Crime/Public Safety

Eliot Cutler Arrested

(South Portland)  Eliot Cutler was taken into custody in South Portland Monday afternoon.  Authorities say Maine State Police Detectives were in Cumberland County conducting separate, unrelated investigative activity at a hotel in South Portland when they encountered Cutler.  During an interaction, it was determined the Brooklin resident and former gubernatorial candidate was in violation of the conditions of his probation.  After consulting with Cutler’s probation officer, he was taken into custody and transported to the Cumberland County Jail.  Authorities say they aren’t releasing any further information at this time.

FMO Investigating Multiple Weekend Fires

(Maine)  The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating at least five fires that happened between Friday and Sunday this past weekend.  About 1:30 Friday afternoon, first responders were called to a structure on Main Street in Denmark.  That fire intensified and led to two explosions, creating hazardous conditions.  The homeowner and two tenants were able to escape safely.  An electrical panel or wall-mounted heater in the garage are suspected as causes.  Shortly before noon Sunday morning, a 3 yo playing with a lighter caused a fire on Lewey Lane in Pleasant Point.  The child, child’s mother, and an 11 yo sibling were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.  The Fire Marshal’s Office is also investigating three separate blazes that happened Saturday in Anson, Palmyra, and Oxford.

(Maine)  Firefighters battled three separate blazes across the state on Saturday.  About 1 that afternoon, a malfunctioning kitchen stove caused a fire at a home on Winter Street in Anson.  No one was home at the time, and the fire was ruled accidental.  At 8 Saturday evening, investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office were called to Lang Hill Road in Palmyra for a blaze that displaced four adults and two children.  The FMO says old wiring or a power strip was the likely cause.  At 9:20 that same evening, the FMO and Oxford Fire Department responded to Tiger Hill Road in Oxford, where a portable generator is suspected of causing an extensive fire in a garage.  They say the generator’s exhaust was located in close proximity to a couch inside the garage.  Firefighters also battled blazes in Denmark and Pleasant Point over the weekend.  

Criminal Speed

(Sullivan)  Authorities are warning drivers to ease off the gas.  Police have charged multiple people in the past two weeks with criminal speed – going 30 mph or more over the posted limit.  The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department reports on Friday, February 6th, 21 yo Keith Burgess of Steuben was stopped in Sullivan shortly after 9 p.m. and charged with Criminal Speeding.  And 23 yo Nelson Marchand-Diaz of Gouldsboro was clocked speeding 30-plus miles over on Saturday night about 9:15  in Sullivan.  Deputies say he was taken to the Hancock County Jail without incident.

Safe Boating Courses

(Undated)  Give the gift of safe boating.  The Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a number of courses they say satisfy most state boater education requirements and may also help lower your boat insurance.  Courses can be attended via Zoom or in person.  To register, contact david b eastwood at gmail dot com.

Spruce Street Closure

(Ellsworth)  Spruce Street in Ellsworth was closed yesterday.  The City said the Fire Department closed the street in order to conduct an investigation, though no details were given.  Some members of the EFD spent a frigid weekend cutting a hole in the ice, then jumping into the freezing waters for a missing person/ice rescue drill.  You can see their chilling pictures on the Ellsworth Fire Department FB page.  

Local Politics

Bebb Appointed as Waldo County Commissioner

(Rockland)  Governor Janet Mills has appointed Breanna Pinkham Bebb to fill a vacant seat on the Waldo County Commission.  The vacancy was created by the death last month of Commissioner Betty Johnson, who served for more than a decade.  Bebb lives in Northport and currently chairs the town Select Board there.  She walks into the position at a critical time. Rising healthcare costs, staffing shortages, and new state standards forced the Budget Committee to originally ask to raise county taxes by 36%, lowered that number to 17% through massive cuts, and have now been tasked with finding more cuts in order to bring that number to 10% or less.  

Knox County Budget Rescue

(Augusta)  Knox County’s budget woes are different than most.  The Midcoast Villager reports the budget has been stuck in a Catch-22 because of vacancies that can’t be filled under current rules.  Last week, legislators in Augusta unanimously approved a bill that allows County Commissioners to appoint Budget Committee members through 2029.  That gives the county breathing room to consider amending its charter, which currently allows only a quorum of the budget committee to fill vacancies.  Since only four of nine members currently serve, no vacancies can be filled until after the November elections.  The bill was to go before the full House and Senate Monday, where it was expected to be approved and then signed by the Governor.  Knox County is currently operating on its 2025 budget and must do so until the issue is resolved.

