Local Politics

Ellsworth Recount

(Ellsworth)  The City of Ellsworth will conduct a recount of the November 4th City Council election beginning this morning.  The recount will be held in the City Council Chambers at Ellsworth City Hall, with doors opening to the public at 8 a.m. for setup.  The recount will begin at 9.  Seating will be limited in accordance with fire code capacity. The recount was requested by candidate John Linnehan, who lost to Marinna Smith by two votes. The City says the recount will be carried out in full accordance with Maine state election laws and procedures.  

Wood to Run for Golden’s Seat in Second Congressional District

(Augusta)   Democrat Jordan Wood will leave Maine’s 2026 US Senate race to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat currently held by Jared Golden. Golden has chosen not to run again.  

The Bangor Daily News reports Wood, a former political operative from Bristol, gained little traction in the race to go up against Senator Susan Collins, the Democratic field now dominated by Governor Janet Mills and Sullivan oyster farmer Graham Platner. State Auditor Matt Dunlap is the only other notable Democrat in the 2nd District race so far.  The primary winner will likely face Republican and Trump supporter Paul LePage.

Hancock County Commissioners’ Meeting

(Ellsworth)  The Hancock County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the county’s proposed 2026 budget next Tuesday.  The Ellsworth American reports the proposed budget is nearly a million dollars higher than the current year’s budget.  Figures in the draft budget show the county must raise just over $10,757,000 through property taxes, a projected increase of 9.1%.  The new budget, which starts January 1, 2026, must be approved by commissioners by December 15th, according to statute.  County Administrator Michael Crooker said counties across Maine are looking at projected increases, most of which are at least 10% or more.  The hearing will begin at 8:30 on November 18th in the board’s meeting room at the courthouse.

Economy

Fogtown Event Benefits The Abbe Museum

(Ellsworth)  A reminder if you’re looking for good food, a good time, and a way to support a good cause tonight, Fogtown Brewing in Ellsworth is the place to be. From 4 to 7, a portion of this evening’s proceeds from food sales will be donated to the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor.  It’s Fogtown’s way of celebrating Native American Heritage Month.  Stop in to support the state’s Wabanaki heritage and cultures.

McCain Foods to Purchase Penobscot McCrum

(Washburn)  McCain Foods, an international potato product producer, has agreed to purchase Penobscot McCrum, the specialty potato product producer operating in Washburn.  The Bangor Daily News reports all of the roughly 130 employees of the current plant will join McCain Foods.  Penobscot McCrum was formed in 2004 when the McCrum family purchased the assets of Penobscot Frozen Foods and began operating a processing plant in Belfast. That plant burned down in 2022, leading to the expansion in Washburn, where its facility is now assessed at more than $32M.  

Safe Harbor Marinas to Purchase Belfast Shipyard

(Belfast)  Safe Harbor Marinas, the largest marina and superyacht servicing business in the U.S., says it will purchase Front Street Shipyard, a boatbuilder and marina on the Belfast waterfront.  MaineBiz reports the acquisition is set to close December 31st.  Safe Harbor’s regional VP, Greg Glavin, says the company plans to maintain the property as a working marina and boatyard and is committed to continuous investment in the shipyard and its employees.   Glavin says they plan to invest an estimated $5M within the first three years of ownership.

Bangor Mall Craft Fair

(Bangor)  The Bangor Mall Craft Fair continues this weekend.  Saturday from 9 to 5 and Sunday from 10-4, enjoy free admission, purchase raffle tickets for cash door prizes, sip free Dunkin Coffee and visit crafters offering all kinds of unique gifts for those hard-to-buy-for folks on your list.  Plus, Jurassic Rescue will be there for free pics with the dinosaurs … and of course, Santa!  That’s tomorrow and Sunday at the Bangor Mall.

Bank of America Donates to Good Shepherd

(Bangor)  Bank of America this week announced a $250M commitment over the next five years to help fight hunger and support organizations working to stem food insecurity in local communities.  Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s largest hunger relief organization, is set to receive $240K as part of that promise.  The grants will help pantries and other nonprofits provide for those in need, particularly during the long winter months when many are out of work due to the state’s often seasonal workforce.  As an example of how the need continues to grow, the Schoodic Food Pantry in Gouldsboro reports 71 new families have signed up for assistance in just the past few weeks.

