Crime/Public Safety

Flaherty Preschool Kids Treated to Visit by First Responders

(Machias)  The Flaherty Early Care and Education Center on the UMM campus in Machias had a bit of an alarming situation recently that turned into a real treat for the kids, thanks to the Machias Fire Department.  The school reports first responders addressed an unplanned fire alarm drill with kindness, professionalism, and incredible understanding.  Not only did they make sure everything was handled smoothly, they also took the time to show the children the fire truck and shared that they were happy to return anytime with the truck or an ambulance.  Crews explained their goal is to help kids feel comfortable and safe and to recognize firefighters and EMTs in their uniform and with their equipment.  The school delivered some Bold Coast Donuts to the Department to show their appreciation.

Aging Resources Trouble First Responders

(Ellsworth)  The Ellsworth Fire Department is purchasing a new 2027 fire engine at a cost of $866K in order to replace a 19-year-old reserve engine and upgrade its aging fleet.  The Department and the Ellsworth residents who rely on the service are the lucky ones.  The Maine Monitor reports many Maine towns have similar needs, but prices have skyrocketed since the pandemic and Maine towns struggling under heavy tax burdens are responding by holding onto aging equipment.  Calais has been seeking federal funds for a new ladder truck for years – at 41 years old, the current truck is at least two decades past industry recommendations.  Even once a new purchase is approved, departments often wait months or years.  Surry plans to put in a request for a new truck this summer, but expects at least an 18-month wait before delivery.  Sources say price spikes are the culmination of industry consolidation, ever-changing safety and emissions standards, and President Trump’s tariffs.

Local Politics

Mills Drops Out of Senate Race

(Augusta)  Maine Governor Janet Mills on Thursday suspended her campaign for a US Senate seat.  Politico reports Mills was once the preferred candidate of national Democrats and remains the only member of her party to win statewide in Maine in nearly two decades.  The Governor issued a statement saying while she had the drive, passion, commitment, and experience to carry on, she lacked the one critical thing required by today’s political campaigns – financial resources.   Sullivan oyster farmer Graham Platner continues to lead in the polls and in fundraising and appears poised to be the candidate to take on Republican Senator Susan Collins, a five-term incumbent with a formidable electoral track record, come November.  

Legislature Fails to Override Mills’s Data Center Veto

(Augusta)  Work on a proposed data center at the site of the former paper mill in Jay will continue.  That after the Maine House this week failed to gather the ⅔ majority needed to override Governor Janet Mills’s veto of a bill that would have been the first in the country to pause development of the centers statewide.  The Portland Press Herald reports hours after the 72-65 vote, the Governor’s office announced she had signed an Executive Order creating a Maine Data Center Advisory Council.  

Economy

Halibut Fishing Season Begins May 18th

(Maine)  The Maine Department of Marine Resources has set May 18th as opening day for the Halibut fishing season.  The season will run through June 13th.  Regulations remain the same as in 2025. You can find those on the MDMR page at maine dot gov.

Peabody Memorial Library Grant

(Jonesport)  The Peabody Memorial Library  has been awarded a $10K grant.  The Association for Rural and Small Libraries Grant Review Team reports the Jonesport library’s grant application for the 2026 Sustainable & Resilient New England Libraries Grant was selected for full funding.  Library Director Heidi Hinkley said the funding will be a great help in replacement of current windows with new, energy efficient ones in the 110 year old library.  Congratulations!

Education

Blue Hill Students Get New Playground Gift

(Blue Hill)  Students at Blue Hill Consolidated School are floating on air … or we should say, sand …thanks to a new piece of playground equipment donated by Brooklin Boat Yard.   Penobscot Bay Press reports the company recently delivered a freshly built wooden skiff to replace a well-loved predecessor that had seen better days. The kit was donated by Hewes & Company of Blue Hill, and was installed, minus a bottom, in the playground’s sandbox, immediately becoming THE place to be.  Brooklin Boat Yard President Brian Larkin said in a press release, “A boat on a playground is  a classic piece of coastal childhood … kids in this community grow up around boats.  We’re glad to give them one more to climb into.”

Deer Isle/Stonington Students Get New Instruments

(Deer Isle)  Students at Deer Isle/Stonington schools will be belting out some celebratory tunes, thanks to a Massachusetts-based organization known as Music Drives Us  This week, they delivered 40 brand new instruments to School Union 76, valued at $97K.  WABI reports the organization’s goal is to serve as many communities throughout New England as possible to help save music programs, give grants for performances, and supply instruments.  The donation adds string instruments and replaces instruments that were student supplied or in poor condition.  Program Coordinator Jacyn Tremblan noted, sadly, music and the arts in general tend to be the first budgets cut, even though they’re known for bringing people together like no other medium.  Music Drives Us said their next instrument grant will go to another Maine school.

