Crime/Public Safety
Orland FD Dispatched to Blueberry Field Burn
(Orland) The Orland Fire Department was called to an out of control burn at a blueberry field Saturday night. They say the issue began when the wind shifted. Along with an engine and tanker, members responded with their personal ATV’s and UTV’s. A ranger from the Maine Forest Service also arrived to assist. Firefighters from Penobscot and Castine were called in after an initial assessment of the blaze, but personnel on the scene were able to get the fire under control when it got to the wood line, so Castine Fire was cancelled. Crews were dispatched shortly after 6 p.m. and were on the scene about two hours before clearing the scene.
Penobscot Not Issuing Burn Permits During Road Closure
(Penobscot) A reminder the town of Penobscot is not issuing any burn permits during the ongoing Bayview Road, or Route 175 closure. The road closed April 20th and is expected to remain closed through May 20 to replace a failing culvert and rebuild the road at Mill Creek. The project will raise the road elevation and install a larger-capacity concrete culvert to reduce flooding during storms and king tides. Bucksport Fire and EMS are covering calls on the west side of the project, while Castine EMS is also ready to assist there. The Blue Hill Fire Department is also on call.
Bangor Hit and Run
(Bangor) Authorities are investigating a suspected hit-and-run that happened shortly before Noon Saturday on I-395 near the Main Street overpass in Bangor. Witnesses reported a black Ford Mustang struck a Volkswagen coupe, causing the coupe to spin out, go off the roadway, cross the entering ramp from Main Street, roll over the guardrail, down the embankment, into the woods. The driver, a 20 yo woman from Chester, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Mustang spun out into the concrete barrier in the median, and its driver was seen walking away from the scene on foot. A photo of the man submitted to a tip-line matched that of the Mustang’s registered owner, 48 yo David Harris of Brewer. Harris was located and arrested Sunday morning at his apartment and was taken to the Penobscot County Jail, where he faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
Downeast Fire and EMS Conference
(Bar Harbor) Good news for EMS providers looking for a way to get hours without traveling across half the state. The inaugural Downeast Fire & EMS Conference is planned for May 15 and 16 in Bar Harbor. Built by and for Maine responders, the conference will provide great training and familiar faces right in your backyard. Interested persons are encouraged to register promptly before spaces fill. You’ll find a registration link with this story at downeastdigest dot news.
Local Politics
Lubec Asks Town to Take On Care of Fishermen’s Memorial
(Lubec) The town of Lubec has been asked to take over care of the Lubec Fishermen’s Memorial. The Maine Monitor reports the memorial, located in a small park overlooking the nearby narrows, was installed in 2016 and is engraved with the names of those lost while working at sea from 1900 to the present in the waters off Washington County and Charlotte County, New Brunswick. Currently managed by the Lost Fishermen’s Memorial Committee, the group maintains a small fund for upkeep. They say the recent death of 63 yo lobsterman Thomas West makes a decision on the matter a priority. The town is forming an interim committee to handle engravings, maintenance, and events until a vote at the August town meeting.
Mills Explains LD 307 Veto
(Augusta) Governor Janet Mills on Friday vetoed LD 307, a bill that would allow a temporary moratorium on data center projects. Such projects are highly controversial, in large part because of the amount of water and electricity they reportedly use. According to NewsCenter Maine, Mills said she would have signed the bill had it included an exemption for a project already underway at the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay, which closed in 2023, taking critical jobs with it. The mill’s owner previously said the data center would not use more electricity or water than the paper mill did and would bring hundreds of construction jobs to the area. The town of Jay has already worked for two years on the $550M data center project in hopes of bringing jobs and investment back to the region. Mills did sign into law another piece of legislation that will block data center projects in Maine from getting the state’s business development tax incentive programs.
Plans for New Orland Fire Station Tabled
(Orland) As of this month, there are no firm plans in place regarding the old fire station in Orland. The River Observer reports the town didn’t receive any bids to purchase the former station on School House Road, following its request for bids posted on March 20th. The RFP set a minimum of $300K to purchase the unused property, which includes two buildings with a connecting hall and an attached garage, which was to be moved to a site behind the Orland Town Office. Constructed in 1972 with an addition in 1992, a Bangor engineering firm estimated fixing deficiencies at the former site would cost more than $500K, so a new fire station was proposed and approved by Orland voters in 2023 and then completed in 2025.
Bill to Provide Funding for HomePort Receives Approval
(Deer Isle/Stonington) A bill to provide funding for redevelopment of the former Island Nursing Home in Deer Isle into affordable senior housing received approval last week from the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and was enacted in the House and Senate. As amended, the bill proposes a one-time appropriation of $250K to the Maine State Housing authority to support the redevelopment, known as HomePort. Island AdVantages reports the monies will support renovations, estimated at $2M, and help leverage additional private and federal investments. The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Holly Eaton of Deer Isle, noted senior housing in Hancock County is desperately needed and that the bill would go a long way in supporting the project.
