Local News 11-27-24
Machias Dike Bridge Delayed
(Machias) –A permanent bridge to replace the dike on Route 1 in Machias is going to take a lot longer to build than expected, so a longer term temporary bridge will go up next year. The Maine Department of Transportation says an environmental impact statement is needed and it will take years to generate that study. The current temporary bridge will be replaced next year with a $2-million dollar temporary bridge that is designed to last between 15 and 20-years. The current Dike Bridge dates back to the mid 1800s and started to deteriorate in the past two years.
League of Towns Priorities
(Bar Harbor) – Transportation and housing matters will dominate discussion for towns in central Hancock County for the next year. The League of Towns will narrow down potential solutions to encourage development of more affordable housing to accommodate the workforce, especially for Mt. Desert Island. Meeting in Bar Harbor yesterday the League also identified traffic snarls that need to be addressed. The members towns plan to come up with some options to address both issues and potentially team up with state and federal agencies.
Deer/E-Bike Crash
(Milbridge) – A noted sculptor from Milbridge is recovering from serious head injuries after he hit a deer while riding his electric bicycle. The Bangor Daily News reports Russ Kaufman was found by the side of the road earlier this month and ended up being life-flighted to a Bangor hospital for treatment of several skull fractures. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy could find no evidence that a car had hit Kaufman’s bike, but an injured deer was observed near the scene. A family member says Kaufman remembers nothing about the accident. A Go Fund Me page is set up to help with costs.
Waterville Fire
(Waterville) –A fire in Waterville earlier this week left one person injured. WABI-TV reports a trailer caught fire late Monday night. Two people were inside the home and woke up when they smelled smoke. One suffered minor injuries as they both fled the burning home. The fire marshal’s office is looking for the cause.
Area Code Preservation
(Augusta) –Maine’s area code for telephone service may stay the “207” for decades. The Public Utilities Commission has taken a step to consolidate a rate center for Consolidated Communications which combines 135 calling areas into one company wide center. The 207 area code was expected to exhaust number in about 8-years. The PUC says the consolidation move can extend the single area code availability for Maine for decades.
Drug Busts
(Undated) – Five people are jailed after Maine drug agents pulled off a series of search warrants in the past week. The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency reports to Star 97.7 they searched places in Waldoboro, Chesterville and Windsor and seized 72-grams of Fentanyl, 15-grams of cocaine, two guns and money. They also found a car wanted in a New York Shooting. Three of the suspects are from New York and two from Chesterville.
ANP Updates Availability of Campground Reservations
(ANP) Beginning in 2025, reservations for campgrounds in Acadia National Park will be available four months earlier than before. Starting this Sunday, December 1st, 90% of campground reservations will be available up to six months ahead of your desired arrival date at Blackwoods, Seawall, and Schoodic Woods Campground. The Park Service says the remaining 10% of the campground reservations will be released two weeks ahead of the desired arrival date, which includes same-day reservations.
EV Chargers Coming to Ellsworth City Parking Lot
(Ellsworth) The Ellsworth City Hall parking lot will soon sport four Electric Vehicle chargers. The Ellsworth American reports city councilors approved the purchase for installation next spring. Efficiency Maine will underwrite $80-thousand dollars of the $130-thousand dollars. Each station will be able to charge two vehicles at a time. It’s hoped the chargers will not only provide additional revenue to the city, but will also draw shoppers downtown to shop locally while their electric vehicles power up.
New Versant Switching Station
(Bradley) – Thousands of electricity users from Orono to Lowell should see more reliable service soon. Versant Power says they’re installing a switching station in Bradley which will allow multiple power sources to connect to the system in the event of an outage. A spate of power outages caused widespread failures in 2021 leading to the switch station plan. The new station should be in place next summer.
Sports
Vancouver Canucks 2 Boston Bruins 0
The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed free agent pitcher Blake Snell to a 5-year, $182-million dollar contract. The Red Sox had shown interest in Snell.
Juan Soto may announce where he intends to play in the next few days. The Red Sox have been vying for his services as have the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers.
The Celtics are off tonight.