-Approved COVID Shots

The full approval of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine means it’s time for Maine’s remaining unvaccinated people to get their shots, the governor said. Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement late Monday that getting vaccinated is especially important because of the rise of the delta variant in the state and elsewhere. Mills, a Democrat, said there i...

Maine Aug 24

Mysterious Giant Rubber Duck in Maine Harbor Flies the Coop Ahead of Hunting Season

The massive bathtub rubber ducky that appeared all of a sudden in Belfast, Maine, last week disappeared Saturday evening, after becoming a hit both on the harbor and on the internet.

Bangor Aug 23

Racist Car Vandalism in Maine Denounced, May Be Investigated as Hate Crime

A Maine man is the target of what the state’s attorney general may end up investigating as a hate crime. Tahmoor Khan rushed outside his home in Bangor around 10 p.m. on Friday after a neighbor noticed people spray-painting racial slurs and profanity, including the n-word and “KKK,” all over his car, which was parked in his family’s driveway....

coronavirus Aug 19

Sen. Angus King Tests Positive for COVID, Credits Vaccine for Not Being in Worse Shape

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday morning in his home state, a day after he began feeling unwell, his office said. King is vaccinated and has been taking social distancing precautions as well, he said in a statement. “While I am not feeling great, I’m definitely feeling much better than I would have without...

Maine Aug 19

‘Labor of Love': Here's the Backstory of the Tiny Maine Village for Sale for $5.5 Million

For $5.5 million, you can buy a village of sorts. In Pittston, Maine, a small town near Augusta, one man’s decades-long project to preserve old homes, which turned into a 55-acre compound, is up for sale. Tuthill is the brainchild of Kenneth Tuttle, an antiques dealer who decided to begin building a village of 19th and 20th century homes and&...

Maine Aug 18

Young Man Loses Prosthetic Leg While Tubing in Maine Lake

Volunteer divers are trying to help a 19-year-old find a prosthetic leg that he lost while tubing on a Maine pond. “We hit a bump and I felt my leg loosening up, and I just got this feeling, uh-oh,” Charlie Smith, of New Hampshire, told News Center Maine. He tumbled into the water at Big Indian Pond in Somerset County,...

coronavirus Aug 18

Delta Variant Comprised 100% of Latest COVID Samples in Maine

The delta variant continues to be the dominant strain of coronavirus in the latest testing by the Maine Center for Disease Control. The delta variant made up 100% of 35 sampled cases so far in August, compared to 86% in July, the Portland Press Herald reported. In June, delta accounted for only 3.6% of all tested cases. The state is dealing…...

Maine Aug 17

A Giant Rubber Duck Appeared in a Maine Harbor — and No One Knows Why

Call it public art, a bit of whimsy or simply funny, but a giant rubber duck has mysteriously appeared in the busy harbor of Belfast, Maine. The funny fowl, anchored in the water between a pedestrian bridge and the town landing, is big enough to make to make two people and a raft look small. According to the city’s...

Maine Aug 17

Fall Sports Underway in Maine Against Backdrop of Rising Infections

Practice for fall sports is getting underway this week at Maine high schools against a backdrop of growing coronavirus infections. Football players in particular are fired up. Last year, Maine was one of just four states that did not have a tackle football season in response to the pandemic. Instead, teams were allowed to play flag football. The Bu...

Maine Aug 17

Beach Boardwalk in Maine Listed Among Best in the US by Reader's Digest

One beach boardwalk in Maine has been listed among the best boardwalks in the U.S. for its small-town charm. According to Reader’s Digest, Maine’s Old Orchard Beach has a picturesque family-friendly pier with the classic attractions of an old school boardwalk, making it among the Top 20 in the nation. Near the pier, you’ll find &#...

Shark Attacks Aug 16

Shark Warning Flags See Action at Maine State Beaches a Year After Deadly Attack

A new shark flag warning system in Maine is getting its first few uses, roughly a year after the state’s first fatal shark attack. The flags have been used twice in the past several weeks, according to Jim Britt, the communications director for Maine’s Bureau of Parks and Lands: First at Popham Beach in Phippsburg and, most recently, on...

