Crime/Public Safety

Final Names Released in BIA Plane Crash

(Bangor)  Officials have released the final two names of the victims of the January 25th plane crash at Bangor International Airport.  53 yo Shawna Collins was an event planner from Houston, and 43 yo Nick Mastrascusa, a chef from Hawaii.  The plane was on its way from Houston to Paris when it stopped at Bangor to refuel, then crashed on takeoff and burst into flames.  All six people on board were killed.  Weather hampered the investigation as officials waited on members of the FAA and NTSB to arrive to fully assess the crash site. 

MSP Takes Lead on Missing Hampden Man

(Hampden)  The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Thursday assumed the lead in the search for a missing Hampden man.  Hampden police began an investigation into locating 78 yo Douglas Dunphy on January 15th, requesting assistance from the Maine State Police the following day because of circumstances surrounding the case.  While the Major Crimes Unit has taken the lead on the case, the Hampden Police Department remains in support as a key partner.  Officials say this is an isolated incident with no ongoing public safety concerns.

Surry Teen Charged with Criminal Speed

(Surry)  A Surry teen is charged with criminal speeding following a traffic stop on the Surry Road in Ellsworth this week.  The Hancock County Sheriff’s office reports 17 yo Jonah Uphouse was stopped shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday for exceeding the speed limit by 30 mph or more.  Uphouse was released and given a summons to appear in Ellsworth District Court.

MSP Investigating Standish Homicide

(Standish)  A 23 yo Porter man died following an altercation Tuesday night in Standish.  Authorities responded to a residence on Kennie Drive about 9:30 that night and found the body of 23 yo Thomas Foster, who had been shot.  Foster’s body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where the death was ruled a homicide.  A second man was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  The investigation is ongoing, but police say there is no danger to the public.  

Smoke Detectors Save Lives in Lincoln Fire

(Lincoln)  Working smoke detectors are being credited with saving the lives of a family in Lincoln.  Public Information Officer Shannon Moss tells Downeast Digest the Lincoln Fire Department was called to a home on Maine Street shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday morning.  Smoke alarms alerted the occupants, all of whom were able to escape safely, and then call 9-1-1.  The fire reportedly began in a rear addition of the home, which has been deemed a total loss.  A machine used for craft projects and a dehumidifier were located in the area where the fire began.  An investigation into the exact cause is ongoing, but the fire has been ruled accidental.

ICE Owes More Than $1M to Cumberland County

(Portland)  County leaders say the decision by Immigrations and Customs Officials to pull its detainees from the Cumberland County Jail could leave local taxpayers on the hook. The Portland Press Herald says ICE already owes the county more than a million dollars, apparently due to last Fall’s government shutdown.  Under a federal contract, ICE and the U.S. Marshal’s Service are to pay the county $150 per day for each person the jail holds for them.  The jail budgeted for the agencies to provide about $2.3M in funding this year.  Without ICE’s payments, the county would need to collect 14% more tax revenue next year.  County officials say the issue is causing a significant headache as they plan the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.  Meanwhile, federal authorities are demanding information about employees at the Cumberland County jail, a day after Sheriff Kevin Joyce criticized immigration agents for arresting one of his guards.

Economy

Maine Could Receive More Seasonal Workers

(Maine)  There’s a chance Maine could receive more seasonal workers for the coming tourist season.  In the past, businesses have received around 5500 workers under the H2-B visa program for temporary, non-agricultural workers.  Senator Angus King this week announced he and a Senate colleague were able to secure a total of close to 65K additional such visas, roughly doubling the standard yearly count.  MaineBiz reports that doesn’t necessarily mean any given state would be able to double its worker count; but the head of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce said any addition of workers is good news for the Pine Tree State’s labor-strapped seasonal businesses.

Mano e Mano Works to Support Immigrant Farmworkers

(Milbridge)  For more than 20 years, Mano en Mano in Milbridge has worked alongside immigrant and migrant farmworker communities across Maine, especially in Washington County … welcoming new neighbors, advocating for justice, and helping communities become more vibrant, resilient, and whole.  Today, increased enforcement, harmful immigration policies, and the presence of ICE in Maine are creating fear and uncertainty among those who work the hardest in our fields and elsewhere. In response, Mano e Mano has launched the LaFuerza Fund.  La Fuerza translates to “the strength”.  They say LaFuerza is an emergency and long-term support fund grounded in the simple truth that our greatest strength has always been each other.  To learn more about why your funds are needed, what they will be used for, and to support Mano e Mano, visit mano maine dot org.