Environment

Residents Express Concern About Osprey Family at Ellsworth Track

(Ellsworth)  Residents are expressing concern about a family of ospreys at the Ellsworth school track whose nest was removed last September when new lights were put up.  The male has reportedly been hanging out at the track again and sitting atop the new lights, although no sign yet this year of his mate … and no sign of a new nest.  In this case, it appears the school and city would be responsible for a nesting platform, which is tough – likely impossible – with budget constraints.  Anyone with information about a possible new nest nearby is encouraged to report it to the Lamoine Osprey group on FB to hopefully put everyone’s minds at ease.

Full Moon

(Undated)  If the skies remain clear tonight, you might enjoy May’s first full moon.  Tonight’s spectacle is known as the “Flower Moon” to represent the abundance of flowers blooming in spring.  The name is attributed to the Algonquin – native tribes often used full moon names to track seasons.  It’s also a micro-moon because it’s near apogee – or farther from the earth, making it appear about 5% smaller and 10% dimmer than average.  We likely won’t see when it reaches its full brightness at 1:23 p.m. this afternoon, but experts say dusk will be good viewing as it rises on the eastern horizon.  Because the full moon is on May 1st, there will be two full moons this month.  The blue moon will occur on May 31st and will also be a micro-moon. 

Health

Ellsworth/Blue Hill Hospital Executive Retires

(Ellsworth)  It’s retirement day for John Ronan, President and CEO of Ellsworth and Blue Hill Hospitals.  The Ellsworth American reports Joe Gaetano, interim senior executive, will take the helm until a permanent replacement is found. Among Ronan’s most valued achievements, the 2023 opening of the Dixon Birthing Center at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, an especially critical addition with the closing of many other such centers. Ronan this week implored the Maine legislature to take action on the state’s healthcare issues, but said it must involve cooperation from Washington, as well.  After today, he says he plans to spend a lot of time fishing with a friend and guide on the Penobscot River and at his Green Lake property.

EHS Grad named 2026 Truman Scholar

(Ellsworth)  A 2023 Ellsworth High School grad has been named a 2026 Truman Scholar.  The school reports Elizabeth Ford, Valedictorian of her graduating class, is one of only 55 students nationwide to receive the honor, selected from a pool of nearly 800!  The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a federal fellowship awarded to college juniors who demonstrate exceptional leadership and commitment to public service careers. Recipients receive up to $30K for graduate studies, along with leadership training and networking. While at EHS, Ford worked with the Visual and Performing Arts Department and pit orchestra.  She currently works at Brandeis University and is interning with Healthy Acadia.  Ford plans to use the prestigious scholarship to pursue a Master of Public Health and advocate for rural health.

Infrastructure

Ellsworth Bridge Work

(Ellsworth)  Beginning this Monday, crews from the Maine Department of Transportation will begin soil testing work around the Union River Bridge in Ellsworth. The testing is part of early preparation for a future bridge replacement.  The City says expect one lane, alternating traffic across the bridge.  The area affected will include the lower light at State and Main Streets and will continue through approximately May 15th from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 6 to 3 on Fridays.  One sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians, and flaggers will be on hand for safety.  Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes or slow down and drive extra cautiously while traveling through the area.

National News 05/01/26

DOJ Moves to Bring Back Firing Squads

(The Hill)  You’ll likely do a double take when you hear this next headline, as did we – but it’s widely reported the Department of Justice is moving to bring back firing squads as a way of executing prisoners who have received the death penalty.  The Hill reports it isn’t just about the way executions happen, but the speed at which they occur and the kind of justice department the Trump Administration is building.  The DOJ under Trump says it’s about enforcing the law and standing with victims, but it overrides an appeals process that has been a safeguard for people like Ray Hinton who spent three decades on death row for a crime he didn’t commit and Kirk Bloodsworth, a former Marine who was exonerated after nine years in prison due to newly-discovered DNA evidence.  A  recent Gallup poll shows the country’s support for the death penalty has dropped significantly to just 50% – down from 80% in 1994.  

Iran’s Supreme Leader Vows to Protect Nuclear Capabilities

(AP)  An update now on the war in Iran.  The Associated Press reports Iran’s Supreme Leader on Thursday vowed in a defiant tone to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which President Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes as part of a wider deal to firm up the war’s shaky ceasefire. In a statement read on Iran television, the Ayatollah said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters” and that a new chapter was being written in the region’s history. The remarks come while Iran’s economy, its oil industry, and the world economy remain under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil is transported … and which the United States continues to blockade.  Yesterday, the global benchmark for oil traded as high as $126 a barrel.

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