Crime/Public Safety

Homicide Rates Plummet Nationwide

(WaPo)  Homicide rates have plummeted nationwide, down 20% in more than 50 major U.S. cities which report such data monthly.  A Washington Post analysis shows a combination of factors is likely driving the trend, including increased enforcement of tougher laws, demographic changes, and a rebound in employment.  The steady decline has reversed a surge of slayings seen during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Cities showing some of the most marked improvements include Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.  

Local Politics

Federal Court Rules in Favor of Electronic Tracking on Lobster Boats

(Bangor)  A federal appeals court is backing a government mandate that requires federally permitted lobster boats to use electronic trackers.  Supporters say they hope the trackers provide more detailed data about the health of the lobster population. Last year, a group of lobstermen supported by the Sustainable Maine Fishing Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Marine Resources, arguing the monitoring equipment violated their Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure, and also citing concerns about privacy.  But with the latest research showing a decline in New England’s lobster population, supporters say reliable data provided by the trackers is critical.  

Economy

Rockland Affordable Housing Project Receives Funding 

(Rockland)  An affordable workforce housing project in Rockland will receive funding from the Maine State Housing Authority.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports the project proposes transforming the former McClain School Property into 17 new affordable apartments. Another 12 units will be built in a new two-and-a-half story building constructed at a property on Summer Street that abuts the former school. The development will include studio, and one, two, and three bedroom homes designed as multigenerational housing for families of different sizes that city officials say will be within walking distance of a wide range of jobs.

Electric Bills to Increase

(Maine)  Mainers can expect a rate increase on their electric bills come January.  Regulators this week approved new rates for the standard offer, one of several components of electric bills.  The Portland Press Herald said the increase – up $12 to $16 for most – reflects the cost of generating power and represents about 40% of CMP customers’ and 50% of Versant Power customers’ bills, according to the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Winter Market at The Barn at Woodlawn

(Ellsworth)  Get a jump on that holiday shopping, find unique gifts for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list, and support local crafters this weekend at the Winter Craft and Farmer’s Market at The Barn at Woodlawn in Ellsworth.  You’re sure to get in the holiday spirit when you see how beautifully Woodlawn staff and volunteers have decked the halls with lights, trees, garland, wreaths and more.  The market runs from 10 until 2 tomorrow.  

Ellsworth Historical Society Surpasses Fundraising Goal

(Ellsworth)  Without prompt roof repairs, the collections housed by the Ellsworth Historical Society at the Chamberlain/Whitney House were at risk of irreparable damage. The house, built around 1825, stores a treasure trove  that includes thousands of documents, photographs and artifacts.  It’s the city’s only official repository for its history, according to MaineBiz.  So early this fall, when the roof damage was discovered, the Historical Society launched a fundraising campaign… a successful campaign.  To date, 37 donors have contributed more than the match needed for a $13K gift from a donor-advised fund at the Maine Community Foundation, bringing the total to 140% of the total goal.  The roof is Phase 1 of a project to stabilize, secure, and upgrade the house with better drainage, gutters, and HVAC improvements.

Health

U.S. CDC Website Reportedly Updated with “False Information”

(Washington, DC)  Scientific information on the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website was replaced this week with what experts are calling false information.  The updates include anti-vaccine talking points that fail to rule out a link between vaccines and autism, despite an abundance of evidence to the contrary. According to CNN, the page says the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms.  

Technology

REAL ID Online Renewal

(Augusta)  If you travel via commercial airlines, you know that you now have to present a state-issued REAL ID, passport or passport card, or other TSA compliant identification.  With more than 70K REAL ID driver’s licenses due for renewal in the next year, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles has announced you can now renew online.  Customers up for renewal in the coming weeks can check out the online services at the Secretary of State’s website and can cancel an existing in-person appointment if they prefer to renew online.  According to TSA officials, more than 93% of travelers presenting a Maine-issued identification card were REAL ID compliant.  

Infrastructure

Ellsworth Paving

(Ellsworth)  Northeast Paving will be working on Short Street in Ellsworth today.  The street will be down to one lane, alternating traffic during the work.  The city recommends taking a detour while they pave it to perfection for your safety and smooth sailing.

