Crime/Public Safety

Surry Comprehensive Plan Benefitting Volunteer Fire Department

(Surry)  The Surry volunteer fire department responds to between 70 and 80 calls per year.  The Weekly Packet reports when Surry adopted its Comprehensive Plan in 2024, it identified two major needs for the department – replacing aging equipment and improving access to reliable water sources across the town.  Two years later, the town has acquired a new custom-built fire truck, and officials continue to work on the water supply issue.  The department’s goal is to ensure year-round access to at least 10K gallons of water for fire suppression approximately every five miles.  Three primary projects have been identified – Flood Stream near the Old Surry Schoolhouse which is almost complete, a 15K gallon cistern on Newbury Neck due to finish this year, and access improvements at Goldstream Pond, set for 2027. 

New Data Indicates Most Arrested During ICE Surge Had No Criminal Record

(Augusta)  A new round of data released this week by the Deportation Data Project indicates out of 192 people arrested by Immigration officials in late January, only 12 had criminal convictions, and just over two dozen had pending criminal charges.  The project tracks immigration arrests and cases, purportedly using publicly available government data and information obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests.  The Portland Press Herald reports the arrests in Maine were made during a surge that occurred between January 20th and 28th.  The data does not include information about minors who may have been detained.  Thirty-seven of the 192 arrested were deported as of March 8th, including six with criminal charges pending and only one with a criminal conviction.  

Local Politics

Citizens’ Initiative Ruled Invalid

(Augusta)  A citizens’ initiative that would restrict transgender athletes’ ability to compete in school sports has been ruled invalid, due to issues with the signatures gathered. According to a lawsuit filed last Friday, the issues would prevent the initiative from being on the ballot.  The Portland Press Herald reports the challenge alleges Secretary of State Shenna Bellows erred in determining proponents had gathered enough valid signatures to send the measure to voters in November.  The suit, filed by three Maine residents, argues there are a “host of issues” with the signatures gathered, with some allegedly appearing suspicious because they look like they were made in the same handwriting on behalf of numerous people.  The Secretary of State’s office declined comment, citing potential action by the Legislature.

Economy

Annual Hancock County Food Drive

(Ellsworth)  No fooling, there’s an amazing amount of food insecurity here in Maine.  More than one in ten Maine households goes without suitably nutritious food, making Maine the most food insecure state in New England.  There’s also an amazing number of people who turn out to help meet such needs.  This Saturday, Healthy Acadia kicks off the 15th annual Hancock County Food Drive, an annual food collection and fundraising project that supports food pantries, free meal programs, and school backpack programs across Hancock County.  Look for volunteer first responders and others at local groceries and other locations April 4-11, and please give as generously as you can.  The food drive will then continue through April.  Learn more at h c food drive dot org.  

Winter Moratorium for Residential Utility Customers Ends April 15th

(Maine)  Winter protections for residential utility customers will end on April 15th.  Customers struggling to pay their electric bills are urged to seek immediate assistance through their utility company.  Options include making payment arrangements, financial assistance programs, tips for improving efficiency, and usage and billing alerts.  Anyone needing information about income-qualified resources can visit the Maine Office of the Public Advocate website at maine dot gov.  

Education

Community College Tuition

(Augusta)  Governor Janet Mills is pushing hard to make free tuition at the state’s community colleges permanent.  The move has the backing of community college leaders and students who have benefitted from the program.  The Portland Press Herald reports the initiative has allowed more than 23K students to attend community colleges tuition-free since 2022.  The proposal is included in this year’s supplemental budget, along with language that would enshrine it into law in perpetuity.  Originally offered to high school graduates from the classes of 2023, 24, and 25, the program covers tuition and mandatory fees averaging $3,800 a year for up to two years of study for an associate degree or certificate at any of Maine’s seven community colleges, provided students file the FAFSA and live in Maine while enrolled.

Schools in Limbo with Mental Health Funding

(Maine)  A federal government decision to eliminate grant funding for counselors, social workers and other mental health professionals last year left some schools in Maine without the means to hire critical staff. Maine and Vermont, the two most rural states in New England, had the highest suicide rates in the northeast among those ages 10-17.  That’s according to data tallied by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Maine Monitor reports that following a judge’s order in December, some education institutions regained part of that funding; but it amounted to just half of what was anticipated for the year, and schools are uncertain about whether they’ll receive more of the congressionally allocated funding in the future.  The uncertainty prompted two districts – based in Eastport and Livermore Falls, to decide against hiring mental health providers for the 25-26 school year.  The ongoing uncertainty has led to difficult conversations in participating districts regarding budget accommodations vs. a growing need for such professionals.

Health

Safe Harbor Recovery Celebrates Five Years

(Machias)  Safe Harbor Recovery in Machias is celebrating five years of service.  Safe Harbor is the only certified recovery residence in Washington County that serves women from across the region.  The Safe Harbor Residence for Women and Children provides wraparound support for women in all stages of recovery and is one of the only houses in the state where mothers can live with their children.  Supported in part by MaineHousing, the center is operated through a collaborative effort between Healthy Acadia, Community Caring Collaborative, and Aroostook Mental Health Services.  Residents often arrive with little or no resources, and it can take time for them to find employment or enroll in supportive programs.  Anyone interested in donating can contact Healthy Acadia.

