Crime/Public Safety

Gouldsboro PD Adds Paw Patrol

(Gouldsboro)  The Gouldsboro Police Department has a new recruit that’s bound to be a “paws-itive” influence on the department and on the community.  According to the Ellsworth American, a family in Steuben donated the 14-week old German Shepherd puppy named Aspen, who is now in training to become the newest police canine.  Aspen will one day replace 10 year old Kia, who is nearing retirement age.  Chief Jim Malloy, a self-professed dog lover, cares for both dogs off the clock.  He says Aspen’s receptiveness to orders and positive reinforcement are signs she’s up to the task in at least two critical areas.  Like Kia, Aspen is making the rounds at local schools and will no doubt one day be a vital addition in a rural area where officers are routinely called upon to track suspects and those who are lost.

Blue Hill Voters Approve Public Safety Building

(Blue Hill)  Voters in Blue Hill this weekend overwhelmingly approved a million and a half dollar bond for construction and design of a new safety building.  The project will renovate the former George Stevens Academy dorm on Tenney Hill to a station that will house fire and EMS services.  The current facility on Water Street has a myriad of issues, including inadequate space, the lack of an exhaust system, doors  too small for modern equipment, and inadequate insulation.  The town plans to seek federal funds to complement the approved bond funding.

Economy

Farmers Should Prepare for Higher Fertilizer Costs

(Maine)  Many things are out of the control of our country’s agricultural sector, including the weather, tight supplies, and, this year, the cost of fertilizer.  Much of the world’s fertilizer, like oil, is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.  But local farmers have the option of purchasing local fertilizer that’s not only more natural, but that also adds beneficial microorganisms to the soil.  One such local producer is Melody Kennedy of Longview Estate Worm Farm in Topsham, who makes her plant-promoting products from worm castings.  Finding herself unemployed a few years back, Kennedy began researching and formulating her product and now finds herself and her product in demand throughout New England. See for yourself –  learn more and find a schedule of farmers’ markets and expos where you’ll find Kennedy this spring on Facebook – or visit longview estate worm farm dot net.

Former Bangor Drive-In Screens Torn Down for Warehouse

(Hermon)  It wasn’t the curtains that fell, but the movie screens at the former Bangor Drive-In in Hermon Tuesday.  Although officials remain mum about plans for the site, the Hermon Planning Board last year approved the site for a 60K square foot warehouse.  Multiple sources have hinted that it will serve as an Amazon warehouse, though neither Amazon nor town officials have confirmed that.  

Kingfish Hopes to Begin Jonesport Fish Farm in 2026

(Jonesport)  It’s been four years of regulatory reviews, appeals, and courtroom challenges, but Kingfish Maine has now overcome every major legal and municipal obstacle necessary to begin building an 8500 ton fish farm recirculating aquaculture system, or RAS, in Jonesport.  Mainely Ag reports the turning point came a year ago when the Maine Supreme Judicial Court denied a final appeal against the company’s state environmental permits.  The 94-acre proposed site on Chandler Bay could, when developed, provide a multi-year economic ripple across Washington County.  Jobs involving skilled trades, along with contracting opportunities for earthwork, concrete, electrical and others will be needed in the construction phase.  Once operational, economists say the aquaculture facility will provide year-round jobs and generate local tax revenues, giving Jonesport a new industrial-scale taxpayer at a time when coastal municipalities are seeking to broaden their base beyond residential property.  

Conservation Corps Apprenticeships

(Augusta)  Each year, the Maine Conservation Corps trains some 100 AmeriCorps members in practical job-ready skills, including chainsaw safety, wilderness first aid, OSHA 10, rigging, and field operations.  Members receive housing during training, a weekly living stipend, and end-of-service career preparation in interviewing, resume development and job search skills.  Maine Ag reports partnerships with communities and other agencies ensure participants can launch straight into high demand careers.  The program is part of a pre-apprenticeship program for both AGC-Maine and MRWA. Training and experience gained through apprenticeships can be applied toward eligibility with both should a member wish to pursue that career pathway.  For more information, contact Christy Owen at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

COVID Has Lasting Effect on Work Habits

(Undated)  In order to stay operational during the pandemic, many businesses turned to having employees work remotely.  For some, that’s been a lasting trend.  WalletHub reports, today, around 12% of full-time employees work fully remote; another 27% follow a hybrid schedule, splitting time between home and the office.  In a survey of all 50 states using 12 key metrics, including percentage of people working remotely, internet costs, cybersecurity, and home size, Maine ranked number 40, well in the bottom half of national rankings.  The Pine Tree State ranked 29th for the work environment, and 45th for the living environment.  Leading the nation for remote work – Utah, Delaware, and Connecticut, with Alaska, Montana and West Virginia ranked among the most challenging for such work.

