Crime/Public Safety

MSP Investigate Series of Tractor Trailer Crashes on Monday

(Maine)  Troop F Troopers with the Maine State Police on Monday investigated three separate crashes involving tractor trailers that occurred within hours of each other.  Public Information Officer Shannon Moss tells Downeast Digest the first crash happened shortly after 9 a.m. and involved a truck on Route 11 in Masardis that was stuck in power lines. The driver reportedly was operating a vehicle overloaded with wood. About 30 minutes later, a personal vehicle was reported off the roadway on Portage Road in Nashville Plantation.  A tractor trailer in the vicinity jackknifed and struck the vehicle of a first responder who was at the scene. Then, shortly after noon Monday, a tractor trailer skidded off an icy Road on Route 11 and took out three utility poles, scattering power lines across the highway.  Only one person in the Nashville Plantation incident was treated for minor injuries.  

2024 Crime Report Released

(Augusta)  The Maine Department of Public Safety has released a report detailing crime in Maine in 2024.  Statewide, the number of crimes in 2024 totalled just over 42,500, a rate of just under 29 per thousand residents.  Crimes against property far outnumbered others at more than 25K, followed by Crimes Against Persons and Crimes Against Society.  Violent Crimes numbered 1,374 with 33 murder and non-negligent manslaughter victims.  A four-year overall trend showed a marked reduction in crime in all but one area – crimes against society, which includes drug offenses, disorderly conduct, prostitution and some animal cruelty.  The full report is available at maine dot gov.

New Life Jacket Requirements

(Maine)  New requirements as of January 1 could be lifesavers.  Effective this year, children age 12 and under must wear a US Coast Guard approved PFD – basically, a life jacket – while on any watercraft that is underway and being used for recreational purposes.  A news release from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said the change increases the required age from 10 years or younger to 12 or younger, which puts it in alignment with federal law.  

Bitcoin Settlement

(Augusta)  Bitcoin Depot will pay nearly $2M to Maine residents defrauded by scammers who used the cryptocurrency ATM operator’s kiosks.  The Portland Press Herald reports a consent agreement with the state follows a two-year investigation involving the state’s Attorney General’s office.  The number of Mainers scammed, location of the kiosks, and how much money each victim could receive all remain unclear. According to its website, Bitcoin Depot is based in Atlanta and operates more than 25K kiosks in the US, Canada, and other countries.  The company operated about 80 unlicensed kiosks in Maine until the state last June passed emergency legislation to regulate virtual currency ATM’s.  

Snow Clearance

(Maine)  Don’t drive impaired – and by that, we mean don’t drive without clearing the snow and ice from your vehicle.  Maine law requires drivers of most vehicles to take “reasonable measures” to prevent snow or ice from flying off while driving.  If those snowpacks or shards cause damage or injury, drivers can be ticketed – $50 for a first offense, with repeat violations adding up to as much as a chilling $250.The Portland Press Herald notes New Hampshire has a similar requirement known as Jessica’s Law, named after a 20 yo woman who was killed when a sheet of ice flew off a trailer and caused a crash.  

Local Politics

Mills to Deliver State of the State Address

(Augusta)  As Governor Janet Mills prepares for her final year in that office, the Portland Press Herald reports she is readying her State of the State address, to be delivered on January 27th.  The speech is expected to set the agenda for the upcoming legislative session.  The Governor is expected to use her final such address to thank Mainers for allowing her to serve as Governor.  The upcoming legislative session is expected to be extremely partisan, with the governorship, two congressional seats, a U.S. Senate seat, and spots on the entire Legislature up for votes.

Economy

Flex-It Cafe Sale

(Ellsworth)  Flex-It Cafe and Bakery in Ellsworth will soon be under new ownership.  The Ellsworth American reports longtime owners Paul Markosian and Lorena Stearns plan to sell the business to Saylor DesJardin, who has worked at Flex-It since 2021.  DesJardin plans to add homemade bagels to the menu of cafe drinks, smoothies, breakfast foods and sandwiches.  The sale is expected to be finalized this month.  

Maine Housing Database

(Augusta)   A push to meet Maine’s need for 84K new homes by 2030 has resulted in legislation that mandates all towns with more than 4,000 residents keep a registry and file annual reports with the state detailing housing construction projects.  MaineBiz reports LD1184 applies to all housing – from single family homes, including those with accessory dwelling units, to multi-family developments.  Municipalities must track 2025 data by the end of this month.  Towns are also required to list all approvals for affordable housing units for individuals or families whose incomes are 80% or less than the area median income.  Data from 2025 is expected to be available in a new registry in late spring.

