Crime/Public Safety

Authorities Identify Second Baileyville Victim

(Baileyville)  Authorities on Wednesday released the name of the second victim of the January 27th chemical incident at Woodland Pulp in Baileyville.  First responders were called to the mill around 6:20 that evening on a report of two people who had passed out in the bleach plant area.  The two were transported to Calais Community Hospital with serious injuries related to gas inhalation.  Nineteen-year-old Kasie Malcolm, a junior engineering student at the University of Maine, died the following day. The second victim, 26 yo Allen Hornberger died Tuesday.  Hornberger was a process engineer who had worked for the company since September.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing to investigate the incident.

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Local Politics

Washington County Pays Off 2025 TAN

(Machias)  Washington County officials are breathing a sigh of relief after they were able yesterday to pay off the 2025 TAN, paving the way for a 2026 Tax Anticipation Note, which will keep the county solvent.  The county found itself virtually broke after the discovery last summer of financial mismanagement by the former Administration and Treasurer, who has since resigned.  Current County Manager Renee Gray tells Downeast Digest that, like other counties in Maine, Washington County was also behind on its audits.  In order to resolve the crisis, Washington County towns were asked to pay their portion of the 2025 before the maturity date – a big savings on interest for the nearly 70% of towns who agreed to do so.  

Council Gives Ellsworth the Green Light on Hancock Property

(Ellsworth)  Ellsworth City Council this week gave the city the green light to pursue negotiations with the Ellsworth School Department to lease a property in Hancock that will house school buses, as well as the City’s Water and Parks and Recreation Departments. The vote was 5-2, with Councilors Patrick Shea and Steve O’Halloran opposed, partly because of concerns that taxes on the Wyman Road property will benefit the Town of Hancock and not Ellsworth.  School Superintendent Amy Boles said the new facility would help with recruiting and retaining bus drivers, as it gives them a more amenable space.  Boles and Ellsworth City Manager Charlie Pearce will now move ahead with negotiating the terms of leasing the facility.

Brooklin Voters to Decide on Donation of Church

(Brooklin)  What would you say if offered an historic church building and $100K for work on the property?  That’s the question that will be put to Brooklin voters via referendum on April 3rd.  The Ellsworth American reports the gift of the former Baptist Church and Bowden Hall, along with the monies, was offered to the town last August.  A feasibility committee has since been surveying town residents about the gift and possible use of the building.  With a return of 350 surveys, they say it appears there’s a good deal of interest.  The matter will be on the agenda at a March 18th meeting, set for 6 p.m. in the school gym.  Information on the buildings is available on the Brooklin town website.  

Ellsworth Council Votes “No” on Marijuanaville

(Ellsworth)  Wisping away in Marijuanaville?  Not in Ellsworth.  The Ellsworth American reports City Council this week voted to deny a new business license for the cannabis chain store, which was hoping to operate at 71 Main Street.  Council members cited concerns over public health and whether or not the store would meet the City’s newly-adopted cannabis establishment performance standards.  A recent patient advisory issued by the State Office of Cannabis Policy reported an investigation found unsafe levels of pesticides in multiple batches of concentrate from the cannabis chain.  The Council voted 6-1 to deny the license, with Councilor Steve O’Halloran opposed.

Economy

Crystal Clear Under New Ownership

(Ellsworth)  Crystal Clear Family Pet Center in Ellsworth is under new ownership, but the new owners are anything but new to the business.  The Ellsworth American reports Glenn and Michelle Hughes retired last month after many years, leaving the business in good hands – those of Lindsey and Christian Hutchinson.  Lindsey has worked at the pet center for 12 years, Christian for nine.  After operating the business for so many years, the Hughes’s say they’ve found the transition to retirement tough, but they hope to travel and pursue different interests.  Meanwhile, customers will find the same friendly service and supplies that have made the store a favorite among pet owners.  The Hutchinsons say, look for them to expand their popular live fish, aquatics, and reptiles sections due to growing demand.

Katahdin Area Resort Planned

(Millinocket)  If you haven’t been up to the New England Outdoor Center near Millinocket to ski, snowmobile, or enjoy other winter sports, you’re really missing out.  In the past few years, owner Matt Polstein, has turned the rural Katahdin area into a year-round sports playground, with a restaurant, rentals, and Knife’s Edge Brewing.  Now, the Bangor Daily News reports, Polstein hopes to expand the complex which currently offers a few cabins overlooking Millinocket Lake, to include nearly 100 housing units, ten commercial spaces, and a resort.  Polstein is holding some details close to his vest, but says trail expansion is also in the works, creating a moment of growth in the area he hopes will supercharge the region in the next three to four years.

