Crime/Public Safety

Buxton Woman Arrested for Arson

(Buxton)  Authorities have arrested a Buxton woman in connection with a February vehicle fire there that they determined was intentionally set.  Investigators say 43 yo Adriane Williams started the fire that destroyed a 2011 Subaru Impreza after an argument with her boyfriend, whose family member owned the car.  Williams is charged with arson and was being held at the York County Jail. 

ACC Locker Rooms Closed After Wall Collapse

(Augusta)  Augusta Code Enforcement officials Monday confirmed several locker rooms at the Augusta Civic Center have been closed, following the collapse of a concrete brick wall on Saturday.  WMTW reports a high school basketball team was inside the locker room, preparing for a championship game when the wall collapsed.  They say, fortunately, no one was injured.  A review is planned this week to determine why the wall collapsed and whether there are other safety issues present.

Economy

Opera House Arts Receives Grant

(Stonington)  Opera House Arts has been awarded a grant from the Maine Arts Commission for general operating funds.  The funds are especially critical, as a recent request for $7500 in the coming year’s budget was denied by Stonington voters. The grant furthers the nonprofit’s goal of offering live theater, concerts, classic films and community events – at prices that are affordable.  The Maine Arts Commission provides grant funding to Maine artists, arts and cultural organizations, schools, municipalities and community partners with a goal of distributing public funding across the state to strengthen Maine’s arts ecosystems.  Visit their website for questions about eligibility, guidelines, and application dates.  

Deer Isle Gets Passing Grade from Auditor

(Deer Isle)  Deer Isle received a passing grade from an independent auditor’s report for the town’s 2025 financial statements.  Island Ad-Vantages reports Town Manager Jim Fisher presented the report at a recent select board meeting, noting it generally confirmed the numbers the town had used to build its 2026 budget, approved by voters at their Town Meeting earlier this month.  Fisher said the report showed the town in the neighborhood of $5M in fund balances and that they stayed within budget for the most part.

Education

Middle School Skills Camp

(Ellsworth)  Great news for area students in grades 6 through 8!  Middle School Skills Camp is back at the Hancock County Technical Center. The camp runs from 9 until Noon on Saturday, April 11th.  Sessions include a variety of interests … from culinary to welding, criminal justice to firefighter, health occupations, education and human services, multimedia design and more.  Check out the offerings and reserve your spot today on HCTC’s social media platforms.  

COA Student Draws National Attention for Work on T-Rex

(Bar Harbor)  Looks like producers may need to consider a remake of those Jurassic Park movies.  A College of the Atlantic student is drawing national attention as lead author of a newly published paper that is reshaping scientists’ understanding of how Tyrannosaurus Rex moved.  For decades, our imaginations have envisioned T-rex as a heavy, heel striking predator.  But research by 2026 COA graduate Adrian Boeye suggests the giants likely moved with a toe-first gait, rather than a flat-footed one.  Boeye’s findings have been covered in The New York Times, the Smithsonian Magazine, and other publications, and noted paleontologists have praised the rigor and scope of Adrian’s work.  Boeye notes “Tyrannosaurus is far more bird-like than we appreciate.”

Environment

Funding to Help Restore Wetland at Acadia

(ANP)  Wetland restoration in Acadia National Park is one of ten such projects that will share $4.6M from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program.  According to The Maine Monitor, the Park will use its funds to improve its largest freshwater wetland, which has seen extensive flooding in recent years.  Heavy rain and a partially collapsed culvert under the Park Loop Road contributed to flooding along the Jesup Path, a popular boardwalk near the Great Meadow wetland, in the Spring of 2023.  Money comes from developers who pay into a state program which allows them to purchase credits as compensation for effects their projects have on natural resources, rather than undertake mitigation efforts on their own.

Health

Belfast Appoints New Public Health Nurse

(Belfast)  Public health nurses are critical to the communities they serve.  They’re tasked with addressing social needs, sharing information on disease prevention and monitoring, and assisting with community clinics and screenings  – the latter to help connect individuals who are managing acute and chronic conditions with the resources they need.  Belfast’s new Public Health Nurse is Megan Harvey, a longtime care team member who will work with the Belfast Public Nursing Association, which has provided care to vulnerable community members for more than a century.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports Harvey joined Waldo Hospital in 2008 and has spent nearly two decades caring for patients across multiple clinical settings, earning a prestigious MaineHealth Excellence Award in 2018 for her exceptional performance and commitment to patient-centered care.

