Body Found
(Bangor) – A 23-year old Newburgh resident who vanished on March 10th has died. A person walking a dog found Megan Mason Dorsey’s body off Ohio Street in Bangor yesterday afternoon. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department had issued a silver alert for Dorsey the week before. Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department and the Bangor Police Department are investigating Dorsey’s death.
Lamoine – Aquaculture Intervention
(Lamoine) – Voters in Lamoine approved a move for the town to intervene in the permitting of a salmon farm proposed for Frenchman Bay. American Aquafarms is in the process of trying to obtain licenses to place a pair of 60-acre pens in the bay off Gouldsboro. At the annual town meeting last night, voters overwhelmingly passed approval of seeking intervenor status in the project, despite there being no estimate of how high the legal costs might be. The proposed project has drawn widespread opposition from fishermen and environmentalists around the bay.
Burger King/Ellsworth
(Ellsworth) – The former Burger King restaurant in Ellsworth will become a Mexican restaurant in the coming months. City officials are processing permits from the owner of several Mexican Restaurants, including Las Palapas in Bangor and Brewer to convert the vacant fast food restaurant on High Street. The new eatery will be called Casa Jalisco according to the Ellsworth American.
Harbor House Tourney
(Southwest Harbor) – A lot of basketball players will descend on Hancock County for the weekend. Following two years of cancellations due to the pandemic, the Great Harbor House Shootout returns beginning late tomorrow afternoon at basketball courts on Mt. Desert Island and in Trenton. The tournament is the biggest fund raiser for the Harbor House which is based in Southwest Harbor. Dozens of middle and high school boys and girls basketball teams will vie for the championship trophies which will be handed out Sunday afternoon.
State Trooper Injured While Assisting Motorist
(Kittery) A Maine State Trooper, a tow truck driver, and others narrowly escaped serious injury Wednesday morning when a tractor-trailer drifted into the breakdown lane and struck a cruiser near Kittery. The rig then veered back across the road, pinning a Jeep Cherokee against the concrete barrier. A husband, wife, and two children in the Jeep miraculously suffered no injuries. The cruiser belonged to Trooper Robert Flynn, who had his blue lights activated and had stopped to help with a flatbed truck that was being towed for a mechanical issue. 52-year old Johnny Rogers is charged with failure to move over for an emergency vehicle and distracted driving.
NextStep Domestic Violence Collects for Victims
(Ellsworth) Victims of Domestic Violence often escape with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and that goes for their children, as well. Survivors who are being served by NextStep Domestic Violence Project will soon be receiving much needed gifts of new underwear and socks, thanks to CrossFit Breakwater owner Amy Boles. The entry fee for March 26th will be a donation of new underwear, and others who wish to donate can drop off new bras, panties, boxers, t-shirts, socks and other such items at CrossFit Breakwater in the Mill Mall during business hours, March 21-26th.
Treasurers Won’t Be On Ballot in Primary Election
(Ellsworth) Hancock County Treasurer Michael Boucher has not filed papers to run in this year’s Republican primary. The registered Republican who lives in Sorrento was publicly accused by other county officials of not properly managing the county’s finances. Boucher is a Republican, but no candidate is listed on the Republican primary ballot. Ellsworth Democrat Monica Cease has filed papers to run in the Democratic primary. And the Penobscot County treasurer will not seek re-election. John Hiatt did not file papers. He’s been charged with child porn possession and stalking among other crimes. Hiatt also stepped down from the Bangor School Committee.
State Gets One Million COVID-19 Tests
(Augusta) More than a million over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are now available for immediate support in child care facilities. The Department of Health and Human Services Wednesday said it would begin distributing up to 250,000 of the federally-funded tests this week to help limit the spread of the virus, while minimizing job disruptions for parents and employers. DHHS said it would also make an additional 300,000 free tests available directly to Maine people through mail order as part of its successful Project Act program.
Bumble Bee Education
(Augusta) A six-year citizen science project that documented which species live among us here in Maine is helping the state learn more about native bumble bee fauna. Bumble bees are one of the most valuable pollinators of Maine’s blueberry and apple crops. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reports over the past 25 years, some species have all but disappeared, while others are in decline due to habitat loss, intensive agricultural practices, and diseases introduced by commercially raised bumble bees. Check out the Maine Bumble Bee Atlas to learn more.
Record Year for Lobster Fishery
(Stonington) – Maine lobstermen hauled in a record catch once again last year. The Department of Marine Resources reports the catch was worth nearly $725-million dollars, which is 75-percent more than the year before. Revenues were high, but so were costs for bait and fuel, which hit new records. Stonington once again was the number one lobster landing port.
Heating Oil, Propane Prices Continue Upward Trend
(Augusta) The cost of heating oil and propane continued their upward trend during the past week, although federal data released Wednesday showed a smaller increase than in the previous week. The Bangor Daily News reports the average price of a gallon of heating oil rose almost 19 cents, while propane was up 5 cents as of Monday. Heating oil costs in Maine were lower than the U.S. average, while propane was much higher.
Lamoine Broadband Expansion
(Lamoine) The Town of Lamoine will likely see a significant increase in broadband availability, thanks to matching funds from the Hancock County Commissioners. The town and the county are contributing $220-thousand dolalrs toward the broadband expansion, and a grant from Charter Communications will enable installation of more than 8-miles of cable TV lines in areas not wired in the past. The work is expected to take about a year to complete. The money for the public contribution came from federal American Rescue Plan funds.
Age-Friendly Sullivan Receives Maine CF Grant
(Sullivan) The Town of Sullivan has been awarded a $2,000 grant for technology to support hybrid programs offered through Age-Friendly Sullivan. The grant will allow the Bone Builders exercise program to resume after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bone Builders is an exercise program designed to prevent and even reverse the negative effects of osteoporosis.
Human Interest/Entertainment
Maine Freemasons Donate to Help Ukraine
(Holden) The Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation will provide up to $50,000 to help Ukrainians living through the devastation of war. The Board of Trustees set up a special matching grant to encourage others to donate and double their impact. Anyone interested in donating can do so at maine m c f dot org.
ECMI Resumes In-Person Midday Concerts April 1st
(Ellsworth) No fooling, the Ellsworth Community Music Institute will resume in-person midday concerts on April 1st. First up, a 1 p.m. concert performed by Baroque Orchestra of Maine musicians Heidi Powell, Chris Nemeth, and Daniel Pyle playing works by Corelli, Marula, and Bach. Concerts are held in person at the Moore Community Center in Ellsworth, with the audience limited to 50 people on a first come, first served basis.
Pugnuts Offers Frost Heave Relief
(Surry) Pugnuts in Surry wants to help take the sting out of those car repairs needed after hitting Maine’s famous post-winter potholes and frost heaves! Beginning tomorrow, if you have frost heave damage to your car, bring your garage repair receipt into Pugnuts for a free ice cream cone to make it all better.
Sports
• Boston Celtics 110 Golden State Warriors 88 (Steph Curry suffered ankle injury)
• Minnesota Wild 4 Boston Bruins 2
• The Red Sox open Spring Training today against the Minnesota Twins.
• The Dodgers have reportedly agreed to sign free agent 1st baseman Freddie Freeman to a 6-year, $162-million dollar contract. The Red Sox were reportedly interested in Freeman.
• Cooper Flagg of the Nokomis Warriors was named the Gatorade boys basketball player of the year in Maine. The Freshman and his twin brother Ace led Nokomis to the state Class “A” championship.