Crime/Public Safety

DNA Scam

(Ellsworth)  You think you’d never fall for one, but the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is warning scam artists are increasingly savvy and convincing.  The most recent example involves a person who calls, claiming to be an officer with HCSO.  The caller, who identifies himself as “Sargeant Daniels”, requests samples of your DNA and may even claim they have a warrant for your arrest.  He then pressures victims to make a payment over the phone using Apple Pay, gift cards, or other untraceable means. The Sheriff’s Office reminds folks they will never ask for DNA, financial information, or payment via phone.  They say if you do get such a call, hang up immediately … and never give such callers any information.

Local Politics

Houlton Nurses to Strike

(Houlton)  Registered nurses at Houlton Regional Hospital say they will begin a two-day strike next Tuesday to protest what the Maine State Nurses’ Association calls management’s refusal to address ongoing concerns about staffing and patient care.  In a press release, the hospital said it remains committed to bargaining in good faith.  But nurses say they’ve been negotiating for more than a year, after a previous contract expired last November.  Among other concerns, nurses say short staffing in the emergency department and closure of the hospital’s maternal care services put patient safety at risk.

Economy

Sunday River Ski Area Opens

(Newry)  Get out the skis and snowboards – Sunday River Ski area is officially open for the season.  Skiing opened yesterday for New England and Ikon passholders, Mountain Collective, and ticket packs, with the slopes opening for daily lift tickets today.  Sugarloaf, the state’s largest ski area, will kick off its 75th anniversary winter season a week from Friday on November 21st, with Saddleback, Pleasant Valley, and Lost Valley planning to open the first weekend in December. 

Blue Hill Property for Sale Figures in Music History

(Blue Hill)  A house for sale in Blue Hill harbors a piece of music history.  The four-story, multi-family dwelling on Falls Bridge Road was once home to a recording studio for Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, according to MaineBiz.  The Henhouse, as it’s known, was originally a commercial chicken coop that was converted into a professional music studio and living spaces by Stookey.  Sources say the 7700 square foot building became a gathering place for the local arts community.  Asking price for the structure, which overlooks Blue Hill Bay and which now houses five apartments, is $1.2 Million.

Logging Program Graduates New Crop of Loggers

(Maine)  As older workers reach retirement age, demand for workers in Maine’s logging and forest trucking industries remains high. MaineBiz reports most of the 15 students graduating from a logger training program last week had jobs waiting for them.  The students spent 20 weeks this summer and early fall harvesting timber at an active job site in Fairfield, harvesting and moving timber, using machines they’ll encounter in their new field. They also received hands-on experience operating commercial trucks, loading log trailers, safety techniques, and other relevant training.  The careers are said to be a stable pathway for those who want to live and work in rural areas, with earning potential up to $65K in 2021, the last year for which statistics were available.

Company Purchases Site of Proposed Nordic Aquafarms 

(Belfast)  A 54-acre parcel once proposed as the Nordic Aquafarms factory fish farm in Belfast has been sold.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports Nordic abandoned the project and property last year after a seven year effort by opponents who said they wanted to protect the Little River and Penobscot Bay from the polluting impacts of the project on water quality and destruction of  area forests and wetlands.  The new owners of the property, Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper, was one of those opposed to Nordic Aquafarms. Executive Director Pete Nichols says plans for conservation of the land include prioritizing natural and ecological resiliency aimed at renewal, restoration, and rewilding of the area.

Environment

Geomagnetic Storm Brings Brilliant Auroras

(Undated)  A severe geomagnetic storm this week raised concerns of widespread disruption to infrastructure technology.  The G4 storm is also wowing folks … as far south as Mexico … with brilliant auroras, also known as the Northern Lights. Forecasters said auroras could be visible from Alaska to Illinois last night. One scientist even went so far as to assign an extreme G5 watch until Midnight last night.