Environment

Fossil Fuel Emissions Set to Reach All-Time High

(WaPo)  Fossil fuel emissions are set to reach an all-time high this year.  A new report cited by the Washington Post says emissions are projected to rise by 1.1%.  Increases are expected to accelerate in the U.S. and European Union, but slow in China and India.  Scientists writing in The 2025 Emissions Gap Report say at this rate, it will take the world just four years to pass a crucial 1.5 degree threshold that experts agree would constitute catastrophic global warming.  The World Health Organization contends climate inaction is directly linked to millions of preventable deaths, with heat-related mortality increasing significantly.  

Health

Scientists Test Revolutionary Approach to Treating Autoimmune Diseases

(AP)  Multiple Sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis – there are more than a hundred autoimmune diseases, and most of them attack women.  Now, the Associated Press reports, scientists are trying a revolutionary approach to treatment. The process, known as CAR-T is grueling, and expensive, in part because it’s customized, involving the reprogramming of patients’ immune systems.  Early results, say scientists, are “shocking” – as in surprisingly successful.  German researchers at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg say they’ve never been closer to getting to a potential cure, with one saying, “I think the next ten years will dramatically change our field forever.”

EMMC Receives Top Marks From Patient Advocacy Group

(Bangor)  Northern Light Health’s Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor has again received top marks from a national patient advocacy group.  The Bangor Daily News reports The Leapfrog Group Thursday released its biannual report cards for the nation’s hospitals, evaluating them on all aspects of patient care.  Northern Light’s flagship hospital received an “A”, marking the fifth straight cycle for that score.  EMMC scored above average in most areas, but got low markings for how doctors, nurses and staff communicate with patients.  Five other Maine hospitals also scored A’s, including Pen Bay in Rockport and Covenant Health’s St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor.

Technology

Passport Info Can Now Be Added to Apple Wallet

(AP)  Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, iPhone users can now add their passport details to their Apple digital wallets.  The Associated Press reports the company this week unveiled its new “Digital ID” system.  Digital ID acceptance will roll out first in beta at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 US airports for in-person identity verification during domestic travel.  Apple cautions it does not replace a physical passport and can’t be used for international travel, but it does offer a digital alternative for travelers who don’t have Real ID.

Infrastructure

Ellsworth Road Work

(Ellsworth)  A traffic note for those traveling through Ellsworth this coming Tuesday.  The City says expect one lane traffic in the area of 80 State Street on November 18th.  Especially if you’re in a rush, you might want to plan on taking a different route that day; and do use caution when driving through such work areas.

Human Interest

Main Street  America/Heart of Ellsworth History Project

(Ellsworth)  Ellsworth’s historic buildings hold treasures, not only in the contents of our wonderful small businesses, but in the bricks and mortar that have witnessed change over the decades.  Their stories are your stories, and Heart of Ellsworth invites you to share your story as part of Main Street America’s nationwide story project, celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the United States.  MSA will use those stories to map history as it happened on Main Streets across the country.  Whether your story goes back generations or just a few years, check out Heart of Ellsworth on FB for information on how to share it.

National News

Government Begins Reopening

(Washington, DC)  The gears of government slowly began grinding once again yesterday, following a Wednesday night compromise vote by the House.  Furloughed federal employees were returning to work, and national parks reopening, although parks such as Acadia are moving into winter mode, with many facilities closed or closing for the season.  Overall,  the massive size of the federal bureaucracy necessitates the process will take time. The NY Times reports air traffic at forty of the nation’s busiest airports will remain down by six percent for now.  It’s unclear when Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will lift completely the restrictions put into place during the shutdown.

Epstein E-Mails

(Washington, DC)  House Democrats Wednesday released emails in which disgraced sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein seemed to implicate President Donald Trump, writing in one that Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of Epstein’s victims.  Trump has emphatically denied any involvement with Epstein, who is known for trafficking young girls, and who died in prison in 2019, reportedly by suicide.  But Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said the emails, selected from thousands of pages of related documents, raise new questions about the relationship of the two men.  White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement saying, “These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments.”

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