Crime/Public Safety

Annual Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service

(Augusta)  The Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Augusta, dedicated in 1991, serves as a tribute to fallen officers who chose to serve others and who made the ultimate sacrifice.  Each year, an observance is held at the memorial, attended by police officers from across the state, families of the fallen, dignitaries, and members of the public.  This year’s ceremony is planned for tomorrow morning, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Memorial, located on State Street near the state capitol.  This year, an additional name has been added – that of Perley C. Kennie of the Westbrook Police Department.  Kennie died August 11, 1966, after suffering a heart attack while on duty, as he carried a pregnant woman to the emergency room at Maine Medical Center in Portland.  The ceremony welcomes all who wish to attend.

Cold Case Arrest

(Westbrook)  He almost got away with murder … and did so for nearly 40 years.  A Westbrook man has been charged in the death of his girlfriend, whose body was found, her throat slit, in their apartment in 1987.  Twenty-three yo Alice Hawkes was killed in October that year. The case went cold, although authorities did investigate Stephen Bouchard, her boyfriend at the time, and declared he wasn’t a suspect.. Last year, officials renewed an investigation into Hawkes’s death, and a Cumberland County Grand Jury indicted Bouchard on a murder charge on Thursday.  Bouchard is being held without bail.  The story is developing – we’ll keep you updated.

Maine Forest Rangers Seminar

(Augusta)  After the great fire of 1947, the Maine Forest Rangers and others took critical steps to ensure such events wouldn’t happen again and that they would be better prepared to fight such blazes.  At Noon today, communities concerned about wildfires igniting structures are invited to join an online presentation to learn about wildfire trends in Maine, key land use planning considerations, and available funding and technical resources for communities. They say there are state grants available which can help communities develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and that can lead to implementation grants for fuel reduction projects.  We’ve shared a link to the presentation on our social media pages.

Local Politics

King Co-Sponsors American Seafood Competitiveness Act

(Washington, DC)  Senator Angus King has joined Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in introducing the American Seafood Competitiveness Act, a bipartisan effort to give fishermen, processors, and coastal communities access to the same tools and resources long available to farmers of traditional agriculture.  King said whether crops have seeds or scales, America’s food producers are essential to the economy, and food supply … and, thus, deserve equal treatment.  The legislation would open the door for sea-dependent farmers for grants, loans, and financing that can help businesses modernize, expand, and stay competitive and would make it easier for fishermen to access capital for vessels, permits, and operations.

Lubec Confirms Committee Appointments for Lost Fishermen’s Memorial

(Lubec)  A Lubec fisherman and community members from Milbridge, Steuben, the Passamaquoddy tribe, and Campobello Island are part of a committee that will oversee interim management of the Lost Fishermen’s Memorial in Lubec, as control is being passed to the town of Lubec.  The memorial, installed on the Lubec waterfront in 2016, is a monument to fishermen lost while working in the waters off Washington County and nearby New Brunswick. The Maine Monitor reports the interim committee will oversee the monument until the Lubec town meeting this fall, when residents will vote on whether to accept the arrangement.  Under the new arrangement, local fishermen will have a voice in how the memorial is managed. Controversy arose last year over whether to add the names of Chester and Aaron Barrett, a father and son lost off Trescott.  Their names, along with that of Thomas West, a lobsterman who recently died off Steuben, will be added to the memorial, and fundraising will cover the cost of engraving, rather than families being asked to contribute as they have been in the past.

Lobstermen’s Committee to Look at New Conservation Measures

(Stonington)  Lobstermen in Zone C, Stonington and Blue Hill, recently voted unanimously to establish a subcommittee to recommend new conservation measures that could be adopted at either the zone or statewide levels.  Island AdVantages reports Zone D already has such a committee, and such efforts are spreading statewide.  The council argued thoughtful conservation measures would not only improve sustainability but could also boost profitability for fishermen, who are committed to the industry.  The message resonated with lobstermen, who have struggled with higher costs and other issues amid a challenging regulatory environment that doesn’t always recognize fishermen’s already self-regulating efforts because they recognize protecting the waters in which they fish affects their bottom line.

Economy

Tourism Down in 2025, But Spending by Tourists Up

(Maine)  Maine saw fewer visitors last year; but those who came spent more.  The Portland Press Herald reports, according to the Maine Office of Tourism, visits were down by about four and a half percent. But tourists spent $9.37B dollars in 2025 – an increase of 1.4% from the year before.  Most who visited came from Canada; although those numbers were down from the previous year.  Less than 5% of visitors were from other countries.

Education

Shaw Institute Brings Science to OOB Classroom

(OOB)  Distance is no longer an obstacle when it comes to world-class speakers sharing with local classrooms of students.  Recently, Dr. Charles Rolsky, Executive Director of the Shaw Institute in Blue Hill, did a virtual interview with Jacquie Palmer’s fifth graders at Loranger Memorial School in Old Orchard Beach.  The students were reportedly well-prepared, offering questions about ocean pollution and microplastics.  Locally, no matter what your age, if you have questions or concerns about such topics, be sure and visit the Environmental Education Center and touch tank at the Shaw Institute. Check their website for open days and hours.