Ransomware attack Aug 16

Maine Sewage Plants Hit by Ransomware Attacks

A pair of ransomware attacks on sewage treatment plants in rural Maine communities demonstrates that small towns need to be just as vigilant as larger communities in protecting against hackers, local officials said. The attacks occurred in April in Mount Desert and on the Fourth of July in Limestone, and no money was paid and no customer data was c...

Maine Aug 19

Have $5.5 Million? You Could Buy an Entire Maine Neighborhood, Barns and All

Tired of nosy neighbors? Homeowners association a hassle? This recent real estate listing may be the answer to your neighborhood woes. For $5.5 million, you can own an entire 50-acre hamlet in Gardiner, Maine. The 35,388-square-foot property is home to nine units, including four single-family homes, one two-family home and three apartments, accordi...

lobster fishery Aug 15

Lobster Boat Tracking Coming to Protect Whales and Other Fishery

America’s lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect vulnerable right whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory authority, said this month it is considering implementing...

Maine Aug 15

Federal-State Partnership to Boost Maine Infrastructure Projects

A federal-state partnership is giving a boost to economic development and infrastructure projects around Maine. The projects are mostly located in rural areas and they are receiving about $4.9 million through the Northern Border Regional Commission’s State Economic and Infrastructure Development Investment Program. The island town of Vinalhav...

Maine Aug 15

6-Year-Old Boy Injured After Falling 50 Feet at Maine National Park

Authorities say a 6-year-old boy has suffered head and neck injuries after falling 50-feet down a slope of a Maine national park trail and into a body of water. A park spokesperson, Christie Anastasia, said the boy was on Canon Brook Trail in Acadia National Park on Saturday afternoon when he fell into the water, where his family had been…...

greene fire department Aug 13

An Animal Helped a Maine Town Solve a Costly Problem

A furry resident of a small Maine town unknowingly saved the local fire department several thousand dollars. A beaver constructed a dam in an unnamed pond the Green Fire Department uses as a source of water, according to Chief John Soucy. “Some places, it takes longer to shuttle water to a fire scene. This one is unique for that area…

heat wave Aug 12

Heat Wave Blankets Maine, With Another Day to Go

Maine was not spared the impact of Thursday’s hot temperatures. National Weather Service heat advisories swept from the southern part of the state through its inland far north and air quality alerts were up along its coast. More than 35 cooling centers were listed on the Maine Emergency Management Agency’s website as of Thursday mid-afternoon. Whil...

Maine Aug 12

Maine Requiring Health Care Workers to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Health care workers in Maine are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 1, Gov. Janet Mills’ administration said Thursday. An emergency rule requiring the vaccine applies to any individual employed by a hospital, multi-level health care facility, home health agency, nursing facility, residential care facility or intermediate care facili...

Maine Aug 12

Driver Dies in Head-On Collision in Pembroke, Maine

A driver died after he was struck in a head-on collision in Pembroke, Maine State Police said. The crash happened when another driver crossed the center line on a road and struck Hardy Preston’s car on Wednesday night, police said. Preston, 58, of Edmunds Township, died at the scene. The other driver, who was 17, suffered minor injuries and was&#82...

Apology Aug 12

‘No Excuse': Sorry Customer Leaves $100 Tip After Outburst at Maine Restaurant

Staff at a Maine hotel restaurant recently received a surprise apology and very generous tip after a profane outburst from a customer.

Maine Aug 10

Some Maine School Districts Will Require Masks, Others Won't

School districts in Maine are taking varied approaches to mask mandates for the coming school year. The superintendent of the Bangor School Department announced on Monday that all students and school employees will be required to wear masks while inside school buildings. Superintendent James Tager said the district felt the wise move was to follow ...

Maine Aug 10

COVID Outbreak Reported at Maine Medical Center's Emergency Department

A COVID-19 outbreak has been reported in the emergency department at a hospital in Portland, Maine. Nine staff members at Maine Medical Center have tested positive for coronavirus, including some who were fully vaccinated, a hospital spokesperson told NBC affiliate News Center Maine. A tenth was announced by the hospital Tuesday. It’s not cle...

