Maine

Colby College is banning discrimination based on caste, a system of inherited social class, becoming one of the nation’s earliest colleges to do so. The private liberal arts college revised its nondiscrimination policy to add caste to its list of protections for the campus community. The efforts were led by a professor who took an interest in...

Maine’s beloved puffins suffered one of their worst years for reproduction in decades this summer due to a lack of the small fish they eat. Puffins are seabirds with colorful beaks that nest on four small islands off the coast of Maine. There are about 1,500 breeding pairs in the state and they are dependent on fish such as herring…

A ferry route from New England to Canada that shut down long before the U.S. border closed during the pandemic expects to start back up soon. The Cat ferry from Maine to Nova Scotia has announced that it plans to provide service between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, beginning next spring. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the ferry&...

On the same day a federal judge upheld a Maine COVID vaccine mandate for all its health care workers, Gov. Janet Mills outlined ways the state is trying to combat a scarcity of health care workers highlighted this week by a suspension of services at a Maine hospital. This Tuesday, Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, the second-largest city in...

Police made an arrest Wednesday in a fatal stabbing at the Fryeburg fairgrounds in Maine. Officers from Fryeburg, Conway, New Hampshire, and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call around 1:05 a.m. Wednesday in the area of 1154 Main St. The caller reported a male had been stabbed and was unresponsive. When officers arrived at...

Central Maine Medical Center, a hospital in Maine’s second largest city, Lewiston, has announced major service reductions related to staffing shortages. Tuesday afternoon, its parent organization, Central Maine Healthcare (CMHC), said in a written statement that “acute nursing staffing shortages in key areas require Central Maine Medica...

Environmental regulators in Maine will soon undertake a statewide investigation to find concentrations of long-lasting environmental pollutants. The investigation stems from the state’s efforts to mitigate a class of chemicals known as PFAS, which are also called “forever chemicals.” The chemicals are a problem in some parts of Ma...

The Penobscot County Jail is only accepting people arrested for the most violent crimes during a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. The jail closed to most new arrestees last week after the outbreak was detected, Sgt. Jason Raymond told the Bangor Daily News. Sheriff Troy Morton sent out an email midweek to all the law enforcement agencies in ...

A customs dispute at the U.S.-Canada border is threatening America’s supply of a key fish used for popular products such as fish sticks and fast food sandwiches. The Alaska pollock has a complicated supply chain. After being caught as part of the largest commercial fishery in the U.S., the fish are transported by ship to New Brunswick, Canada...

There won’t be much of a seasonal discount on a New England staple this fall. Wholesale lobster prices tend to drop into the $8-to-$9 per pound range as fall arrives, according to The Associated Press. But this year, those prices didn’t sink under $10.50 per pound, and the consumer price is roughly $15 per pound That is about a third&#8...

Police in Maine said they were investigating a fatal fire at a house in Mechanic Falls on Monday. Authorities received a call about the fire on Sunday night. The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office said the body of Terry Bisbee, 74, was found inside the residence. The fire marshal’s office said the investigation has determined that the fire was......

Maine Preservation has added a historic church and a shuttered ski lodge to its list of most endangered historic places in the state. New entries on the nonprofit organization’s annual list, released Thursday, included First Congregational Church in East Machias and the Sugarloaf Summit Lodge in Carrabassett Valley. The hexagonal Summit Lodge...

Maine’s Brunswick High School has ended its football season three games early and its head football coach was fired after a school district investigation into a hazing incident.