Economy
Lubec Addresses Clam Seeding Issue
(Lubec) The Lubec Shellfish Committee is expected to meet this afternoon to discuss clam seeding. According to The Maine Monitor, an audience member at a recent select board meeting expressed frustration with the slow pace of the program, noting harvesters in other towns are seeing better productivity. The Shellfish Committee earlier this year voted to pursue clam seeding. However, because clam seed is in limited supply, members said they expect to be put on the Downeast Institute’s waiting list. The committee had agreed to move ahead with a temporary, do-it-yourself seeding effort in which clammers would collect undersize clams and plant them in closed flats. Tonight’s meeting on the issue will include a visit by MDMR’s Heidi Laughton, who will help the group secure the necessary permits.
Gouldsboro Firm Selected for Excelerator Program
(Gouldsboro) A Gouldsboro Seaweed manufacturer has been accepted into Blue Institute’s Blue Excelerator as part of its climate resilience section. MaineBiz reports Springtide Seaweed, LLC was founded in 2017 by former Maine Sea Grant seaweed agent, Sarah Redmond. It’s the largest integrated USDA certified organic seaweed company in the nation, providing seaweed seed to industry and research institutions throughout the U.S., and training hundreds of seaweed farmers on four continents. Springtide Seaweed has received federal funding to develop new cultivation systems for high-value seaweed known as nori and dulse. The Blue Institute program’s goal is to support ventures building practical solutions to ocean health, climate resilience, maritime systems and water security.
Queen City Athletics Expanding to Bucksport
(Bucksport) Queen City Athletics is expanding to Bucksport, the 24/7 fitness facility’s fourth area location. The Ellsworth American reports the gym, set to open in the next few weeks, is located next to the Family Dollar off Route 1. Owner Shawn Demaray said he’s considering opening a fifth location this summer in Lincoln. Demaray said he looks for communities that don’t have a gym but that could use one, as well as for areas that are “very community driven” for sports programs. He added his company tries to target busy people by being open 24 hours a day. When customers join, they download an app that connects to a scanner in order to enter the gym. Queen City Athletics offers membership plans for families, youth ages 13 and up, adults, and seniors.
BMV Hits the Road with Mobile Branch
(Augusta) The Bureau of Motor Vehicles last week launched its new mobile branch, a portable unit that can deploy in towns that don’t have direct BMV services. Branded BMV4ME, the mobile unit was unveiled in Augusta before hitting the road for a ribbon cutting in Belfast, where mobile services will be offered on an ongoing monthly basis. The unit will provide the most popular and common services, such as drivers’ license and state ID services, renewals, first-time issuance, address and name changes, learner’s permit services, and disability placards. The mobile branch will be open to walk-ins. It will operate beginning April 29th in Dover-Foxcroft, scheduled there on the first and last Wednesday of each month, in Houlton on the 4th Thursday of each month, in Machias on the first Tuesday of each month, and in Belfast on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Visit Maine.gov or check with your local town office for specific times and locations in each municipality.
National News 04/27/26
Shots Fired at WHC Dinner
(AP) President Donald Trump and his cabinet have not been shy about their disdain for and disrespect in addressing the news media. Trump has pointedly refused to attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – until Friday. The Associated Press reports the first course was being served when shots rang out in the hotel lobby. Secret Service members rushed in and whisked the President, First Lady, and members of his cabinet off stage. A suspect was taken into custody outside the banquet hall. As with other reported assassination attempts, many are questioning the inconsistencies, including how a weapons-laden suspect could get past the tight security known to be enforced by the Secret Service since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963 and a later attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan.
Trump Doubles Down on Need for Secure Ballroom
(Undated) It was the first time Donald Trump had attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as President of the United States and occurred after a judge ruled he cannot build his ballroom for non-security reasons without congressional approval. During the first course at the dinner Friday night, shots rang out in the lobby, with many questioning how a heavily armed gunman got past well-known stringent security. Trump and his cabinet were whisked away and immediately held a press conference using the shooting to defend the building of the White House ballroom – a front for a heavily guarded safe bunker. Meanwhile, thousands continue to push past the distractions and keep the pressure on as the Iran War drags on, oil prices continue to rise, and the secrecy surrounding the Administration and the Epstein files continues to haunt survivors who have failed to see any action taken against suspected perpetrators, particularly those at the highest levels of government.
Press Freedom Week
(Washington) The White House Correspondents’ Dinner kicks off “Press Freedom Week”, which officially begins today and emphasizes the importance of independent journalism, defending against threats to press freedom and recognizing the safety risks faced by journalists worldwide. Organized by the Associated Press, the events generally serve as a precursor to the UN-recognized World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd. We salute our fellow journalists and their ongoing commitment to bringing you the truth .. from our local journalists to those across the world in war zones. Thanks for being on the front lines of free speech.
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