Crime/Public Safety

Mobile Simulation Training Ambulance

(Bangor) A mobile simulation training ambulance is expected to make it easier for the state’s rural first responders by meeting them where they’re located.  MaineBiz reports Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center’s acquisition of the ambulance is expected to meet a growing regional need for advanced simulation training, especially with the latest information involving obstetrics and newborn care.  The need for enhanced training capacity is particularly critical after the closure of four maternity units in 2025; three within the center’s primary coverage area.  The center received a $35K grant to fund the purchase and outfitting of the ambulance, which is expected to roll out this summer across central, eastern, and northern Maine.

Town Hill Fire

(Town Hill)  Route 102 in Town Hill was closed for more than two hours yesterday as crews responded to a three-alarm structure fire that heavily damaged a commercial storage facility and an attached apartment at 11 West Eden Avenue.  The fire broke out shortly before 10:30 a.m., with heavy smoke and flames breaking through the building.  Four people living in the attached apartment escaped without injury but have been displaced due to damage to the building.  The Office of the State Fire Marshal is working to determine the cause of that blaze.

Orrington Trash Plant Fire Update

(Orrington)  The State Fire Marshal’s Office says a fire at Eagle Point Energy Center in Orrington started in a reclaim area where trash is dumped and sorted.  The fire was first reported last Tuesday night, but was under control by the next day.  Investigators say multiple items in the trash, including discarded batteries, could have ignited the fire.  Residents at Monday night’s Select Board meeting expressed concern about public safety, including questions about the health and safety of first responders who battled the blaze for several hours.

MorningStar Farms Recall

(Undated)  MorningStar Farms has issued a voluntary recall for two varieties of its frozen foods due to a possibility of plastic being present in the food.  The company is known for its vegetarian and plant-based foods.  The recall affects Buffalo Chik’n Nuggets and Hot and Spicy Sausage Patties, according to the FDA.  Anyone with the affected products should discard them and contact the company at morningstarfarms.com.

Local Politics

Judicial Center Ground Breaking Set

(Ellsworth)  The public is invited to a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hancock County Judicial Center in Ellsworth on Tuesday, July 7th at Noon.  The facility is a project of the Maine Judicial Branch, and the ceremony will include representatives of North Peak Architecture and Bowman Constructors of Newport, along with Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill and city and state dignitaries.  Attendees are advised to wear appropriate footwear.  You can access the site by an unpaved road off High Street behind Merrill Furniture.  However, they say parking will be limited, so plan accordingly.

Democrats Seek to Tie Collins to Abortion Debate

(Maine)  Democrats in Maine are expected to hold a news conference today, hoping to tie Republican Senator Susan Collins to her 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and the ultimate overturning of Roe vs. Wade, ahead of the November election.  The Portland Press Herald reports the Democratic Party this week launched an ad featuring Collins’s comments that she doesn’t regret confirming Kavanaugh.

Republicans Rally with Selection of Dunlap as Democratic Contender

(Maine)  Republicans say they’re happy State Auditor Matt Dunlap will be the Democratic contender running against former Governor Paul LePage for Maine’s Second Congressional District. The Portland Press Herald reports Republicans felt Democratic State Senator Joe Baldacci would have been a tougher opponent to beat, but Dunlap rose to the top in a contest that utilized ranked choice voting.  Still, sources say the race will be far from easy for LePage.  A University of New Hampshire poll in February of hypothetical matchups had LePage up by just one percentage point over Dunlap, a well-respected and personable figure in Maine political circles who has long-running friendships with people of both parties. 

All Articles Passed at Sullivan Town Meeting

(Sullivan)  All 43 articles were approved by voters at Monday’s Town Meeting in Sullivan.  Residents approved a municipal budget of $2,170,630, including county taxes but not including funding for education.  The last article asked the town to authorize the Select Board to apply for financial assistance for the Sullivan Play Area Improvement Project, including updates to the skatepark.  Other articles approved included funds for the town’s Age Friendly Committee, cemetery upkeep, and money for roads and community events.  