Maine Aug 9

Iconic Maine Smokestack Being Taken Down

There are big changes already being made to a landmark in Portland, Maine, visible to tens of thousands of people each day. The B&M bean factory is prominently visible from Interstate 295 as you leave or enter the city going toward or from Falmouth. According to Maine Department of Transportation statistics, an average of 33,000 vehicles travel...

Maine Aug 7

Maryland Woman Dies While Hiking in Maine

A volunteer searcher with the Maine Warden Service has discovered the body of a missing 78-year-old Maryland woman who disappeared while hiking Blueberry Mountain in Stow. Barbara Goldberg, of Potomac, Maryland, had spoken to her partner via walkie talkie at 11 a.m. Friday, telling him she was almost at the summit and expected to return around noon...

Maine Aug 7

Warm Waters Further Threaten Depleted Maine Shrimp Fishery

Maine’s long-shuttered shrimp fishing business has a chance to reopen in the coming winter, but the warming of the ocean threatens to keep the industry shut down. Maine shrimp were once a winter delicacy, but the fishery has been shut down since 2013. Scientists have said environmental conditions in the warming Gulf of Maine are inhospitable for th...

mask advisory Aug 6

Portland Mayor, Maine Officials Recommend Masks Indoors

In Portland, Maine, city leaders are reinforcing federal and state CDC recommendations for people to wear masks in indoor public spaces, including restaurants and shops. The city’s recommendation follows Cumberland County, which includes Portland, entering the orange or “substantial” tier on the U.S. CDC’s COVID-19 transmission map. “We’ve taken th...

legionnaires' disease Aug 6

Maine CDC Investigating 4 Cases of Legionnaires' Disease

The Maine Center for Disease Control is trying to determine if four cases of Legionnaires’ disease are connected in the Bangor area, officials said Thursday. The Maine CDC alerted health care providers after learning of four cases in which patients were hospitalized, and there could be more cases, officials said. The Legionella bacteria, which is f...

Maine Aug 6

Bookstore 300 Miles Away Helps Maine School Restock Library After Fire

A Maine elementary school heavily damaged by a fire is trying to figure out how to replace more than 8,000 books. In late July, flames tore through the Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville. A week-and-a-half later, staff are trying to move forward after the school’s buildings were declared a “total loss.” Part of that eff...

Maine Aug 5

Maine Opens Investigation Into Verizon Over 207 Area Code

Maine officials opened an investigation Tuesday into Verizon over a state brand: the 207 area code. Maine’s Public Utilities Commission is investigating how the communications company forecasts its need for blocks of new phone numbers, which could hasten Maine getting a new area code. In recent years, the PUC has become concerned that it may ...

coronavirus pandemic Aug 4

Maine's Largest City Declares Emergency, Goes Remote as COVID-19 Rises

The City Council in Maine’s largest city has declared an emergency to allow it to keep meeting remotely while cases of coronavirus rise in the state. The Portland City Council has described the declaration as a “limited emergency” and it went into effect earlier this week. Mayor Kate Snyder told the Portland Press Herald that the ...

Maine Aug 4

Some Portland Restaurants Begin Requiring Vaccines for Indoor Dining

Several Portland, Maine, restaurants have decided to only allow people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to eat in their dining rooms. The Portland Hunt and Alpine Club, Crown Jewel and Little Giant have all recently said that anyone who eats at their establishments indoors must have received the shots. Ian Malin, the owner of Little Giant,...

Maine CDC Aug 3

Maine CDC Head: Set Aside Anger, Fear Over Virus Resurgence

The head of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention used a radio appearance to call on residents to set aside anger and fear as the state battles a resurgence of the coronavirus. Maine has had more success than many states in controlling COVID-19, but cases have been rising in recent weeks. Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah told…...