Environment

Bears Waking from Hibernation

(Maine)  As we mentioned earlier this week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is confirming that bears are beginning to awaken and emerge from their long winter naps; and that means it’s time to become “bear aware”. Experts say most conflicts between bears and humans come down to food.  If a bear learns to associate humans with an easy meal, they say it almost always ends badly for the bruin.  For safety’s sake, they say give bears space – as in football field size space, don’t leave food where bears can find it, secure your garbage and grills, make noise when hiking so as not to surprise them, carry bear spray and know how to use it.  Speaking of wildlife, the ospreys are beginning to return.  No sign of the Lamoine couple as yet, but the Village of Corea reports the pair that nest there flew in safely on Monday night.

MDIFW Commissioner to Step Down

(Augusta)  Judy Camuso was the first woman to lead the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife when she was appointed Commissioner in 2019.  On Tuesday, Governor Janet Mills announced Camuso will be stepping down.  Her last day will be April 30th.  Mills called Camuso a “consummate outdoorswoman, and a trusted advisor, friend, and valued partner” in her administration.  Camuso’s tenure was marked by expanded opportunities for hunters and anglers, the conservation of tens of thousands of acres for public access and fish and wildlife habitat, and a strengthening of Maine’s outdoor recreational economy.  Tim Peabody, who has served as Deputy Commissioner for the past 12 years, will serve as Acting Commissioner until Mills nominates a new  commissioner, who will then need to be confirmed by the Maine Senate.

Lobster Research at University of Maine

(Orono)  Supported by more than $2M in recent funding from NOAA, Maine Sea Grant at the University of Maine is driving critical American Lobster Initiative research with the launch of a new, competitive research program this spring.  The program prioritizes collaborative projects that pair scientists with commercial harvesters, dealers, and community partners, focusing on  identifying lobster habitat shifts, and assessing the effects of climate change on larvae and adult behavior.  They say the research often involves collaboration with MDMR and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, in order to ensure science informs sustainable management.  Studies have shown a roughly 60% decline in lobster populations within traditional rocky habitats, with a trend toward more dispersed non-rocky habitats, possibly due to changing temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England.

Infrastructure

Park Loop Road Construction

(ANP)  The National Park Service this week began site work to prepare for the repaving of five miles of the Park Loop Road at Acadia National Park.  The road is closed to vehicle traffic through April 15th; and with this construction, all visitors, including walkers and bikers, will be unable to access the road from the start of the one-way section to Kebo Street.  

Human Interest

Lesser Known Wyeth to be Highlighted at Farnsworth

(Rockland)  You’re likely familiar with the works of Andrew Wyeth and his son Jamie.  This spring, the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland and the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville will be highlighting the works of Andrew’s influential wife, Betsy.  “By Design:  The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth” will be the first exhibition to fully examine the life and work of the pioneering designer of immersive environments and the creative partnership she shared with Andrew.  The show will open May 2nd and run through the end of the year.

COA Students Participate in Back to Back Wool Challenge

(Bar Harbor)  A group from College of the Atlantic is getting ready to “knit it” in an International Back to Back Wool Challenge, racing to turn raw fleece into a finished sweater while raising funds for Sarah’s House, a home away from home for the families of those being treated for cancer in the Bangor area.  The Mount Desert Islander reports the COA Spinsters will take on the challenge on Saturday, April 18th, beginning with a sheep shearing at 8 a.m.. The team of seven will then rotate between spinning the wool into double-strand yarn and knitting together the sweater pieces.  COA Professor Susan Letcher, who is heading up the team, expects the effort to last well into the evening. The San Diego County Spinners set a new USA record last year with a time of 7 hours, 12 minutes, 5 seconds.  The COA team says they’ll be happy to be under 16 hours; but the focus on local resources, sustainability, handwork, and creating something collectively, is perfectly aligned with COA’s overall mission.

National News 04/08/26

US Strikes Iran’s Main Oil Export Hub

(Iran)  The United States military Tuesday morning launched air strikes against Iran’s Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.  Sources say the U.S. struck more than 50 targets on the island.  It’s the second time the U.S. has attacked the island since the US and Israel invaded Iran on February 28th.  President Trump appeared to back off from an earlier threat to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges unless the country opened the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, although he said nothing was off the table.  Intentional strikes on such civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime and violate international law, according to a spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.  

Moon Crater Dedicated to Astronaut’s Late Wife

(NASA)  As the crew of Artemis II began sending never-before-seen pictures of the dark side of the moon, along with stunning pictures of the giant blue marble we call home, a heart-rending scenario was unfolding between the ship and NASA.  The New York Times reports The Artemis II astronauts requested that an unnamed crater on the moon be dedicated to Carroll Wiseman, the wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman.  Carroll passed away of cancer in 2020 at the age of 46, leaving behind Reid and two daughters.  A pediatric nurse practitioner, Carroll refused to let Reid give up his dream of becoming an astronaut when she was diagnosed – in spite of his insistence on doing so.  Carroll Crater straddles the boundary between the moon’s near and far sides and can at times be seen from earth as a bright spot on the moon.  

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