Crime/Public Safety

Agents Arrest Three on Drug Charges

(Baileyville)  A weeklong investigation into suspected drug trafficking at a Baileyville motel has led to the arrest of three people on rug-related charges.  Public Safety Information Officer Shannon Moss tells Downeast Digest, MDEA agents were assisted by multiple other agencies Monday in arresting 36 yo Katherine Smith and 37 yo Bruce Bailey of Baileyville, along with a 40 yo New Jersey man.  In addition to activity observed at the motel, agents obtained a search warrant for and found drugs in Smith’s apartment at 20 Monroe Street in Calais, locating additional evidence of drug trafficking.  The three suspects were transported to the Washington County Jail.

MSP to Graduate New Troopers

(Vassalboro)  The Maine State Police will graduate 20 recruits, including four women, this Friday at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.  The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.  The Recruit Training Troop Program is an eight week advanced training program that follows the 18-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program.  It’s primarily nonresidential, allowing recruits to begin adjusting to the demands and structure of a Trooper’s daily responsibilities. Upon completion, graduates are sworn in as Maine State Police Troopers.  

Volunteer Fire Departments On Call

(Hancock)  You hear the sirens and watch the engines roar by, but you might not realize how often those volunteer firemen’s and women’s lives are put on hold as they immediately respond to emergencies.  Take the Hancock, Maine volunteer fire department, for example.  In February, they responded to just over a call a day – two smoke investigations, a propane leak, 2 mutual aid structure fires, one each – traffic control request and law enforcement assist, and 26 medical calls.  In addition to such emergencies, these volunteers undergo regular training for everything from CPR to ice rescues.  Kudos to all our first responders for the time and effort you put in to be ready whenever needed..

Local Politics

Proposal Would Create Fund to Help Turn Vacant Schools Into Housing

(Augusta)  A new proposal seeks to create a fund that would help municipalities turn vacant school buildings into housing.  The Maine Morning Star reports the bill, LD 2164, would provide financial and technical assistance to communities to help them convert unused school buildings into residences, including units dedicated to affordable housing.  Maine needs more than 80K new housing units by 2030, according to a 2023 statewide housing study.  Proponents say old school buildings are centrally located, have infrastructure in place, and are typically beloved by communities, making them perfect facilities for such conversion.

Economy

Wallet Hub Survey Reflects Tough Economic Times

(Undated)  If you’re finding it tough to save for emergencies, you’re not alone.  A recent Wallet Hub survey reveals 64% of respondents find their income levels make it difficult to save for potential crises, with 36% blaming inflation, while another 36% point to their debt.  In other findings, two in three Americans say the affordability crisis has affected their emergency savings.  59% of those surveyed said they include emergency savings in their monthly budgets; but more than one in four expect someone else to bail them out if they run out of money.

Health

Scientists Create Autism Panel

(WaPo)  Citing RFK, Jr.’s politicization of science, a group of scientists has launched an independent advisory panel on autism.  The group of prominent researchers launched the panel Tuesday as a  counterweight to the advisory board being reshaped in January by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s appointment of new members, many of whom have echoed his controversial views, including promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism. The new group will do more than speak out against misinformation; they say they’ll also create a research agenda that reflects the progress and promise of autism science and report annually on key research advances.

Respiratory Illnesses Prompt Cautions from Shriners Children’s Hospitals

(Undated)  With respiratory illnesses continuing to circulate among children this winter, the medical staff at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Boston are issuing a word of caution – noting a rising trend in serious burns caused by homemade humidifiers using boiling water.  Nurses at the pediatric hospital, which specializes in burn wound care, say they’ve treated multiple children this season for second degree burns after pots of boiling water were used in bedrooms to ease congestion and cold symptoms.  Shriners advises avoiding any home remedy involving boiling water.  If burns are suffered, they say immediately run the burn under cool, not cold, water, don’t apply oils, butter or ointments, never use ice on a burn, and seek prompt emergency medical care.

Environment

Researcher Develops Model to Protect Freshwater Fish Worldwide

(Orono)  Nearly a third of freshwater fish species are facing the possibility of extinction, threatening food supplies, ecosystems, and outdoor recreation. A researcher at the University of Maine Orono has developed a model to protect freshwater fish worldwide from extinction.  Assistant Professor Christina Murphy has spent the past five years collecting data, programming, and testing.  With her colleagues, she developed a computer model that identifies potential threats to more than 10K freshwater species worldwide.  While some models are already too late when incorporated, Professor Murphy’s model analyzes millions of connections to determine which species are in immediate danger and can then suggest resources that can be deployed in advance…  before a species is irreversibly imperiled.  Learn more at u maine dot e d u.

