Crime/Public Safety

Effort Raises Thousands to Support Fishermen Affected by Portland Wharf Fire

(Portland)  Yesterday we told you the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association had begun raising money to support waterfront workers affected by last week’s fire at Custom House Wharf in Portland.  The Portland Press Herald reports as of Monday morning, donations were already at $18K to help replace lost gear and equipment.  To donate, go to maine coast fishermen dot org.  

K9 Finn Retires

(Ellsworth)  A well-deserved retirement to tell you about now.  The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office says K-9 Finn celebrated a job well done this past Sunday, having proudly served the citizens of Hancock County and beyond for the past nine years.  Throughout his career with handler Sergeant Travis Frost, K-9 Finn was deployed on more than 247 calls, including over 80 criminal suspect tracks involving persons who fled scenes, as well as more than 87 missing-person searches, often in extreme weather conditions and resulting in saved lives.  Beyond his work, which also included narcotics detection calls, Finn was an outstanding ambassador for the Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement.  His unwavering loyalty has earned HIM daily pat downs, a warm spot by a cozy fire, and all the biscuits his heart desires.

Local Politics

Legislators Return to Heightened Stakes

(Augusta)  The stakes couldn’t be higher than when legislators return to Augusta next month.  With the highly consequential 2026 elections on the horizon, the Portland Press Herald says expect partisan tensions to dominate. Lawmakers are returning to finish up work from the last session, tweak the budget, and pass a few dozen emergency bills.  The 2026 cycle features a U.S. Senate race, open races in Congress and for governor, and campaigns for all 186 seats in the Maine Legislature, which Democrats currently control by a slim margin.

Economy

Maine Awarded Rural Health Funding

(Augusta)  Maine this week was awarded $190M for first-year funding under the Rural Health Transformation Program.  The Portland Press Herald reports the program supplies a new pot of federal money designed to partially offset losses from upcoming Medicaid cuts.  The funding can be used beginning in 2026.  Senator Susan Collins said the funds will help strengthen rural hospitals and support innovative approaches that could lower costs and improve health outcomes for Mainers, especially in rural areas.

Cost of Streaming Services to Rise

(Maine)  If you live in Maine, those series you love on Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services will cost you more in the new year.  The Portland Press Herald reports streaming services, cigarettes, and adult use cannabis will be included in the state’s 5.5% tax, beginning January 1.  State officials say the new charge will level the playing field around how cable and satellite services are taxed.  It’s also expected to generate new revenue for the state.  Former Governor Paul LePage first proposed the streaming services tax in 2017, Governor Janet Mills pitched it in 2020 and 2024, but the idea was rejected all three times until this year.

Minimum  Wage Increase

(Augusta)  The new year will ring in by ringing UP a minimum wage increase across the U.S.  Statewide, Maine’s hourly workers will see a little over a 3% rise, from $14.65 to $15.10 per hour for non-tipped workers.  For those earning tips, the minimum will be up slightly to $7.55 an hour.  The Maine Department of Labor reports about 35K workers in Maine were making below $15 an hour in 2024, the most recent data available.

MaineBiz Offers Leadership Tips

(Undated)  Want to become a better boss or leader in the new year?  MaineBiz writes, when business and nonprofit leaders take the stage at their events, they often share universal lessons to help in any industry.  Tips from past seminars include:  promote a workplace of safety, don’t fall into a routine, be present and grounded – for women, especially, walk boldly into the room and know you deserve to be there, and for everyone … check your ego at the door.  That last bit of advice from Marc Guastella of Hollywood Casino in Bangor.  We’re betting that’s perhaps the best advice of all.  

Portal Connects Volunteers with Local Nonprofits

(Undated)  United Midcoast Charities has launched a free online portal to connect community members with volunteer opportunities in Knox and Waldo County.  MaineBiz reports UMC was told by nonprofits they weren’t just looking for MORE volunteers, but for the RIGHT volunteers.  And while many people wanted to help, they just weren’t sure where to start.  The hub is designed to support and enhance existing volunteer recruitment efforts, rather than to replace them.  Learn more at united midcoast charities dot org.

Environment

Maine Expands Ban on PFAS

(Maine)  Maine’s ban on products that use toxic PFAs, also called “forever chemicals”, is about to expand to thousands of everyday household products.  The Portland Press Herald reports the ban, instituted five years ago, will soon include children’s toys, cookware, and cosmetics.  Beginning in January, the state will also require all cleaning fluids, dental floss, menstrual products, ski wax, textiles, and upholstered furniture sold in Maine to be PFAs-free.  The chemicals are known for being resistant to breaking down in the environment and have even been found in wildlife, causing the state to issue warnings about eating deer and other meat from certain areas of the state.