Maine Aug 3

Inside a Historic Schooner's Capsizing in Maine, and the Quick Rescue of 18 on Board

First responders, a company called SeaTow and others are being credited with making a miraculous recovery of over a dozen people after a 115-year-old schooner capsized in Maine’s Kennebec River off of Bath on Friday. The Mary E was built in 1906 in Bath and is now owned by the Maine Maritime Museum. Once a cargo vessel, it had sunk…...

Waterboro Aug 2

Two Struck, Killed By Car Outside Maine Restaurant

A car that veered off a roadway into a parking lot outside a restaurant in East Waterboro struck and killed two individuals Saturday, according to police. Deputies responded to the Cozi Corner Cafe at 199 Sokokis Trail just after 9 a.m. An investigation found that a car being driven by Charles Stoddard, 64, of Waterboro, veered off the road and&#82...

scam Jul 31

Maine Department of Labor Warns of Text Message Scam

The Maine Department of Labor has warned residents of a new phishing scam in which a scammer is sending text messages while posing as the department. The labor department said the scammer is attempting to pry victims’ personal information via the text messages. The messages typically include links that claim to lead to information about unemp...

Maine Aug 2

Historic Schooner Capsizes on Kennebec River in Maine

A historic schooner owned by the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath capsized on the Kennebec River Friday evening. All 18 on board were rescued. The Coast Guard said it received a report that the schooner Mary E had capsized near Doubling Point. The Coast Guard said it sent a boat crew to aid in the rescue. The Bath Fire Department…

Maine Jul 31

2 Maine Movie Theaters Closed During Pandemic Will Reopen

A Massachusetts company is expected to revive two Maine movie theaters that were shuttered during the pandemic. This past February, Cinemagic, which had locations from western Massachusetts up into Maine, announced it was on a temporary intermission before permanently closing. While COVID-19 has been reported as a cause for the shutdown, Cinemagic ...

masks Jul 30

New CDC Mask Guidance Sparks Confusion in Maine, Where Data Appeared to Shift

People in Maine are trying to make sense of the new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indoor mask recommendations echoed by the state during a news briefing Wednesday afternoon. At the time, the state was emphasizing that the federal health regulator had labelled York and Piscataquis counties as having “substantial” COVID-...

COVID-19 Jul 29

Maine Church Seeks Preemptive Ban on COVID Restrictions Due to Delta Variant

A Maine church that sued over coronavirus restrictions last year is taking a preemptive legal strike against future restrictions associated with a variant of the virus that’s spreading across the country. Calvary Chapel in Orrington is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Democratic Gov. Janet Mills from enforcing or reinstating any pandemic-relat...

vaccine Jul 29

Maine to Promote COVID-19 Shots in Schools as Fall Nears

Maine is going to support free coronavirus vaccine clinics in schools and promote education about vaccines as part of a push to protect schools from the virus. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Maine Department of Education said Wednesday they’re working on the effort in the wake of new guidance from the federal government. The ...

Maine Jul 29

Body Recovered From 112 Feet of Water in Maine Quarry

The state medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death of a man whose body was recovered in 112 feet of water in a quarry, but police said there’s nothing to suspect foul play. The body of Joshua D. Clapp, 38, of Rockport, was recovered Tuesday night, hours after police found a bicycle at the quarry’s gate and...

Hannaford Supermarkets Jul 28

Hannaford Recalls Some Baked Goods Over Salmonella Concerns

Hannaford supermarkets is recalling a number of bakery items made with a seasoning that’s subject of a national recall. Hannaford said the recall applies to baked goods produced in stores like Classic Garlic Focaccia and Classic Focaccia that were purchased between June 22 and June 27. Those products used McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Itali...

coronavirus Jul 28

Maine Recommends Everyone Return to Masking in 2 Counties

Public health authorities in Maine on Wednesday recommended everyone resume mask use in two counties in the state where transmission of coronavirus is elevated. The guidance from the administration of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills follows new recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all people wear face coverings ...

fire Jul 28

Why a Maine School Devastated by Fire Did Not Have Sprinklers

A Maine elementary school that was devastated by a fire over the weekend did not have a sprinkler system and was not required to because of its age, the state fire marshal said. The wings of the Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville that burned down were constructed in 1963, prior to building codes mandating sprinkler systems in schools, Fi...

mask mandate Jul 27

COVID in Maine: Case Counts Rise, Indoor Masking Could Return

The number of daily coronavirus infections has quadrupled in Maine over the last four weeks, and the total count since the start of the pandemic has eclipsed 70,000 cases. The state’s top public health official, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah, told the Bangor City Council that a return to indoor mask use is likely coming even for fully vac...

