Crime/Public Safety

Authorities Investigate Suspicious Package Received at Maine GOP Headquarters

(Augusta)  Authorities yesterday responded to the Maine GOP headquarters in Augusta on a report of a suspicious package.  NewsCenter Maine reports the area was evacuated and no injuries were reported.  Multiple law enforcement agencies are working to determine the contents of the package and ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact police.

Local Politics

Waldo County Continues to Struggle with Budget Cuts

(Belfast)  As Washington County pulls OUT of the thick of a budget crisis, Waldo County finds itself in the middle of a struggle there. The original proposal was for a 36% increase in Waldo County taxes for 2026, in order to meet current needs. That raised eyebrows – and voices, and County Commissioners have continued to send the Budget Committee back to the drawing board.  The latest proposal for the 2026 budget is a 13.6% increase over 2025.  It’s the third proposal in as many months, this time shifting spending to other years and leaving some positions unfilled.  Until a new budget is approved, the county must operate at 80% of its 2025 budget.

Red Flag Law Goes Into Effect

(Augusta)  Maine’s Red Flag gun law will become effective on Saturday.  The law allows for family members or law enforcement to petition the courts against an individual they deem to be a danger to themselves or others.  If so determined, a court can rule the person’s weapons can temporarily be taken from them.  Unlike the current Yellow Flag law, the new law allows the order to be renewed every year if deemed necessary.  

Cannabis Concerns

(Maine)  Yesterday we told you Ellsworth City Council voted to deny a chain known as Marijuanaville to locate in Downtown Ellsworth.  One concern – a study that reported unsafe levels of pesticides in multiple batches of concentrate from the cannabis chain.  Good thing somebody did their homework.  The Portland Press Herald reports Maine is the only state in the country where legal medical cannabis is not required to be tested for chemicals, mold, heavy metals, and other contaminants.  In spite of pushback from the industry, lawmakers in Maine are considering changing that with a proposal to hold the state’s medical and recreational cannabis to the same safety standards.

Economy

Ambulance Service Rates Could Rise for Belfast Area Towns

(Belfast)  A group of towns that receives EMS services from Belfast will likely be paying more – a lot more – under proposed new rates.  Belfast covers Belmont, Morrill, Northport, Swanville, and Waldo.  City Council members say they’ve been subsidizing those towns by charging less than it costs to provide the ambulance service, but cannot continue to do so.  The Bangor Daily News reports under the proposed new rates, the city’s revenue from those contracts would nearly quadruple over two years.  Northport’s current annual rate of $23K would increase to just over $45K over the next fiscal year and total $90K the year after.  Northport officials acknowledge it’s a significant jump, but say they think it’s fair considering the service received for many years.  Waldo town administrators say with their large population of senior citizens, they’ll have to think long and hard about the increase.  The new rates are based on actual per-call costs, which was about $500 last year. 

Ellsworth Chamber Presents Workshop on Compliance

(Ellsworth)  If your business was audited tomorrow, would you be caught off guard?  The Ellsworth Chamber is working to ensure your business is H-R ready with a workshop entitled “Business in Balance”.  They say common mistakes such as missing employee documents, overtime miscalculations, and failing to display required workplace posters, can lead to fines, penalties, and lawsuits.  The workshop is planned for Friday, March 6th, at 8 a.m. at the Moore Community Center and is billed as a hands-on session to help small Ellsworth-area businesses stay compliant and confident.  RSVP to katelin at ellsworth chamber dot org.

Health

Non-profit Dental Clinic to Open in Belfast

(Belfast)  Folks in Belfast will soon have something new to smile about. Penobscot Community Health Care is opening a nonprofit dental clinic.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports the eight-chair clinic will be located on the second floor of Seaport Community Health Center’s new integrated primary care clinic and is projected to provide critical care to more than seven thousand patients annually, regardless of their financial situation.  Bangor Savings Bank has donated $20K to the project, which, as a nonprofit, relies on philanthropy, grants and partnerships to offer its services and expand access to anyone in need.

Critical Blood Shortage

(Maine)  Imagine arriving at the hospital in need of a lifesaving transfusion, but finding the supply of blood depleted.  The American Red Cross is warning of a critical blood shortage, particularly Type O.  On Wednesday, March 4th at 9, Age Friendly Sullivan will host Caroline King of the American Red Cross talking about being Red Cross ready.  The practical session will focus on emergency preparedness, with attendees learning to feel more confident in unexpected situations – and that includes ensuring blood supplies are adequate.  Sign up to donate today at red cross blood dot org.  