Free Physical Therapy Screenings

(Ellsworth)  If you’re a cancer survivor, caregiver or community member with concerns about mobility, balance or strength, sign up for a free physical therapy screening on April 3rd at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth.  The screenings are provided by Husson’s Doctor of Physical Therapy students and licensed professionals and are open to anyone having difficulty with daily activities or anyone looking for guidance on safe movement and exercise.  Attendees will receive individualized education tailored to their specific needs and interests.  Appointments are available April 3rd between 10 and 2.  Contact the Center to sign up.

Human Interest

2026 Annual Sheriff’s Cup Champs

(Ellsworth)  Congratulations to the 2026 Sheriff’s Cup Champions!  The event pulls together an exciting weekend of youth basketball for middle schoolers.  This year’s champions in the Girls’ Division, the Presque Isle Wildcats, with runners up AYS.  In the Boys’ Division, AYS walked away with the first place trophy, with the Ellsworth Eagles scoring as runners up.  Sheriff Scott Kane said all the teams played with incredible skill, sportsmanship, and determination.  The event was started by Kane more than 20 years ago and has grown from six local teams to more than 40 from across the state.  The Sheriff’s Cup has raised more than $160K in its first two decades, with funds supporting the Hancock County Sheriff’s Charities.

Stonington Lobster Buoy Washes Ashore in UK

(Stonington)  Ah, the stories this buoy could tell … that’s buoy with a ‘u’.  An inflatable Stonington lobster buoy made the journey all the way to the U.K., washing ashore there last week, still partially inflated.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports a March 5th email to the publication indicates Devon Drew was having a quick dip on a local beach when he came across the buoy, which had the name of Ben Hardy of Stonington and his vessel, the Faye Renae, written in indelible ink.  The tale is a testament to the hardiness of the thick-walled polyform buoys commonly used in Maine waters, as well as the hardiness of anyone who would go for a swim in March in the chilly Atlantic!

Ellsworth Landmark Receives Second Rehab Grant

(Ellsworth)  The Ellsworth Historical Society has received a second federal rehab grant to help rehabilitate the Old Hancock County Sheriff’s Home and Jail.  The 19th century building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been a labor of love and dedication for the historical society.  President Betsy Arntzen told MaineBiz the close to $186K grant will allow them to address essential exterior carpentry needs that, if deferred, would threaten the building’s historical fabric.  EHS received a REvitalizeME grant of $200K in 2022 that funded rehabilitation and the rebuilding of damaged areas across the structure’s entire historic brick exterior.

Winter Market at Woodlawn

(Ellsworth)  Yesterday felt like a spring day here in Downeast Maine.  Spring officially arrives on March 20th, so what better way to celebrate than at the Winter Market at Woodlawn on Saturday, March 21st! The event will run from 10 until 1 inside the barn.  Come enjoy a wide variety of unique local vendors, offering everything from jams and syrups, to bacon, to pottery, woodworking, jewelry, baked goods and so much more.  Discover handcrafted one-of-a-kind items and support regional and local makers in a warm, rustic setting.  Beyond shopping, there will be a new tale on the story trail, as well as free coffee, tea, and cocoa in the barn.  See you there!

National News

Iran Names New Leader

(Iran)  Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei its new Supreme Leader, following the death of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after a US strike on the country.  Fox News reports President Trump is “not happy” with Iran’s selection.  The war with Iran has sent global oil prices skyrocketing past $100 a barrel as the regime has cut off shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.  Meanwhile, American citizens across the Middle East continue to face roadblocks in leaving the region. The U.S. State Department says it has established a Crisis Intake Form for US citizens in Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Trump Administration Asks for European Support

(WaPo)  After spending the past year dismissing Europeans as pathetic and irrelevant, the Washington Post reports the Trump Administration is now asking Europe to get behind him as he wages war alongside Israel in order to force regime change in the Middle East.  European leaders initially distanced themselves from the attack on Iran, but are now, of necessity, ramping up their response, as the crisis spreads across the world. The Administration wants access to strategic European air bases and is rebuking countries who refuse unflinching support.  The continent’s leaders say they are wary of speaking against a leader whose sensitivity to any criticism often leads to petty backlash, but that they are legitimately concerned about a conflict that could bring untold ramifications to their doorstep in a war that has little, if any upside for Europe.

G-7 Leaders Decide to Hold Off on Tapping Oil Reserves

(WaPo)  The conflict in Iran continues to push oil prices toward $4 a gallon, shaking global stock markets in the process.  On Monday, the Washington Post reports G7 leaders opted to hold off on tapping emergency oil reserves, but signaled they may soon release that crude into the marketplace.  The move appeared to help calm stock markets, which by Monday afternoon had recovered some of their early losses.  World leaders are growing increasingly concerned that oil prices will continue to climb, triggering broader inflation at a time many U.S. consumers are already concerned about affordability.

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