Housing Crisis

(Maine)  It’s no secret Maine has a critical lack of affordable housing – but that’s not necessarily due to a lack of HOUSES.  The Midcoast Villager says new data suggests an extraordinary number of homes exist but are effectively unavailable to those who live and work here year-round.  A recent analysis by Compare the Market shows nearly three-quarters of Maine’s vacant housing units are held for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use.  For every vacant home in Maine that is available to rent or buy, roughly twelve are set aside as vacation or seasonal properties.  Policymakers are wrestling with how the state can preserve its tourism economy but ensure communities remain liveable for those who reside and work here year round.  The bottom line, experts say, … the housing crisis is less about scarcity and more about access, balance, and the long-term sustainability of Maine’s cities and towns.

Jail Funding Issue

(Augusta)  The state’s method of funding county jails no longer reflects the true cost of incarceration.  That’s a critical issue causing county leaders across Maine to sound the alarm, warning a growing gap between flat state funding and the rising costs of incarcerating offenders will land squarely on local property taxpayers.  Village Soup reports counties are required to meet extensive state correctional standards with increasingly complex medical and behavioral health services without additional funding.  County officials say for Maine taxpayers, especially in small rural communities, the outcome of a budget fight in Augusta could translate into noticeable tax hikes for those already coping with rising costs in other areas.

Can-Am Sled Dog Races Appear to be on Again in 2026

(Fort Kent)  Mush was more like mud in 2024, with unusually warm weather leading to the cancellation of Fort Kent’s Can-am Crown International Sled Dog Races. The race was back on in 2025, drawing hundreds of spectators; and it’s looking good for this year, as well.  While mushers and spectators hail mostly from Maine, the event also draws from Canada, and occasionally other states, bringing a huge economic boost to the area.  This year’s race kicks off at 8 a.m. on February 28th and features races of 30, 100, and 250 miles, the latter of which generally happens over the course of several days.

Education

Woodlawn Series 

(Ellsworth)  Hundreds drive across the Union River and up the hill toward Surry each day, passing one of the richest monuments to Ellsworth’s history – the Black House and the Woodlawn Museum.  How much do you know about just how much the Black Family and the grounds at Woodlawn contributed to the City in which we live and work?  Here’s your chance to learn! Woodlawn is offering a six-part series, dating from the 1780’s, taking you through the building of the mansion, the life of the Black family, and culminating in a tour of the museum.  Register for all or just some of the sessions that begin February 25th at woodlawn ellsworth dot org.  Sessions run from Noon to 1, in person or via Zoom, and are pay what you wish.  See you there!

Environment

Snow Depths

(Maine)  There’s a good possibility we could see more snow beginning as early as this evening.  It seems like we’ve had more than normal this year, but have we?  We checked with the experts at the National Weather Service, who tell us snow depths across Northern and Eastern Maine are generally near to below normal conditions – at least as of last week.  They say a lot of sublimation (ice to water vapor) has happened the past six weeks, leading to a snow water equivalent that’s below to near normal.  And, they say, that’s important as the spring melt season approaches and flood risk rises.  Beginning next month, they’ll check those levels weekly and keep us posted for everyone’s safety.

Turtle Tunnel

(Eliot)  How did the turtle cross the road?  In the town of Eliot, Maine, safely …  through a special culvert designed to protect reptiles at a perilous crossing on Eliot Road.  The Bangor Daily News reports the Turtle Tunnel has helped the endangered Blanding’s Turtle safely cross a notoriously deadly section of Route 236. Game cameras installed by the Maine Department of Transportation have captured turtles using the wildlife underpass; which, along with roadside fencing, has helped to mitigate wetland preservation and steer wildlife down a more positive path.

Human Interest

NASA Sets Target Date for ISS Mission

(Cape Canaveral)  NASA has set a target date for the launch of a mission that will include Caribou native Jessica Meir.  Meir will command a crew of four that will ride a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station.  It will be Meir’s second trip into space, this time as Mission Commander.  Weather permitting, the launch will blast off tomorrow morning at 6 a.m.  

Infrastructure

MDOT Reverses Course on Machias Dike

(Machias)  The Maine Department of Transportation has apparently reversed course on replacing the Machias dike.  The Bangor Daily News reports the dike carries Route 1, utility lines, and the Downeast Sunrise Trail across the Middle River.  Storms in recent years damaged the 150-year old structure, so a committee spent the past year researching alternatives to an in-kind replacement; but MDOT now says it will need to replace the entire structure.  Recommendations on how to handle issues, including the dike, downtown flooding, and water quality, will be addressed at a public meeting set for February 23rd.  

National News

Halftime Show Draws Record Number of Viewers

(California)  Early numbers indicate the Bad Bunny-headlined Super Bowl Halftime Show was the most-watched halftime performance of all time, with more than 135 million tuning in …. compared to just over 6 million who watched Turning Point USA’s show featuring Kid Rock.  The Puerto-Rican born icon largely avoided politics and focused on joy, as he danced across sugar cane fields, brought on Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, signed as a witness to a real wedding performed at the event, and named South America’s countries, as a call to unite the American spirit.  The Seahawks took home the Super Bowl trophy, holding the Patriots scoreless up until the final quarter and clinching a 29-13 win.

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