Crime/Public Safety/Drugs

Body Found in Vehicle on Remote Logging Road

(GLS)  Authorities say the body of a man found in an out-of-state vehicle on a remote logging road may have been there for weeks.  According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle was discovered late Tuesday evening off Amazon Road in Grand Lake Stream.  The death is not considered suspicious.  The body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta to try and determine the victim’s identity and manner of death.

National Teen Driver Safety Week

(Augusta)  October 18 – 24 is National Teen Driver Safety Week.  According to the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, the number of teen driver fatalities across the state has doubled in recent years.  They say across the U.S., traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 18-year-olds. They urge parents and caregivers to have ongoing conversations with their teens about safe driving habits and the importance of understanding the rules of the road and the responsibilities that come with getting behind the wheel.  

MDEA Agents Arrest Two in Bangor

(Bangor)  MDEA Agents on Thursday arrested two people on drug trafficking charges after a search warrant was executed at a Bangor apartment.  The search warrant was the result of a months-long investigation into the trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine base, or crack, that included undercover purchases.  During a search, agents confiscated drugs with an estimated street value of $7K and more than $4600 in suspected drug proceeds.  21-year-old Anthony Diaz of Massachusetts and 23-year-old Morgan McNealy of Bangor were arrested and taken to the Penobscot County Jail, with more arrests and charges expected in the investigation.

Authorities Look for Driver Who Injured Construction Worker

(Bangor)  Authorities are looking for a driver they say caused injury to a construction worker Wednesday morning when his truck struck a barrier and an orange construction barrel, propelling the barrel into a Northeast Construction employee.  The incident happened just after 8:15 a.m. near mile marker 150 northbound on I-95 in Pittsfield.  The employee, 56-year-old Richard Smart of Westfield, was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The truck, a silver pickup hauling a black dump trailer, continued on without stopping, but investigators believe the man driving was aware of the incident.  Witnesses say he turned around in his vehicle as the crash happened before speeding away.  Maine State Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Bangor RCC.

Fatal Bangor Fire

(Bangor)  Authorities are investigating a fatal fire that happened Wednesday morning at a two-unit apartment building on Cedar Street in Bangor.  In addition to the fatality, they say two other occupants were taken to Northern Light EMMC for smoke inhalation.  Both were treated and released.  The cause of the fire remains undetermined.  The identity of the victim is being withhold, pending an examination by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Local Politics

No Kings Rally Planned

(Ellsworth)  No Kings rallies are planned nationwide tomorrow, protesting the ongoing practices of the Trump Administration perceived as riding roughshod over the U.S. Constitution and Democracy.  In Ellsworth, the No Kings event will begin at Noon at City Hall, with live music, speakers, and a march led by local veterans.  Peacekeepers and medics will be on site, with proceeds from donation buckets going to a Brewer-based nonprofit.  Attendees are encouraged to bring signs, make their voices heard peacefully … and, they say, vote early.

Economy

AIO Announces New Director

(Rockland)  Nicole Chaplin has been tapped as new Executive Director of Area Interfaith Outreach, or AIO, succeeding Alan Kearl, who is retiring after years of dedicated service to the organization and Knox County.  According to a press release, Chaplin brings more than two decades of community-based nonprofit leadership experience, most recently serving as Director of Early Childhood Programming and Head Start with Kennebec Valley Community Action Program.  AIO hosts the annual “Fill the Strand” event to raise money for food and heating assistance, an event carried forward by Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Ellsworth’s “Fill the Grand” each year to help stem food insecurity in Hancock County.

Stars Over Katahdin Provides Economic Boost for Region

(Katahdin)  Those dark, dark skies, meant a bright economic boost to the Katahdin region this month.  Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument reports this year’s “Stars Over Katahdin” drew close to 500 registered guests.  The free community event included solar telescope viewing, family naturalist activities, a model rocket launch, and dinner options at two food trucks.  The annual dark sky event received feedback that it had a measurable economic effect, with Katahdin Valley Motel, Pine Grove Campground, and Mt. Chase Lodge, all reporting high occupancy … and shared enthusiastic feedback from guests traveling a good distance and supporting sustainable tourism during the shoulder season.  One source recently ranked KWW #1 of 18 best dark sky places in the United States.