Economy

Merger Leads to Closure of U.S. Cellular Offices in Washington County

(Machias)  Folks in Washington County needing a retail outlet for cell service will find the offerings slim to none after PCT Communications this week closed the U.S. Cellular offices in Machias and Calais.  The closures were reportedly a corporate decision resulting from the U.S. Cellular/T-Mobile merger, leaving multiple employees without jobs.  Customers in the rural county needing retail service must now travel to Ellsworth or Bangor. 

Heart of Ellsworth Launches Dedicated Website for Makerspace

(Ellsworth)  Heart of Ellsworth has launched a dedicated website for the Makerspace at 16 State Street.  The venue is a growing creative hub located in downtown Ellsworth that itself grew out of a 2022 feasibility study that explored the need for a collaborative creative space.  Community input indicated a strong interest in a space where artists, makers, entrepreneurs, and others could come together to create, learn, and collaborate.  The new website, makerspace16state.org, provides a central destination for information about exhibitions, workshops, events, rentals and opportunities to engage with the Makerspace community.

ACAP Adds Evening Hours to WIC Program

(Presque Isle)  A program that offers free groceries to families with young children has added evening hours, after finding eligible families were walking away from benefits because they couldn’t miss work.  WAGM reports The Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, program can provide more than $75 in free groceries each month. with about 1,200 area families enrolled.  But program officers said eligible families weren’t renewing their benefits, often due to missed appointments.  Staff with Community Action of Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock Counties say twice a month, appointments will now be held in the evening, so working families can finish their workday and still receive WIC support.  For more information, visit a c a p dash m e dot org.

First National Bank Donates to Local Food Pantries

(Undated)  First National Bank has donated $45K to 39 local food pantries and food access programs across its Maine market area.  The funds will help strengthen food security for families, students, older adults, and others in communities the bank serves.  In a press release, President and CEO Tony McKin said “As a Maine community bank, we are committed to supporting these vital organizations as they help expand access to food and build stronger, healthier communities.”

Human Interest

Sears Island Oral History Project Launched

(Searsport)  Sears Island and the sandbar connecting it with Kidder Point at half-tide have long been important for clamming, fishing, hunting, and picnics.  Dating back thousands of years, the area was and is important to the cultural, economic, and environmental significance of the area.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports The Friends of Sears Island and the Alliance for Sears Island are collecting memories of Sears Island, with a focus on the time before the causeway’s construction in 1988.  Oral Historian Galen Koch will collect and preserve memories from volunteer narrators and produce archival-quality video, audio and text.  Those with first-person stories to share are encouraged to contact either group.  

National News 06/24/26

Senate for First  Time Approves War Powers Resolution

(Washington, DC)  In a rebuke to President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict, the U.S. Senate yesterday approved a war powers resolution, a first for the Senate.  The Associated Press reports the resolution seeks to block U.S. military action against Iran, even as lawmakers warily watch Trump’s efforts to resolve a conflict the administration launched on its own and now needs Congress to fund.  While the resolution is largely symbolic and does not fully carry the force of law, it reflects the growing concerns from a number of Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate over both the war and the deal Trump struck with Iran to end the conflict.  The House approved the resolution earlier this month.

Pentagon Asks Congress for $80B  to Cover Cost of Iran War

(AP)  The Pentagon this week told senators it needs roughly $80B to cover the cost of the war the U.S. and Israel started with Iran on February 28th.  The cost adds to an already sizable military spending boost being sought by President Donald Trump.  Meanwhile, in Washington, National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police patrolled the deck around the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, with the administration facing a self-imposed deadline to fix a botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration happening a week from Saturday.  The debacle cost U.S. taxpayers more than $14M and almost immediately resulted in an algae bloom that turned the pool green.  Hydrogen peroxide poured into the pool to stem the algae issue then caused the blue paint to begin peeling and floating to the surface, where tourists were taking pieces as a memento of the costly failure.

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