Crime/Public Safety

Town of Prospect Gets New Tanker

(Prospect) The Waldo County Town of Prospect has acquired some pretty impressive new safety equipment.  The town has purchased a 1997 custom pumper/tanker.  They say the truck can hold 2500 gallons of water and is equipped with a powerful pump and an eight-person cab.  Kudos to Chief David Terry who reportedly brought the truck home right after that big February snowstorm.  

Machias Pharmacy Faces Fines

(Machias)  A Machias pharmacy raided last month by federal drug agents has been fined $5K for operating last year without a supervisory pharmacist. The Bangor Daily News reports Machias Family Pharmacy, owned by pharmacist Benjamin Okafor, was raided in February, after allegations surfaced that the pharmacy improperly recorded and dispensed controlled substances.  Okafor also owns Eastport Family Pharmacy, which was also searched.  No formal charges have been filed in relation to the warrants.  Okafor serves as the site’s pharmacist-in-charge, but court documents show his license was temporarily suspended for allegedly altering prescription labels to hide that he had erroneously dispensed a controlled substance.  Okafor said he tried but failed to find a replacement pharmacist.  For much of Washington County’s coastline, from East Machias to Lubec, Okafor’s pharmacies are the only options for residents.

Local Politics

Waltham Residents Gather at Town Meeting

(Waltham)  It’s Town Meeting season in Downeast Maine.  In Waltham, voters approved a $453K municipal budget that includes county taxes but not funding for education. Residents approved the hiring of an Animal Control Officer and said yes to a $60K budget for the Waltham Volunteer Fire Department.  Residents also approved raising more than $7K for outside organizations, including $1K for Hospice of Hancock County and $600 for the Loaves and Fishes Food pantry among others.

Lamoine Voters Discuss New Community Center

(Lamoine)  Lamoine voters this month approved a nearly $1 million 400 thousand dollar municipal budget.  The Ellsworth American reports the budget does not include county taxes or funding for education and is a reduction of nearly $200K from last year.  Select Board members attributed the difference to a decrease in this year’s road paving costs and the town paying off a five year land purchase loan.  Long-time Lamoine Consolidated School Administrative Assistant Betty Eaton, who is retiring this year,  was honored for her 26 years of service.  After a long discussion centering on improvements to the school gym versus moving ahead with a new community center concept, the town approved the latter, along with $15K for dune restoration.  Lamoine Beach has suffered significant erosion from storms in recent years, and proponents say the dunes will look natural and sport native plants.  

No Kings Rallies Planned Locally

(Ellsworth)  Hundreds of communities plan to participate in Saturday’s No Kings rallies, a national movement designed to show resistance against alleged abuses of executive power.  Previous rallies have been held in more than 40 cities across Maine.  In Ellsworth on Saturday, the rally will begin at Noon at Ellsworth City Hall, with special speakers and music. There will be a peaceful police presence, and attendees are urged to keep the gathering non-violent.

Economy

Local Store Lowers Prices to Help Customers

(Columbia Falls)  A convenience store in Columbia Falls is doing the unthinkable – lowering their prices.  Elmer’s Country Store says about a month ago, they were able to secure better pricing through a distributor from whom they buy most of their candy, grocery, chips, and other items.  As the items come in at a lower price, Elmer’s is adjusting the prices down.  They say shelf tags don’t yet reflect every markdown, they’re working hard to get there.  Elmer’s is also a gas station; and while they say they can’t do anything about the prices at the pump, they know folks are struggling and want to do their part to make everyday items a bit more affordable.

Environment

Ellsworth Considers Funding to Protect City’s Trees

(Ellsworth)  Ellsworth City Councilors are considering a proposal to set aside funds in next year’s budget in order to help protect the city’s tree canopy.  Nearby communities in recent years have identified the presence of the invasive emerald ash borer, an insect that has caused widespread damage across the U.S. and Canada.  It’s not an issue that is new to the city.  In the 1970’s and 80’s, the city’s trees were decimated by Dutch Elm Disease.  Arbor Commission Chair Tabatha White told the Bangor Daily News at that time, the city didn’t do anything; and as a result, lost all its elm trees.  If approved, the proposed $100K would be used to identify and treat at-risk trees.  A final decision is expected when the budget is finalized in June.  

UMaine Installs Weather Station

(Orono)  University of Maine Cooperative Extension has installed a research-grade weather station in Orono.  The station is part of a statewide network that will eventually include 26 stations across all 16 counties, providing real-time local weather and soil data to help farmers decide when to irrigate, spray crops, or protect against frost.  The project aims to inform decision-making as climate variability increases, with researchers hoping the system will help increase yields and better manage crops across the state’s farming regions.