Power Grid Expected to Be Online This Winter

(Western Maine)  The controversy powered lawsuits, delays, and protests – but the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line, also known as the CMP corridor, is expected to be online and contributing to the New England power grid this winter.  Lawsuits by environmentalists and others delayed the project in western Maine, but construction on the project resumed in August 2023, months after it was rejected by Maine voters …  a referendum that was then overturned by the courts.  WMTW reports the corridor is expected to produce 1200 megawatts of electricity, bringing hydropower from Canada.  

Human Interest

Maine’s French Heritage

(Maine)  Grab a croissant and a French press coffee.  According to a U.S.Census Bureau survey, Maine has the highest percentage of residents claiming French ancestry of any state in the union.  Results of the American Community Survey,show that  in 2023, about 162,000 Maine residents reported French ancestry – or about 11.5% of the state’s population.  New Hampshire ranked second, but had the highest share of residents claiming French Canadian ancestry, followed by Vermont and then Maine.  Merci to the Portland Press Herald for sharing.  

Thanksgiving Travel

(Maine)  Let’s talk turkey about Thanksgiving travel.  If you’re hitting the road for Thanksgiving, the Portland Press Herald’s Leslie Bridges offers this.  She says the best way to avoid holiday traffic in Maine next week is to travel on Thanksgiving Day.  Statistics show, unsurprisingly, that overnight travel, between midnight and 7 a.m., offers the sparsest traffic, with traffic peaking between 11 and Noon on Thursday and from 10 a.m. to about 6 p.m. on Friday.  Of course, here in Maine, weather is always a factor, as well.  This year’s forecast calls for mostly clear skies … but it’s early, and we all know Maine weather, as in many states, is unpredictable.

Photo of Great White Taken Off Maine Coast Featured in NatGeo

(Harpswell)  A picture of a great white shark taken off the coast of Maine has been featured in National Geographic’s “Best of the World” photo gallery.  The Bangor Daily News reports NatGeo photographer Brian Skerry was about 15 miles off the coast of Harpswell when he briefly encountered the 10-foot juvenile.  While recent research shows more great whites are living in coastal waters, experts say it’s rare to spot them – even more rare to get a picture of the sharks in Maine waters.  It took Skerry more than 10K hours of diving over his career to capture the other-worldly image.  

Black Moon Raises More than $1500 for Beth C. Wright

(Ellsworth) Owner Katina Stanwood and her staff at Black Moon Public House in Ellsworth hit the right chord with a raffle, offering a chance to win a pink electric guitar and case – with proceeds to benefit the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth.  The community came together to raise more than $1500 for the nonprofit that provides resources for cancer patients and their families at no charge.  The winner was Justin Foley of Lubec, Maine, and runners up received lots of cool swag.  The fundraiser was so successful, Stanwood plans to offer it again next year.

Company Donates Driveway Paving to Animal Rescue

(Harrington)  Don’t you just love it when companies show up and donate their time and materials to nonprofits in need?  Happens a lot here in Downeast Maine.  The latest example – County Concrete and Asphalt in Columbia Falls Wednesday brought a full crew to pave the driveway at the new Messenger Animal Rescue Shelter in Harrington.  Director Sarah Strout said the entire job was donated by the company and she’s incredibly grateful for those who continue to help her in her mission to rescue abused, neglected, and unwanted animals.  

National News

Epstein Files Update

(Washington, DC)  After weeks of dogged efforts to prevent the release of the Epstein files, President Donald Trump this week pulled a sudden about-face, signing a bill compelling the Justice Department to release its case files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.  The Washington Post reports the Justice Department will have 30 days to release all unclassified documents related to Epstein. Epstein’s brother, Republican Mark Epstein, allegedly explains the abrupt reversal by hinting that high level MAGA supporters are using that time to scrub the files and release sanitized versions.  In any case, legislation calling for release of the files includes major loopholes.  The Justice Department has said many of the files cannot be released because they contain sensitive victim information and pornographic material.  The Department could also withhold material that “would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” or that “depicts or contains child sexual abuse”.  

Panel Appointed to Review Elimination of FEMA Finds Opposite Need

(Washington)  A panel appointed by President Donald Trump to review whether to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency instead concluded in a report that the agency should be more powerful and autonomous. But the  Washington Post reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wants to ignore that recommendation.  Noem, who is responsible for finalizing the report and sending it to the President, is recommending FEMA be kept within the Department of Homeland Security and largely removed from its direct role in disaster relief, turning it into more of a grant-making operation, according to persons familiar with her draft proposal, which is still a work in progress.  

© 2025 Downeast Digest.  All rights reserved.