Human Interest

Local Businesses Honored

(Ellsworth)  Some pretty big kudos for a pair of local businesses.  Maine Famous recently stopped by Black Moon Public House and Honey & Lace Baking Company for an afternoon photo shoot.  Maine Famous features top-notch restaurants, boutiques, and charming inns, spotlighting the best places to explore, eat, and relax.  So it’s no surprise they chose to highlight these two local gems on their podcast and blog.  The two will also be part of their upcoming coffee table book.  Congratulations!

Fundraiser for Domestic Abuse Survivors

(Camden, Blue Hill)  A hundred and twenty businesses across Midcoast Maine and the Blue Hill Peninsula came together recently, raising $57K for survivors of domestic abuse.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports organizers of this summer’s “Into the Light” Yellow Festival asked local eateries and shops to highlight creative yellow menu and retail items through the month of July and donate all or part to the nonprofit “Finding Our Voices”.  It was the first year businesses on the Peninsula participated, with 50-plus businesses across nine towns raising $25K – or nearly half – the total amount raised.  The group told the Pen Bay Pilot every penny raised went into their “Get Out, Stay Out” Fund, which provides microgrants to local, financially-strapped women survivors of domestic abuse so they can rebuild new lives for themselves and their children. 

Wreaths Across America Rolls Out December 7th

(Columbia)  Less than a month now before the Wreaths Across America “Escort to Arlington” hits the road.  According to a press release, the convoy will roll out Sunday, December 7th, stopping at the Downeast Family YMCA in Ellsworth for a 9 a.m. indoor ceremony honoring local veterans and remembering the fallen.  If you know a veteran who will be in attendance, you can contact PJ Davis at Darling’s Chevrolet in Ellsworth to help event organizers recognize their presence.  

Mega Millions Jackpot

(Undated)  The Mega Millions jackpot soared to $965M Tuesday night, after no one matched all six numbers drawn.  Residents of forty-five states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands can purchase jackpot tickets.  The jackpot was last won in Virginia in June.  Drawings are held at 11 p.m. Eastern on Tuesdays and Fridays.  And while you can’t win if you don’t play, the ODDS of winning are one in almost 300K.  

National News

Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva Sworn In    

(Washington, DC)  Representative Elect Adelita Grijalva was sworn in Wednesday, as the House returned for the first time in months to vote on a proposal to end what has become the country’s longest government shutdown.  Grijalva won a special election in Arizona nearly two months ago, filling a seat last held by her late father.  But House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to swear her in during the shutdown, a strategy Grijalva and other Democrats claim was to prevent her signature on a petition to eventually trigger a vote to release files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that could reveal damaging information implicating President Trump.  Grijalva and the Arizona Attorney General are suing Johnson for his inaction, which they say prevented representation for the people of southern Arizona.  

Epstein E-mails

(AP)  Democrats on the House Oversight Committee Wednesday released three emails from deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that seem to implicate President Donald Trump.  The Associated Press reports in a 2019 email to a journalist, Epstein indicated Trump “knew about the girls”, though what he knew and whether it pertained to Epstein’s crimes is unclear.  In another email from 2011, Epstein told confidante Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with a sex trafficking victim.  Republicans called it a smear campaign by Democrats.

Last Penny Minted in Philly

(AP)  A penny saved is a … well, maybe one of the last ever minted.  The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia yesterday ended production of the penny, a change made to save money and in recognition of the lowly coin’s growing irrelevance, according to the Associated Press.  The copper colored coins had been minted there since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act.  The cost of producing a penny had climbed to about four cents.  And while billions remain in circulation, they’re rarely essential for 21st Century transactions.  So the next time you offer someone, “a penny for your thoughts,”  you might first want to make sure you have one on hand.  

Shutdown Vote

(Washington, DC)  The House last night voted to end the longest government shutdown in US history.  The legislation upon which members narrowly agreed, mostly along party lines, extends funding for most agencies until January 30th and includes three full-year funding bills for other parts of the government.  Most House Democrats opposed the legislation, since it failed to address expiring healthcare tax credits, although it requires that the issue comes up for a vote in early December.  Democrat Adelita Grijalva was  sworn in as a representative from Arizona, seven weeks after winning a special election.  She quickly provided the final signature needed on a petition to force a vote on compelling the Justice Department to turn over files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

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