Maine Jul 26

Missing Maine Woman Found Safe

A missing Maine woman was found safe after authorities issued a Silver Alert for her. Seventy-year-old Karen Fortin of West Paris had last been seen around 3:30 p.m. in the front yard of her Ellingwood Road home. Maine State Police said shortly before 7:30 p.m. that Fortin had been located and was safe.

Maine Jul 26

Juicy News: July Is Now National Blueberry Month in Maine

The month of July is now designated in honor of Maine’s most popular fruit crop. The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution to designate July as “National Blueberry Month.” Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King co-sponsored the resolution. Maine’s state berry is the wild blueberry, and ...

Maine Jul 25

Fire Destroys Elementary School in Maine

An elementary school was destroyed Sunday when a fire ravaged the building in Frenchville, Maine. Flames could be seen shooting out of the roof of the Dr. Leveques Elementary School, according to video posted by NBC affiliate Newscenter Maine. Several crews have been fighting the fire, which has already caused massive damage to the school. It is no...

maine coronavirus Jul 23

Maine Officials Not Yet Alarmed by COVID-19 Increase

The number of new coronavirus cases has ticked up in Maine in recent weeks, but state health officials say they aren’t sounding the alarm about it yet. The state’s daily caseload had dwindled in early summer, with less than 20 new cases reported on some days in June and early July. That trend has reversed in mid-July as the...

coronavirus in maine Jul 23

Unvaccinated Lawyer Required to Wear Mask During Trial in Maine

An attorney who declined to be vaccinated for COVID-19 had to wear a mask during a trial this week after losing an appeal to the state supreme court. Darrick X. Banda, who likened the mask to “a dunce cap,” said the timing of new court rules this month didn’t give him time to be vaccinated, even if he’d wanted...

Maine Jul 22

Airplane's Landing Gear Falls Near 7th Hole of Maine Golf Course

The landing gear of a plane fell through the sky onto a Maine golf course earlier this week. All five people on board a twin-engine Piper PA 31 Navajo that had to make an emergency landing on Long Island in New York are OK, and no one was injured on the ground after the plane’s right main landing gear fell…

Cocaine Jul 23

Cocaine Disguised as a Cake Part of $200K Drug Bust, Officials Say

The cocaine was wrapped in plastic with coffee grounds sprinkled on top, a tactic used by drug traffickers to hide the scent of the drug from K-9 dogs.

outdoor dining Jul 21

Maine's Largest City to Keep Outdoor Dining Into Fall

The City Council in Maine’s largest city has decided to continue a pandemic rule to allow outdoor dining and retail in place until at least the fall. Portland is looking to end a local emergency declaration about the pandemic on July 29. That would also end additional powers given to the city manager that can restrict public gatherings. The P...

Maine Jul 20

Maine Considers Raising Its Tolls to Cover COVID-Related Dip in Revenue

A trip to Maine might get a bit more expensive by the end of this year. To cover a COVID-19 related dip in revenue of $60 million, the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) is proposing to raise its tolls, effective Nov. 1. According to the authority, a toll hike was planned for 2028, but this increase would essentially begin that process…

Waldo County Jul 20

9-Year-Old Fatally Injured by Tow Truck in Parking Lot

Police say a 9-year-old boy is dead following an incident involving a tow truck in Belfast, Maine. Emergency crews responded Monday afternoon to a parking lot where the boy was injured. He was taken to Waldo County General Hospital where he died. Police declined to provide additional details about the incident, and the boy’s name was not imme...