Ellsworth Moose Lodge Leads Rail Trail Cleanup

(Ellsworth)  Look for a whole lot of moose on the Ellsworth Rail Trail on April 4th. Beginning at Noon, members of the Ellsworth Moose Lodge will be leading the effort to rid the trail of debris and trash accumulated over the winter.  They’ll partner with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to spruce up the trail, which connects the downtown area with Ellsworth Falls. Taking it a step further, the Moose Lodge also will assist with collecting trash bags during Clean Up Week, April 18 through the 25th, plus they provide a cookout for those who participate in the annual Card Brook Cleanup – this year, on Saturday, May 9th.  

Ellsworth Announces Easter Egg Hunt

(Ellsworth)  Bring the kids!  The Ellsworth Easter Egg Hunt is planned for Saturday, April 4th, beginning at 1 p.m. at Knowlton Park.  There will be more than a thousand eggs filled with candy, three age groups for fair and fun hunting; and, of course, the Easter Bunny will be on hand!  Bikes will be awarded at the end of the hunt, but you must be there in order to win.  Questions?  Call the team at the Ellsworth Moose Lodge.  

Health

Workouts Could Help Prevent Alzheimer’s

(WaPo)  Scientists say they may have discovered why working out can lower Alzheimer’s risk.  According to a new study in mice, exercise prompts the liver to release a protein that travels to the brain and helps repair a leaky blood-brain barrier that can weaken with age.  Want to take action?  Citing the study, the Washington Post says do these eight things:  move more and sit less, eat a healthier diet, stay connected socially, challenge yourself intellectually by reading and with brain games, reduce alcohol intake, get vaccinated, sing your heart out – belt out tunes, even if you’re not Adele, and finally …  take naps.  They say even a ten minute nap can have profound effects on cognition and mood, in addition to alleviating that afternoon slump.  Didn’t get all those?  You’ll find them with this story on our website, downeast digest dot news.

National News 03/25/26

Delta Suspends Flight Perks for Members of Congress Amid TSA Concerns

(Undated) Get in line like everyone else  …  Delta Air Lines says it is suspending perks for members of Congress as TSA employees continue working without pay and as airport security lines grow at airports nationwide amid the partial government shutdown.  The decision follows  unanimous approval of a proposal to end the preferential treatment lawmakers receive at airports, including allowing them to skip the line at security checkpoints.  .  

WalMart Heiress Calls for ICE to Release Detainees

(Forbes)  WalMart heiress Christy Walton appears to be behind a full page ad published in Sunday’s New York Times calling for the release of detainees without criminal records being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Forbes reports the ad reprints the text of the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unlawful searches and seizures and requires probable cause for warrants.  The ad also references a Cato Institute study finding 73% of people held in ICE custody since last October had no criminal conviction.  Walton, a vocal opponent of the Trump Administration, last year placed a full page ad promoting the No Kings protests, noting her views were solely her own.

SAVE America Act/Government Shut Down

(NBC)  Sources familiar with negotiations between the White House and Congress yesterday told NBC News Senate Republicans believe they’ve found a path to reopening the Department of Homeland Security, helping to put an end to the partial government shutdown.  The path involves funding all of DHS with the exception of Immigration Enforcement and deportation operations under ICE.  Once DHS is functioning again, Republicans would use a filibuster-proof process to fund the rest of ICE and pass limited portions of the so-called SAVE Act, an election bill that would disenfranchise thousands of voters but that is a top priority of the President. Opponents say the SAVE Act would fix a problem that doesn’t exist, largely because non-citizen voting is already illegal. The conservative think tank “The Heritage Foundation”, found only 65 convictions of non-citizens voting in federal elections voting in federal elections since 2000, out of one point four BILLION votes cast.

Citizens of Twin Cities Receive JFK Profiles in Courage

(Mnpl-St. Paul)  The people of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul are 2026 recipients of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.  The people are recognized for peacefully resisting federal immigration enforcement, creating rapid-response networks and protesting to protect neighbors and immigrant communities during a major federal enforcement surge.  It’s widely held that the Trump Administration hoped to provoke riots, allowing them to declare martial law.  Thanks to the courage and steadfastness of citizens of the Twin Cities, that didn’t happen.  The award honors acts of political and moral courage.  It’s the first time a community, rather than a specific individual, was recognized for a collective act of resistance.

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