Environment

Update on Ocean Algae Bloom in Penobscot Bay

(PB)  Environmentalists say the ocean algae bloom that has affected Penobscot Bay is beginning to dissipate.  The Pen Bay Pilot reports harmful algae blooms occur when simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater grow out of control and produce toxins harmful to people and animals.  The Maine Department of Marine Resources in a press release last week said the bloom that spread into the bay in late September appeared to be falling apart.  MDMR asks folks to be on the lookout for discolored water, rust to brown to almost black, unpleasant odor, and mortalities among marine organisms and to report them to the agency.

Health

Belfast Health Programs Receive UMC Grants

(Belfast)  Two Belfast programs dedicated to improving the health of Waldo County residents have received grants totaling $30K from United Midcoast Charities.  MaineHealth Dental Care Clinic received a $20K grant, with Belfast Public Health Nursing receiving $10K.  Both grants will support operating expenses, helping the organizations continue to provide critical services to community members.  BPHN has provided vital health support programs to vulnerable and underserved members of Waldo County for more than a hundred years.  MaineHealth Dental Care works to increase access to preventative and restorative dental care for low-income and uninsured adults, including cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments and more.

Human Interest

Kitten Adoption Event

(Ellsworth)  There’s no more purrrr-fect way to spend your Saturday morning than oooing, awwwing, and maybe even applying to adopt an adorable, cuddly kitten.  Downeast Feral Cat Connections will be hosting their first in-store adoption event on October 17th, from 9 to 1 at Tractor Supply in Ellsworth.  Then at 2, Tractor Supply will be holding a rabies clinic – so kitties in the morning, pups in the afternoon.  Come learn more about this wonderful animal rescue resource that works tirelessly to prevent animal suffering and overpopulation.  Downeast Feral Cat Connections – tomorrow from 9 to 1 at Tractor Supply in Ellsworth.  

More Americans Listening to Podcasts

(Kennebunk)  More Americans than ever are listening to podcasts.  According to Edison Research, an estimated 135M monthly listeners in 2024 jumped to 158M in 2025, and 167M this year.  The analyst “Podcast Statistics” says there are more than 4.5 million podcasts worldwide, with close to 500K new shows launched in just the last three months.  Still, a Portland Press Herald poll found nearly 40% of those surveyed say they don’t listen to podcasts at all, while 26% found them entertaining, 18% said they listened on a daily basis, and 4.5% called podcasts one of their main sources for news.

Ellsworth American Named New England Newspaper of the Year

(Ellsworth)  For the second consecutive year, The Ellsworth American has been named New England Newspaper of the Year in the weekly newspaper category.  Acadia Newspaper Trust, a nonprofit working to raise a million dollars to bring The American and its sister newspapers under nonprofit ownership in 2027, says the newspaper has for 175 years been part of Hancock County.  But continuing in the same vein, newspapers face an uncertain future. They invite folks to join them at a Kickoff Celebration on Thursday, October 29th, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Fogtown Brewing in Ellsworth.  Bring your questions and hopefully your donations, to help continue the mission of bringing the community local print journalism at its finest.

Chess Players to Gather at EPL

(Ellsworth)  Chess players from across the region will gather from Noon to 5 tomorrow at the Ellsworth Public Library, as the library and the Ellsworth Chess Club host the Dick Powell Memorial Chess Tournament.  The tournament honors Powell, who for decades devoted himself to the game and the young people he taught.  Powell helped organize the Ellsworth Chess Community and founded the chess program at Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary, where he coached for 28 years and where, during his tenure, his team won 39 state championships.

National News Headlines 10/16/26

In National News Headlines:

• President Trump has canceled Pete Hegseth’s planned livestream of the Fort Hood shooter’s execution by firing squad. The change comes after massive bipartisan outcry.  The President said only immediate families of the victims of the 2009 mass shooting would witness the execution.  
• And while the President has called new press secretary Katie Zacharia an Attorney – and Zacharia herself describes herself as a lawyer, research shows she never passed the bar.  The President called it “one big misunderstanding.”

In National News Headlines:

• Hours after sharing authentic footage of the moment a tiger attacked a man who entered an enclosure in the U.K., President Trump posted an AI video on his Truth Social account showing himself mimicking the hand gesture the British man – whose family says he suffered from mental illness – made as the tiger attacked and showing himself wrestling playfully with the tiger.  
• And Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer called adenocarcinoma.  Following surgery and removal of the cancerous nodule, yesterday the Associated Press reports his lung is recovering normally.

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