Crime/Public Safety

Meet UMaine’s Comfort Dog

(Orono) K9 Bear is the first-ever comfort dog to join the University of Maine Police Department in Orono.  The English Labrador Retriever arrived last June.  Unlike traditional police K9’s, Bear’s purpose is to assist his person – Sergeant Dover – and other campus police officers on mental health crisis calls in order to help de-escalate highly stressful situations.  He also provides a non-judgemental presence for victims during post incident support, and patrols campus during times of peak anxiety – think midterms.  Bear came to the campus through a generous donation by author Claire Hebert-Dow, who used the proceeds from her memoir “Saving Mama”.  She’ll be at the UMaine-Fogler Library today from 1-2 for those interested – and, yes, Bear will be there welcoming warm pats and words of encouragement – because, of course, we can all use a little comfort now and then.

Local Politics

Election Day Just One Week Away

(Maine)  With rising costs and short staffing, there have been no shortage of reports of issues with mail.   And with Election Day a week from today, especially in rural areas, experts say if you’re mailing in your ballot, do it no later than today.  Better yet, walk it into your town office by hand to ensure its timely delivery.  If you plan to vote next Tuesday but don’t have a way to get to the polls, check out carpoolvote.com, an organization that matches voters needing rides with volunteer drivers who can take them to the polls. If you’re voting absentee (Thursday is the last day to request an absentee ballot) , you can track your ballot at maine.gov.  Absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day, regardless of postmark.

Ellsworth City Hall Closed on Election Day

(Ellsworth)  Speaking of voting, Ellsworth City Hall will be closed for regular business on Election Day.  The Ellsworth City Hall is an official voting location, so it will be welcoming voters throughout the day on Tuesday.  Stop by Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday next week if you need to conduct other business.  Since town and city halls are often polling locations, it may be good to call ahead if you have business at other local municipalities.

Bobby Charles’s Campaign Fined for Violating Election Laws

(Augusta)  The Maine Ethics Commission on Monday voted unanimously to penalize Republican Bobby Charles’s gubernatorial campaign for violating election laws.  NewsCenter Maine reports the decision comes after Charles’s campaign collected more than $45K in contributions from 36 donors that exceeded the legal limit.  In Maine, the maximum allowed for contributors to gubernatorial campaigns is $2,075.  The campaign says it has returned the questionable donations.  The Commission ordered the campaign to pay a fine totalling $22,658.

Attorneys for Washington County Sheriff’s Office Challenge Budget Process

(Machias)  Attorneys retained by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office are challenging the county’s 2027 budget process, asserting commissioners failed to follow state law when turning over the draft budget to the Budget Advisory Committee last month.  According to the Maine Monitor, counsel also seeks three years of records concerning Sheriff’s Office budget requests and expenditures, personnel schedules, and county vehicle use.  Budget committee members expressed concern about the expense to taxpayers, but sources confirm attorneys for the Sheriff’s Office are paid by the Maine Sheriff’s Association and not taxpayers. In his role as commissioner, Billy Howard has been involved in fiscal debates concerning local law enforcement, including an initiative to freeze overtime for the Sheriff’s Office, which argues a lack of officers and cutbacks in coverage by Maine State Police have made overtime necessary in order to patrol the large county, respond to crime in a timely manner and keep citizens safe.

Bar Harbor Takes Action Against Cruise Ship Transporter

(Bar Harbor)  Crowds and Congestion vs. Cruise Ship numbers vs. Local Merchants  – the battle in Bar Harbor continues to await a decision by a federal court that could determine the scale of the cruise ship industry going forward.  In 2022, voters approved an ordinance limiting disembarkations from cruise ships, leading to litigation by a group of businesses that says the limit harms their bottom line.  This month, the Portland Press Herald reports, Bar Harbor sent a notice of violation to a private pier owner for disembarking passengers without a permit, adding to the quagmire.  Town officials say they want to compromise but that it’s hard to move forward with so many active lawsuits.

Education

Grant to Train Workers for Skilled Jobs

(Augusta)  Maine has secured $5.6M in federal grant funding to train 500 workers for jobs in high-demand skilled trades.  MaineBiz reports employers need skilled workers for such key Maine industries as defense shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, construction, and related trades.  The grant will provide career planning, short-term training, industry-recognized credentials and paid work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships.  In addition, the funds will help staff at Maine Career Centers, a division of the Maine Department of Labor, connect participants with workforce resources.  Contact the Maine Department of Labor to learn more.