Pharma Giant to Partner with Jackson Lab

(MDI) Jackson Lab and pharmaceutical giant Glaxo-Smith-Klein have agreed to a five-year deal focused on neurodegenerative disease research.  According to a press release, with Alzheimer’s disease a major target, the partnership’s goal is to unite human stem cell research with large-scale research systems, in order to bridge the gap between discovery and drug development.  Last fall, Maine-based Jackson Laboratory acquired the New York Stem Cell Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures through stem cell research.

Infrastructure

Coastal Towns Continue to Protect Coastal Roads from Sea Level Rise

(Maine)  Natural disasters remain high on the minds of coastal Mainers – the Great Maine Fire of 1947, the devastating ice storm of 1998, and the destruction caused by pounding waves and flooding in the back-to-back storms of 2023-24.  The road connecting Deer Isle/Stonington to the mainland was closed for hours due to flooding on the causeway.  Machias’s center was virtually underwater.  Seawall was littered with rocks and other debris.  The Bangor Daily News reports in the years since, coastal towns with vulnerable seaside roads have looked for ways to protect themselves from the growing threat of sea level rise and storms driven by climate change.  Obstacles such as the steep cost of raising roads and limited resources continue to hamper the necessary upgrades, as do cuts in federal funding.  While towns say they don’t have the choice to NOT make improvements, the “how” continues to drive conversation … and concerns.

Human Interest

Maine Discovery Museum Wins National Award

(Bangor)  The Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor has been awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.  The Bangor Daily News reports the children’s museum, which opened in 2001, features three floors of interactive exhibits in science, nature, geography, children’s literature, music, art, and anatomy.  It’s one of just ten to receive the award, presented by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  

Camden Rotary Club Donates to Ukraine

(Camden)  It’s no longer an isolationist’s world.  The introduction of modern transportation and technology have brought countries and their concerns closer than ever.  With that in mind, the Camden Rotary Club recently donated $10K to a Rotary program that provides generators to residents of Kyiv, Ukraine, where Russia’s destruction of that country’s power infrastructure has left three million people mostly without power and water this winter.  The generators cost from $480 up to $2500 each, with funds being collected from clubs in Canada, the US, and Mexico.  To donate, contact the Camden Rotary Club.  They say every penny donated will go to the relief effort.

Rural Maine Unites with Community Suppers

(NBC)  There’s a lot to be said for rural living.  But along with the peace and tranquility can come isolation.  Enter the nonprofit Community Plate.  After all, what better way to bring people together than over food?  NBC News reports the Maine-based program, named for a family heirloom,  was founded by Karl Schatz and Margaret Hathaway and designed to bring together strangers, not only to share culinary delights, but also to share their stories in inclusive, intergenerational, and non-partisan spaces.  Events are free, you just need to bring a dish … and a story to share based on a timeline.  People say it’s the best community-building event they’ve ever attended.  Care to learn more?  Sign up for their newsletter at community at community plate dot org.  

National News

Former Prince Andrew Arrested

(Britain)  Britain’s former Prince Andrew was arrested Thursday morning.  The Associated Press reports King Charles III’s brother was taken into custody on suspicion of committing misconduct while in public office, presumably related to the Epstein files.  Andrew was stripped of his titles last year because of the matter, but has long denied any wrongdoing.  King Charles responded with a statement saying, “the law must take its course” and promised the full support and cooperation of the royal family.

Schools Cut Ties with Diversity Organizations

(WaPo)  Bowing to threats from the Trump Administration, the Washington Post reports at least 31 schools have signed agreements to end links with organizations that “restrict participation based on race.”  The Administration objected to, among others,  the PhD Project,  a program that helps people of color pursue doctorate degrees.  The move by schools follows last March’s US Department of Education probe into 45 universities that partnered with such groups.  Among those caving to the pressure – the California State University system, Clemson University, and the University of Kentucky.  More than a dozen of the schools investigated are private, which means they are exempt from public records laws. Some of those schools, such as the University of North Texas system, have fought to keep their records secret from the federal government.

U.S. Considers Building Alternative to World Health Organization

(WaPo)  After pulling out of the World Health Organization last year, the US Department of Health and Human Services has proposed creation of an expensive replacement.  Recreating systems the United States once accessed as part of the W H O would mean spending two billion dollars a year – many times what it cost to have the same service under the global organization, which provides global disease surveillance and outbreak functions the US once helped build, according to three administration officials briefed on the proposal.   In cutting ties with the World Health Organization, President Trump accused them of demanding “unfairly onerous payments”; but the alternative being proposed by his administration is about three times what the U.S. contributed annually to the U.N. health agency.  

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