Three Lifestyle Tweaks Could Add to Longevity

(WaPo)  Three manageable tweaks to our behavior could have an outsize influence on how long and well we live.  That’s according to a study involving tens of thousands of people and reported this week in the Washington Post.  The study by Australian researchers determined adding about five minutes of sleep, two minutes of exercise, and half a serving of vegetables a day to our normal routines could be expected to add a year or more to lifespans.  More surprising, the researchers concluded the benefits from those three tiny habit tweaks, when taken together, noticeably outweighed larger changes to any one of the behaviors by themselves.  

Infrastructure

Cooke Aquaculture to Pay for Repairs to Commercial Pier in Lubec

(Lubec)  Cooke Aquaculture has agreed to pay for repairs to the newly rebuilt commercial pier in Lubec.  The damage was apparently caused when an 80-foot vessel owned by the company, the Ocean Provider, collided with the pier in February, damaging three pilings.  Cooke Aquaculture apologized and agreed to cover the full repair costs.  The incident prompted the Lubec Board of Selectmen to institute a 60 foot length limit for vessels using the pier.  Repair cost is estimated at around $40K.  The Coast Guard is currently investigating the collision, which could result in a warning or civil penalties if wrongdoing is determined.

Human Interest

Big Jim Restoration

(Prospect Harbor)  Big Jim has lost his head – and his arms and legs and items the 40 foot tall statue held as it has stood outside a former sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor for some sixty years.  As Downeast Digest reported last fall, the Penobscot Marine Museum has been raising funds to restore the statue, first erected in 1959 along Route One in Kittery to promote the state’s sardine industry.  In the late 1960’s, Big Jim was moved to Prospect Harbor and stationed outside the Stinson Cannery, which would go on to become the last operating cannery in the U.S., closing in 2010.  Originally holding a sardine can, most recently Jim hoisted a lobster trap.  The museum is in the process of raising $30K to restore the statue through Belmont Boatworks in Belfast.  This weekend, the statue was dismantled to begin that process.  Once restored, Jim will preside over the marine museum in Searsport for a time as part of their Sardineland exhibit before returning home to what’s now Bold Coast Seafood in Prospect Harbor this fall.

CAAWHC Partners with Friends in Action

(Ellsworth)  Community Action in Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock Counties will partner with Friends in Action in Ellsworth to strengthen and expand supports for older adults in Hancock County.  Beginning May 1st, services currently delivered through the At Home Program with the agency will transition to Friends in Action, ensuring members continue receiving transportation, deliveries, and essential support without interruption.  The collaboration allows CAAWHC to focus on expanding Adult Day Services in .

Hancock County – which they say is an increasingly critical need in a region with no publicly available nursing home beds and growing demand for daily in-person support.

Efter Honored

(Ellsworth)  Dom Efter, owner of Downeast Graphics and Printing, has been chosen to join Bangor Savings Bank as a Corporator.  A Corporator is primarily a member, stockholder or organizer of an organization.  Dom and his wife, Arlyn Whitelaw, are two of the most generous people you’ll find anywhere, and are key supporters of Downeast Digest News and Nice and Easy Internet Radio.  Congratulations, Dom – well deserved and a great asset to Bangor Savings.  

Ehrlenbach Honored

Big congratulations as well to Debra Ehrlenbach, Chamber Citizen of the Year.  Ehrlenbach led the fundraising to install a new playground at DeMeyer Field in Ellsworth and has spent decades volunteering her time on school boards, in hospitals, food pantries and more.

National News 04/01/26

Trump Shares Images of Presidential Library

(Miami)  President Trump this week shared the first images of his planned presidential library in downtown Miami.  A short video posted Monday night depicts a skyscraper that appears to be some 50 stories tall and filled with reconstructions of parts of the White House, military vehicles and at least two gold statues of Trump.  According to The Washington Post, the video on Trump’s Truth Social platform shows a gleaming glass and gold structure that would dwarf nearby buildings, topped by a red-white-and-blue spire.  The facility would be in contrast to the privately funded Obama Presidential Center which is set to open in Chicago in June and which is designed to inspire community action with a library, archives, and a community forum focused on educating and empowering visitors.

Iran Strikes Oil Tanker as Gas Prices Reach $4 a Gallon in U.S.

(Dubai)  Authorities in Dubai yesterday morning said they “contained” a Kuwaiti oil tanker after it came under attack from Iran.  Officials told the Associated Press there was no oil leakage and no injuries after an Iranian drone hit the tanker in Dubai waters.  U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022, as fuel prices continue to soar worldwide.  President Trump on Tuesday continued to express frustration with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war  effort, which they say has no clear endgame and about which they weren’t consulted.  Trump’s rants come after months of bashing once close allies and inflicting tariffs and other economic hardships on them.

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