shark Jul 19

Aiming to Identify Great White Spotted Eating Whale, Researchers Ask for Shark Photos

Scientists at the New England Aquarium are asking for help identifying a great white shark that was spotted eating a dead whale off the coast of Maine at the end of last week. On Friday, Steve Brettell and a friend captured the shark on camera shortly before the whale carcass washed up on Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk. Brettell said...

fraud Jul 18

Judge Orders 2 Men to Pay Back More than $2.4 Million for Defrauding MaineCare

A federal judge has ordered two men to pay back a total of more than $2.4 million for their role in defrauding a health care insurance provider for low-income people in Maine. One man was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday and the other received three years’ probation. Both pleaded guilty. Court records say they were Somali interprete...

Maine Jul 16

Rat Sightings Lead to Complaints in Small Maine Town

The small Maine town of Milford has been getting attention in recent weeks because of a rat problem. According to Chief Josh Mailman of the Milford Fire Department, over the past week and a half to two weeks, the town has gotten a number of complaints about a number of rats in the area. Last week, the calls went down…

Maine Jul 20

Shark Spotted Feeding on Whale Carcass Off Maine Coast

The retired captain of a charter fishing boat in southern Maine captured some incredible images of a shark feeding on a whale carcass off the coast of Drake’s Island in Wells on Friday morning. “It’s kind of a cool thing. Fun to watch,” said Steve Brettell, who snapped the photos. Brettell, who ran a charter fishing business...

New England Jul 15

‘Secret's Out': Portland, Maine, Among Top 10 Places to Live in New National Report

Several cities in New England ranked among the best places to live in the United States, including Portland, Maine, which made it in the top 10.

Maine Jul 15

Lost High School Ring of Woman Who Died of Cancer Returned to Her Father

A Maine man says he was “speechless” after he received the 2001 high school class ring of his daughter, who lost her life to cancer five years ago at age 32

Maine Jul 14

Ex-Maine School Director Accused of Assaulting, Sexually Touching Girl, 13

The former director of a technical school in Maine has been arrested for assaulting and sexually touching a teenage girl, authorities said Wednesday.

sharks Jul 14

Searching for Sharks: Maine More Than Doubles Its Tracking Buoys

Researchers with Maine’s Department of Marine Resources have placed dozens of buoys off of beaches to track white sharks. They could help prevent incidents like Maine’s first fatal shark attack, which occurred off of Bailey Island last July. There are 32 buoys total stretching from York in southern Maine to Squirrel Island, near Boothba...

coronavirus vaccine Jul 13

Fewer Than 20,000 Mainers Age 70 and Older Still Need Shots

The number of Maine residents who are age 70 or older and haven’t had their final dose of coronavirus vaccine has fallen below 20,000. Maine has one of the oldest median ages in the country at about 45. The state, like most, prioritized getting coronavirus vaccines to older residents when they first became available. About 90% of Mainers age 70&#82...

Maine Jul 12

Replica of Columbus Ship Sparks Controversy in Maine

Some public tours and appearances of a tall ship in Maine have been canceled after its arrival caused an uproar with some state leaders and Native American tribes. The Nao Santa Maria, a replica of one of the ships in Christopher Columbus’ first expedition across the Atlantic, had been docked in Bucksport for the past several days. It was sup...

Maine Jul 12

Maine Conservation Program Gets Largest Fund Boost in Years

Maine’s land conservation program will get one of the largest funding boosts since its inception under the state’s budget. Lawmakers included $40 million for the Land for Maine’s Future Program. It’s the largest allocation to the program since a voter-approved bond in 1999, the Portland Press Herald reported. The state admin...

high school diploma Jul 11

Proposal Aims to Help Maine Students Get A Diploma After Disruptions to Education

Maine is close to enacting a law that would make it easier for students to attain a high school diploma after going through a disruption to their education. The proposal, from Democratic Sen. Nate Libby, would change state law to help such students build a portfolio for high school graduation. Libby said such disruptions can include living in foste...

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