Woodcock Dance

(Warren)  If you don’t mind traveling a bit at the end of this month, you can catch a unique dance party in Warren.  According to Mid-Coast Audubon, the sky dance of the woodcock is one of the most exciting signs of spring in Maine.  Just after dusk, the chunky birds perform a unique mating ritual.  Join the Georges River Land Trust on March 25th at 630 p.m. to watch, learn and share in the excitement at the Trolley Marsh Preserve.  The event is free and open to everyone, but you need to register at georges river dot org, forward slash events.  They say wear waterproof boots, warm layers, and prepare to enjoy yet another sign of spring in the Pine Tree State.

ANP Trail Closures

(ANP)  Trail closures are a sure sign of spring at Acadia National Park – that is, the closures in effect to protect nesting peregrine falcons.  The National Park Service has posted the closure of areas, including Jordan Cliffs Trail, Penobscot East Trail, Precipice Trail, and Valley Cove Trail, in order to protect the raptors. In addition, the parking lot for the Precipice Trail will remain closed to vehicles until further notice.  Research has shown that nesting peregrine falcons are particularly vulnerable to human activity, making them less attentive to their eggs and chicks; and sometimes, even causing adults to temporarily abandon the little ones, leaving them susceptible to hypothermia, starvation, and predation.  The NPS will reopen the closed areas once park officials deem it safe to do so.

Human Interest

Unified Basketball

(Ellsworth)  Unified Basketball partners student-athletes with intellectual disabilities with other student partners.  This Saturday, eight schools, including Ellsworth and MDI will participate in the Courageous Steps project as it hosts its eighth annual Unified Basketball Fun-Day at Orono High School.  According to The Ellsworth American, each team will play two games, with Ellsworth playing Brewer at 10 a.m. and Old Town at Noon.  MDI will take on Orono at 11 and Hermon at 1.  Admission, which is good for the entire day, is just $5 per adult, $3 for students, and $10 for families. Seniors get in free.

Maine Maple Sunday Weekend

(Maine)  You can taste the sweet syrupy goodness on those pancakes now!  Mark your calendars for Maine Maple Sunday weekend – this year, March 21 and 22.  Sugar houses have been tapping the trees and boiling down the sap to make all kinds of goodies.  Real maple syrup comes from Maine maple trees, not factories, and is made by boiling sap collected from maple trees, using time-honored methods passed down by Maine producers for generations – no additives or shortcuts.  We love Church’s Sugar Shack in Columbia Falls, where you can enjoy a tour of the whole process, then enjoy maple candies, sugared nuts, and so much more at their weekend event.  Wherever you visit, have a sweet one!

National News

Hiring Surge Forces Cuts to ICE Agents Training

(WaPo)  Concerns about the quality of training for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents have mounted for months.  Records obtained by The Washington Post show the program dramatically cut its basic training program amid a hiring spree meant to speed up the Trump Administration’s deportation efforts.  While a former ICE instructor testifying during a congressional hearing last week denied any reduction in the amount or quality of training provided ICE recruits, the previously undisclosed records corroborate a whistleblower’s accounts that ICE last year removed about 240 hours from its basic training program, or more than 40% of instructional time.

Confidential Database Reveals Trump’s Efforts to Rewrite History at National Parks and Monuments

(WaPo)  A confidential database accessed by The Washington Post reveals items targeted for review in order to whitewash American history in the country’s National Parks. Among displays flagged, an entire exhibit on the brutal murder of Black teen Emmit Till in Mississippi.  At Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, a document describing an abolitionist’s murder by a mob is being scrutinized to determine whether it might “denigrate the murderers”.  The signs and materials are among several hundred flagged at hundreds of National Park locations since last summer, in response to the Trump Administration’s orders to scrub sites of “partisan ideology”, descriptions that “disparage” Americans, or materials that stray from a focus on the nation’s “beauty, abundance, or grandeur.”   Closer to home, signs located on Cadillac Mountain and near the Great Meadow wetland, detailing the impacts of climate change on Acadia National Park were removed in late 2025, prompting criticism from conservation and other groups.  

War Powers Resolution

(Washington, DC)  A group of Democrats on Tuesday, including Maine Congressman Jared Golden, introduced a new War Powers Resolution to uphold Congress’s constitutional authority while ensuring the US can continue to defend service members, embassies, and allies from Iranian aggression.  The new resolution instructs the President to end US military action in Iran within thirty days unless Congress authorizes further use of military force.  The Portland Press Herald reports Maine Independent Senator Angus King has indicated he would likely support the original resolution, which required immediate withdrawal of US forces, while Republican Senator Susan Collins has not yet commented on her position.  The Trump Administration and Israel continue to pound Iran, as Iranian forces retaliate with strikes on several countries in the Middle East, and American officials warn U.S. citizens to be prepared for retaliation both at home and abroad.  Trump attacked Iran without Congressional approval as required by the US Constitution, prompting the upcoming vote on the War Powers Resolution.  

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