Blue Hill School Collecting Bottle Caps

(Blue Hill)  Here’s an easy way to support a local school – Blue Hill Consolidated School is collecting plastic bottle caps for a project they’re planning for this coming September.  Astronaut Nicole Stott is coming for a visit, and they say they need LOTS of the caps for a special project they’ll be doing with her.  Clean caps can be dropped off at or mailed to the school in Blue Hill.  

Infrastructure

Public Works Crews Install New Signs

(Ellsworth)  Public Works Crews last week installed “Welcome to Ellsworth” Historic Main Street signs.  Heart of Ellsworth encourages you to look for the new signs, provided to Maine Main Street America communities, that have shown what’s possible when historic downtowns are cared for, invested in, and held to strong national standards through Main Street America.  They say the signs are one more way the City of Ellsworth is stepping into a shared legacy while celebrating the district that makes the city authentic.

Human Interest

Deer Isle Native Sets Out to Navigate Baffin Island

(Deer Isle)  It’s going to be a cold, wet summer for Henry Penfield and friend Caleb McDaniels.  Penfield, a Deer Isle native, will set off May 24th with his friend to ski, hike, and packraft 2300 miles in a five-month journey around Baffin Island.  Along the way, they’ll collect data on vegetation expansion and the impacts of thawing permafrost on Baffin’s rivers.  Island AdVantages reports neither man is new to such feats.  When Penfield set off for his freshman year at Bowdoin, instead of driving, he chose to row the 100 miles to Brunswick.  Two summers ago, the pair spent three months traveling 750 miles around Greenland.  While they planned to self-fund the trip, a few sponsors have stepped up, including Nervous Nellie’s Jams and Jellies – Penfield grew up just down the road from them.  If you’d like to follow their adventures and/or support them, their website is sanfords.org.

Saltwater Farm Works to Improve Life

(Sullivan)  Kim Swan is building a little piece of paradise at Swan Song Saltwater Farm in Sullivan – and not just for humans.  Already lush with organic gardens and cottages for special retreats on the water’s edge, now the stage is set for the first rescues.  Swan writes on FB, the whole reason she wanted the property so badly was to have a beautiful spot so that animals who didn’t have a great start can finally have the life they deserve. Swan and friends have created a beautiful spot where abandoned cats can safely have a gorgeous view while acclimating to a new home.  The group is working with Laurie at Downeast Feral Cat Connections, with the first arrivals already finding a welcoming home space after struggling through hardships in Winter Harbor, although caretakers there did their best to help.  If you’d like to donate to DFCC’s spay/neuter and other lifesaving missions, visit them on FB.  And don’t miss Swan Song’s first organic, cruelty-free Farmer’s Market, May 24th beginning at 1 p.m. 

Woodlawn Plans Museum Season Opening

(Ellsworth)  It’s almost time for the season opening of the Black House Museum in Ellsworth.  Opening day is May 27th, with a free Open House for Hancock County residents on Saturday, May 30th.  The historic house, one of the city’s most beloved treasures, features original furnishings of the prominent Black family, who built the Federal-style mansion in the 1820’s.  The estate was home to three generations of the Black family, including lumber businessman John Black.  For hours and days or to register for a tour, visit woodlawnellsworth.org.  Consider becoming a member so Woodlawn can continue to preserve and maintain the home, barn, trails, and other historic and present-day amenities that tell Ellsworth’s story of yesteryear and the years to come.

National News 05/11/26

Iran Sends Response to US Ceasefire Proposal

(AP)  Iran yesterday sent its response to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal via Pakistani mediators.  Tehran reportedly wants negotiations to focus on permanently ending the war.  According to the Associated Press,  Iran seeks to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iran-backed militia group known as Hezbollah.  Washington’s latest proposal addressed a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and roll back Iran’s nuclear program, an issue Tehran wants to address at a later time.  The White House had no immediate comment about Iran’s response, but did accuse the country of “playing games” with the US for nearly 50 years, adding, “They will be laughing no longer!”

Gerrymandering

(Undated)  Gerrymandering is a process in which a state redraws districts, most often in order to fix votes for a specific party … done for no reason other than a party realizes it cannot otherwise win an election the good old fashioned FAIR way.  In a single day last week, following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down redistricting maps, designed to bring fairness back to the voting process and approved by voters in a hard-fought referendum.  The will of the people, ignored. Tennessee Republicans passed a map eliminating the state’s only Black majority congressional district, making the Volunteer State a 9-0 Republican stronghold in a state that’s 17% Black. That same day, Alabama Republicans pushed a redistricting bill forward, as well; and the Louisiana Supreme Court fast-tracked the gutting of a Black majority district during an election that was already underway. Tens of thousands of ballots already submitted were tossed out.  Democrats are embracing the practice as well – but only temporarily and only, they say, as the sole measure in which they can fight fire with fire.  People who value voting rights and our democratic process should take note.

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