Deer-Isle/Stonington Development Continues Under Island Workforce Housing

(Deer Isle)  The affordable housing crisis continues to grow in Deer Isle/Stonington.  But Island Workforce Housing also continues to break ground on solutions.  The Bangor Daily News reports the group was formed in 2018 in response TO the housing crisis.  By this spring, it will have added 22 units of housing on two sites within five years of breaking ground on its first project.  The group commissioned a study in 2019 and settled on median income rental housing, with a goal of building 30 new units, using a unique funding formula – raising two-thirds of a project’s cost, and financing the final one-third.  When occupied, the developments are financially self-sustaining, with reserve funds for future maintenance.  The group raised $1.8M for its first development, Oliver’s Ridge in Deer Isle.  Their next project is Thurlow’s Way, a 12-unit arrangement of modulars in Stonington.  This year, they also plan to refocus with a new five-year plan that will include homes for first-time buyers, renovating existing houses, and working with other towns on the Blue Hill Peninsula that also face affordable housing hurdles.

Environment

Health Facilities Work Toward Greater Sustainability

(Rockland)  MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals are all about good health – for humans AND for the planet.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports the two are making meaningful changes to reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions in the communities they serve.  Over the last 12 months, the healthcare facilities have completed eight energy conservation projects – from air handler efficiency upgrades, to weatherization, to working toward zero-sort recycling and composting, with plans for a community garden this spring.  MaineHealth’s five-year sustainability strategy involves six key areas – energy, food, waste, water, transportation, and “greening” the operating room.  Their efforts last August earned them  a national “Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change” Award.

U.S. EPA Plans Cleanup of Superfund Site in Brooksville

(Brooksville)  The US Environmental Protection Agency plans to review cleanup work at two Maine superfund sites this year, part of eight New England sites on the agency’s national priorities list.  MaineBiz reports the sites in Maine include the former Callahan Mining Corporation site located near Harborside Village in the Hancock County town of Brooksville, and the Eastern Surplus Superfund Site in the Washington County town of Meddybemps.  Federal regulation requires the EPA to conduct comprehensive five-year reviews on Superfund Sites across the New England Region, in order to ensure the remedy is properly operating in protecting communities and the surrounding environment.

Health

Waldo CAP Aims to Remain Priority Transportation Service Provider

(Rockland)  Waldo Community Action Partners is poised to continue as the premiere transportation provider in the state’s midcoast region.  That, despite a recent Maine Supreme Court ruling that awarded MDOT Region 5 Non-emergency Medical Transportation Brokerage to an out-of-state-based provider.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports MidCoast Connector, a program of Waldo CAP, has been the trusted Non-emergency transportation broker in Region 5 for over a decade, providing the critical service for those needing rides to medical appointments.  Part of the plan moving forward includes continuing to offer services, potentially as a provider for the new Region 5 contract.  Other WCAP transportation services currently provided in six of Maine’s coastal counties, and privately funded medical or other transportation will reportedly continue without disruption.

Technology

Federal Funding to Connect Rural Mainers

(Maine)  Federal funds totaling nearly $49M will bring internet to Mainers still without stable or high-speed internet.  The Bangor Daily News reports the Maine Connectivity Authority secured the funding, which will facilitate connections to 22K Maine homes and businesses that have unreliable or nonexistent high speed internet capability.  That includes about 6K in Aroostook County, where awards were granted to the Caribou Public Library, Maliseet Indians, and Aroostook Agency on Aging, enabling them to undergo improvements to increase connectivity and enable workforce development, education, and health monitoring through telehealth.  Other counties that appear to be particularly underserved include Washington and Waldo Counties.

Human Interest

Acadia Cyclists Look to Recruit Riders

(MDI)  A group of local cyclists is looking for a few good riders.  The Acadia Ridge Riders are training for Trek Across Maine, a three-day event planned for Father’s Day weekend.  And it’s not just about the journey.  Trek Across Maine raises money for the American Lung Association.  The group trains amidst the beauty of Acadia National Park, often circling the Park Loop Road and then charting an even more challenging course up and down Cadillac Mountain.  The riders train together for six weeks leading up to the trek, building muscle, endurance, and camaraderie.  To learn more, contact acadia ridge riders at gmail dot com.

Maine Teen Develops Safety App for Deaf People

(Cape Elizabeth)  It’s hard to believe anything positive could come out of a tragedy such as the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.  Eighteen people died in the massacre, including four who were deaf.  That set a Cape Elizabeth teen on the road to creating a safety app for the deaf.  NewsCenter Maine reports Gavin Phelan, himself hard of hearing, will present his app at a conference at the United Nations in Austria this week.  The Lewiston disaster prompted Phelan to think about how the four deaf people who died likely were unable to hear the gunshots or people’s auditory warnings.  The high school sophomore’s app, ALRM, was two years in the making.  It can detect gunshots, fire and carbon monoxide alarms, and sirens, delivering visual alerts and vibrations on a user’s phone or smart watch.  Phelan says he’s been working with others who are hard of hearing to refine the app … which could be a lifesaver.

National News

Backcountry Skiers Killed in Avalanche

(Northern California)  The bodies of eight backcountry skiers near Lake Tahoe have been found following an avalanche, the nation’s deadliest in nearly half a century.  The Associated Press reports authorities said the skiers had little time to react.  Six of the skiers that were on a guided tour were rescued hours after the avalanche, which hit Tuesday morning during a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.  The victims included three guides and ranged in ages from 30 to 55.

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