WalletHub Survey Shows Optimism

(Undated)  A national survey by WalletHub shows folks are feeling optimistic about 2026.  According to the survey, nearly 60% of people believe the year will be an improvement for their wallets over 2025.  Still, just 26% of Americans surveyed planned to make finance-related New Year’s resolutions.  Of those making such resolutions, 31% said they want to save more.  The biggest financial concern this year?  Inflation, with more than half of Americans citing it as their biggest economic worry.  

Education

Costs Prevent Building of Medical School

(Maine)  The need for more primary care doctors in Maine will likely extend into the unforeseeable future.  Officials had hoped to address the shortage by building a medical school at the University of Maine.  But the Portland Press Herald reports a report commissioned by the university concludes that’s not feasible at present, due to its cost.  Despite the state’s aging population and numerous rural communities that are especially in need, the report found constructing a new medical training facility would cost about a quarter million dollars and would require 22.5 M in state taxpayer dollars annually to operate. The report’s top recommendation at this point is to expand Maine’s current system of training future doctors at UNE in Portland and through MaineHealth’s collaboration with Tuft’s, a private research university in Massachusetts.

Waldo Theatre Presentation Focuses on Banned Books

(Waldoboro)  The Waldo Theatre has come to be known as a cultural center of Midcoast Maine.  Located in Waldoboro, their website notes an engaged Board of Directors, a passionate Executive Director, and dozens of generous volunteers have worked the past few years to restore the theatre in Waldoboro.  The theatre will be screening an award-winning documentary at 2 p.m. this Sunday, January 11th, entitled The Librarians.  The film follows librarians across the country as they respond to an unprecedented wave of book challenges and censoring efforts, examining how debates over books have become part of a larger struggle over intellectual freedom and the First Amendment.  A panel discussion featuring local librarians will follow.

Sports

Swayman Earns Olympic Berth

(Boston)  An exciting note for local hockey fans.  Former UMaine standout Jeremy Swayman, now the Boston Bruins’ starting goalie, will play on the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team.  The 2026 Winter Olympics are set for February 6-22 in Italy, with the United States hockey team first taking on Czechia on February 5th  Games will be broadcast on NBC.  It’s Italy’s fourth Olympics.  They’ll use existing venues and introduce new events like ski mountaineering.  Italy has been pushing for increased female participation, with women competing in 50 medal events.  University of Wisconsin defender, 22 yo Laila Edwards, will become the first black woman to represent the U.S. in Olympic hockey.  

Maine Sportswriter/Sportscaster of the Year

(Portland)  Speaking of sports, Drew Bonifant of the Portland Press Herald has been honored as the 2025 Maine Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.  Bonifant has been with the Press Herald since 2022, following five years at the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.  WVII’s Jack Webb was named Maine’s Sportscaster of the Year.  Award winners from across the US will be honored at a ceremony in North Carolina in late June.

National News

Trump Administration Overhauls Childhood Vaccine Schedule

(Washington, DC)  Effective immediately, the US CDC will no longer recommend every child be immunized for rotavirus, influenza, Hepatitis A and other diseases.  According to the Washington Post, officials claim the new guidance aligns with other countries.  But many experts warn the changes are built on faulty assumptions and will endanger children.  Vaccines that are still routinely recommended include MMR, Polio, Chicken Pox, Dtap, Tdap, HIb, PCV, and HPV.

Hegseth Launches Proceedings Against Senator Mark Kelly

(Washington, DC)  In a move sure to trigger lawsuits and already angering proponents of free speech, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched administrative proceedings against Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.  Hegseth is targeting the former astronaut over a video posted by Kelly in November, reminding U.S. troops they are within their rights in disobeying illegal orders, a move sources say infuriated the President.  Hegseth is reportedly seeking to demote Kelly’s military status and cut his pension.  Kelly was quick to fire back, comparing his family’s generations of military service to the President’s five deferrals because of bone spurs. Kelly asserted he would not be intimidated and said, “Hegseth and Trump don’t get to decide what Americans … get to say about their government.”  A former Army attorney said of Hegseth’s actions the message was loud and clear – toe the line or we can ruin your life.

Noem Moves to Cut FEMA Workforce

(Washington, DC)  Even as disasters grow more frequent and wreak more extensive damage, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said she wants to reduce staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, by half.  Emails seen by The Washington Post detail potential reductions to thousands of disaster response and recovery roles, with terminations likely to come in waves.  Cuts began New Year’s Eve, with the elimination of 65 staffers from the agency’s largest workforce known as CORE … staffers who are among the first on the ground after a disaster and who often remain for years to help communities recover.

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