Environment

Winter Weather Curtails Common Pests

(Maine)  A combination of long days with sub-zero temperatures, summer’s drought, and control measures has proven effective against a half dozen forest pests and diseases here in Maine.  The Bangor Daily News reports among them, the browntail moth, which had an especially steep decline during 2025.  Populations of the hemlock woolly adelgid were also slowed.  But other foliage foes have proven more formidable. Red pine scale, concentrated in Downeast Maine, is killing off scores of the state’s red pines.  The Emerald Ash Borer gained ground last year, migrating north to Waldo, Somerset, and Hancock Counties.  And beech leaf disease has defoliated vast numbers of beech trees in just the past five years.  Some helpful resources can be found through the Maine Forest Service and UMaine Cooperative Extension.

Scallop Advisory Meeting

(Sullivan)  A Scallop Advisory Council meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, February 19th at 5 p.m. at the Sullivan-Sorrento Community Center.  The meeting will focus on an apprenticeship framework to recommend to the Commissioner for consideration in upcoming rulemaking.  The Council has been discussing this topic over the last six months and has developed a draft framework that is a combination of time-at-sea, plus safety course requirements.  They say public input would be greatly valued as they finalize the program elements.  For more information, contact melissa dot smith at maine dot gov.  

Patrick Keliher Receives Regional Award 

(Arlington, VA)  Quite the honor recently for former Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports Keliher, who served as MDMR Commissioner from 2017-2023 was presented with the Captain David H. Hart Award for 2025 at the winter meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in Arlington, Virginia.  Keliher was honored for his longstanding contributions to and exceptional leadership toward the sustainable management of marine resources along the Eastern Seaboard.

Education

Governor Calls for Ban on Cell Phones in Schools

(Augusta)  If Governor Janet Mills – and countless others – get their way, Maine could join more than 20 other states in calling for a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in schools.  The Portland Press Herald reports the policy would be an especially strict, but necessary one, under which students must surrender or secure their devices at the start of the school day and not access them again until after the last bell.  The issue is a bipartisan one, especially supported by educators who find it increasingly difficult to hold students’ attention, avoid distractions, and discourage cheating.  Many districts in Maine already have policies that restrict phone use in class, but still allow students to use their phones in the hallways and at lunch.  Advocates of the bell-to-bell ban say it’s the only way to take the burden off teachers in policing phone use.

Health

Federal Dietary Guidelines

(Washington, DC)  In ongoing new federal policies that have health experts shaking their heads, the Department of Health and Human Services has flipped the food pyramid upside down.  Earlier this month, the Trump Administration rolled out new dietary guidelines, many of which counter longstanding nutrition research.  In the new pyramid, animal proteins, fats, full-fat dairy and produce are toward the top, and whole grains at the bottom.  Dieticians say the new guidelines could be problematic, even dangerous, and could set Americans up for further failure in their goals toward healthy living.

Human Interest

EPL Seeks Candidate for Paid Internship

(Ellsworth) The Ellsworth Public Library is seeking candidates for a paid/for-credit internship!  Open to ages 16-22, the person chosen would work 2 to 4 hours a week from March to May, helping to create social media content to promote a documentary film series and the library.  Supported by an ITVS grant, the series will explore themes like diversity, democracy, and what the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence means now.  Dip your toes into community engagement – apply by February 15th by emailing Berit Becker at this address:  communications at ellsworth library dot net.  

National News

Winter Olympics Kick Off with Opening Ceremony

(Milan)  It’s a big weekend for sports.  The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kick off with today’s Opening Ceremony, although some early events – curling, women’s hockey, snowboarding, and figure skating – all began ahead of time.  The Parade of Nations will air at 2 p.m. Eastern with coverage through NBC, and also streamed through Peacock and NBC Olympics dot com.  A schedule of events can be found by Googling Olympics Schedule 2026.

Super Bowl Weekend

(Santa Clara, CA)  Grab the pretzels, pizza and beer and don your red, white and blue for the New England Patriots or your navy and green for the Seattle Seahawks.  It’s Super Bowl Sunday, with the teams going helmet to helmet in Santa Clara, California’s Levi Stadium, beginning at 6:30 Eastern.  The Seahawks are seeking their second Super Bowl title in their fourth appearance in Super Bowl 60.  The Patriots will go for a record seventh title while extending their record number of appearances to 12.  

Catherine O’Hara’s Rare Genetic Condition

(Undated)  Fans were stunned last week at the death of 71 yo Catherine O’Hara, famous for her roles as the mom in “Home Alone” and “Schitt’s Creek”.  While doctors won’t confirm a rare genetic condition as the cause of her death, they have revealed she was born with dextrocardia with situs inversus, a condition she only learned of after she became an adult.  Dextrocardia is a condition in which the heart and other organs are flipped – appearing as mirror images, with the heart and stomach on the right, liver on the left, and so forth.  The condition only shows up in 1 in 10K people.  While an exact cause of death has not been determined, cardiologists say it can be benign but also can include a congenital heart defect.

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