Regulators Warn Landowners in Belfast Wetlands Lapse

(Augusta)  The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recently issued a letter of warning in an effort to recoup wetlands protections lost in a regulatory oversight two decades ago.  The Maine Monitor reports the lapse by state and federal regulators allowed a wetlands mitigation site in Belfast to be marketed for commercial development earlier this year.  Original developer MBNA was to restore wetlands on a nearby 24 acre site for perpetuity.  Instead, a glitch allowed new owner Bank of America to sell the land at auction last January. The new owner, nonprofit Penobscot Community Health, is now offering the wetlands parcel for sale for development.  The healthcare agency says it doesn’t feel obligated to fix the snafu, but  regulators say if PCHC does not comply, DEP might take enforcement action.

Technology

Maine Caught in Controversial AI Data Center Expansion

(Maine)  A growing body of research shows the artificial intelligence boom in the US is driving up electricity bills for everyday Americans.  But the Maine Monitor reports the Trump Administration in recent weeks has worked to dismiss such claims, with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum falsely claiming on Fox News there was no correlation.  Burgum went on to point the finger at states moving to renewable energy, specifically calling out Hawaii and Maine, where there’s little to no AI activity.  Maine Public Advocate Heather Sanborn says three nonprofits have called for a national moratorium on the construction of new data centers, and that Maine’s rising energy costs currently are tied to volatile natural gas prices and cleanup from storms in recent years.   Another source cited places around the country where AI centers were built, saying energy prices in those locales have spiked, drinking water taps are running dry, and the air emissions from fossil fuel used are significantly contaminating communities.

Human Interest

Maine Rings in the New Year

(Maine)  Mainers ring in the New Year with everything from the traditional to the quirky.  In Eastport, it’s the Great Sardine and Maple Leaf Drop, honoring our Canadian neighbors who live  just across the bridge.  Revelers kiss the 8-foot sardine for good luck before it’s raised and then “dropped” by the sponsoring Tides Institute.  Folks in Kennebunk lower a giant 1000-LED blueberry from a church steeple.  Bangor has the Giant Beach Ball Drop in West Market Square, Yarmouth celebrates with the Clam Drop, and Machias lowers a giant plastic lobster to “trap” all the goodness in the new year. The more intrepid can participate in plunges into the icy waters of the Atlantic in various places – most raising funds for good causes, while others choose to hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain to enjoy the new year’s first sunrise in the U.S.  Whatever way you ring in the New Year, be safe, designate a driver if needed, and live to enjoy another amazing year.

Ball Drops Vary by State

(Undated) With a quarter of the century now under our belts, many revelers across the U.S. will be ringing in 2026 in ways that celebrate state culture and economy.  Partygoers in Plymouth, Wisconsin drop a giant cheese wedge.  In Boise, Idaho, it’s a large, fiberglass potato.  Lebanon, Pennsylvania drops a bologna, Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, a pickle, of course; while in Las Cruces, New Mexico, it’s the Chili Pepper Drop.  Mobile, Alabama has the Moon Pie Drop, Mechanicsburg, P A drops a wrench (hopefully no one is standing beneath that one!), a giant music note drops in Nashville, in Prescott, Arizona, it’s the Cowboy Boot Drop, a Conch Shell in Key West … and, finally, Tallapoosa, Georgia is famous for dropping their stuffed opossum named “Spencer”.  However you “drop in” on the New Year, we hope it’s the beginning of all things good – a little tradition, mixed with a whole lot of fun.

National News

Renaming of Kennedy Center Prompts Cancelled Performances

(Washington, DC)  The renaming of the Kennedy Center with the addition of President Trump’s moniker has led to more artists cancelling scheduled performances.  The Associated Press reports jazz supergroup The Cookers have pulled out of a planned New Year’s Eve concert.  The fresh round of cancellations follows an earlier artist backlash in the spring, including by performer Issa Rae and the producers of Hamilton, after Trump ousted the Kennedy Center board and named himself Chair of the institution.

New Laws Tackle Climate Change, Drunk Driving

(AP)  Tourists celebrating the new year in Hawaii could become the first to be taxed to address the consequences of climate change.  In Utah, people who party too heartily and get caught driving drunk could be among the first to have their driver’s licenses striped red with the label “No Alcohol Sale”.  And motorists in Georgia could become the first to display their patriotism via Donald Trump’s message “America First” on their license plates.  The new year will bring a new round of first-of-their-kind such laws and changes. In addition, several states are introducing red, white, and blue plates to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, including Michigan, South Carolina; and in Pennsylvania, a Liberty Bell plate.  And California will become the first state to sell affordable insulin under its own label.

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Happy New Year’s Eve!