Mushroom Week at  Ellsworth Public Library

(Ellsworth)  From the forest floor, to the artist’s page … mushrooms invite curiosity and discovery.  Join the Ellsworth Public Library November 2nd through the 6th for a week of fungi-inspired workshops, film, nature exploration, and creative activities that will help participants discover the various ways these fascinating organisms grow all around us. This year’s Mushroom Week, the library’s third annual, also promises a documentary screening and an outdoor mushroom identification walk in partnership with Frenchman Bay Conservancy.  For a full schedule, visit ellsworthlibrary.net.

Environment

Stargazing at the Oceanarium

(Trenton)  With the time change Sunday, skies will be dark much earlier.  The Oceanarium in Bar Harbor invites you to take advantage of that for some early stargazing on November 6th, 7th, or 8th, weather permitting.  It should be good viewing for the Taurids’ Meteor Shower, so come enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, dress warmly – it’s cooler near the coast, and learn about the winter sky.  The event is free, but donations are appreciated!

Winter Help for Chickadees

(Maine)  Here in Maine, we love our little chickadees.  In fact, they’re our Maine state bird.  But birders say, every winter, a share of the tiny warblers don’t make it to spring; and in most cases, it isn’t the cold alone that gets to them, although the miniature songbirds lose up to 10% of their body weight every single night fluffing their feathers and just trying to stay warm.  To help them through freezing temperatures, experts say make sure to provide them with these three requirements: a high fat winter menu, such as shelled peanuts and black oil sunflower seeds.  A water source that doesn’t freeze. Use a heated birdbath and shallow vessels so their feathers don’t get soaked.  And finally, insulated winter shelters.  Roosting boxes, and even discarded Christmas trees in a quiet corner provide a windbreak and a hiding spot from natural predators.  More information is available online through multiple sources.

Infrastructure

Ellsworth Road Work

(Ellsworth)  A reminder the Main Street entrance to Grant Street in Ellsworth will be closed to traffic again today from 8 to 3:30.  On Wednesday, Grant will be closed from Liberty Street to the power substation near the dam during those same hours.  And today and tomorrow, contractors will be paving at the top of Bridge Hill.  Motorists traveling through any of these areas are asked to exercise patience and plan a little extra time to get to your destination.

Stonington Project Finishes Early

(Stonington)  Finished early and under budget – those are words you rarely hear, but the Town of Stonington is glad both apply to the School Street water main project that wrapped up last week.  According to the Penobscot Bay Press, the $1.8M replacement program, which began in early August and was managed by the Stonington Water Company, was declared substantially complete ahead of deadline and under the predicted cost.  During construction, crews discovered and successfully repaired a hidden existing leak that had previously eluded town officials. Because the project just wrapped on Friday, the exact dollar amount saved will be announced at an upcoming Selectmen’s meeting.

Human Interest

Donations for Wreaths

(Ellsworth)  December 19th is National Wreath Laying Day.  On November 7th, representatives from Woodbine in Ellsworth Cemetery will be collecting donations outside Walmart from 10 until 2.  Funds collected will help ensure the grave of every veteran at Woodlawn gets a fresh wreath.  The goal is to fund 1,200 wreaths to remember those who sacrificed for our freedom.

National News Headlines 10/27/26

In National News Headlines:

• A judge Monday ruled the Trump Administration unlawfully fired Maurene Comey, daughter of  FBI Director James Comey, a vocal critic of Trump, in July 2025.  Ms. Comey was a trial lawyer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan handling the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Sean Combs.
• And Anthropic, the maker of Claude, is on the verge of what could be the largest ever public listing, in a test of the AI industry and whether or not the book can be sustained.

• The White House is again being sued over media bans.  According to the Washington Post, the new lawsuit reaches beyond the three named media outlets of the original suit and says that prohibitions like the ones aimed at CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which a judge has paused, violate the rights of ordinary citizens to access information about the U.S. government.
• Democrats and outside watchdogs are planning a massive presence at the polls on Election Day.  The Associated Press reports the move is driven by concerns President Trump will further leverage the vast resources of the federal government to interfere with a midterm that could hobble his final two years in office.

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