Crime/Public Safety/Drugs
Stonington Man Indicted
(Ellsworth) A Hancock County Grand Jury Monday indicted a Stonington man accused of assaulting a woman last December. 37 yo Derek Trundy is charged with Domestic Violence Assault and Domestic Violence Criminal Threatening. The charges stem from a 9-1-1 call on December 4th last year from a woman who said Trundy assaulted her and threatened her with a gun before she was able to flee the house to safety.
(Ellsworth) A Stonington man was indicted Monday by a Hancock County Grand Jury. 37 yo Derek Trundy was arrested last December after a woman called 9-1-1 saying Trundy was holding her against her will and had threatened her with a gun. The woman was able to escape before police arrived and arrested Trundy. He’s charged with Domestic Violence Assault and Domestic Violence Criminal Threatening.
Safety Tips for Hiking Season
(Maine) The snows are melting, the birds singing, the days growing longer – perfect conditions for hiking in Maine’s beautiful outdoors. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife offers these tips to help keep you safe while on those treks. First, they say check ahead for conditions. Always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to return. Know that conditions change quickly with elevation. Always pack a flashlight, as dark can come quickly this time of year. Dress in layers for the weather, and always wear sturdy, appropriate footwear. For more safety tips, visit the MDIFW website.
(Maine) Take a hike! That’s the word from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which says it’s the perfect time of year to get outdoors, as the snows melt and the days grow longer. But they caution it’s important to be safe when you go. Reminders include telling someone where you’re going and when you plan to return, dressing in layers for changes in the weather, and wearing sturdy, appropriate footwear, packing snacks and plenty of water, and being prepared for not having cell phone service. For more tips on hiking safely, visit the MDIFW website.
Bar Harbor Mass Casualty Training
(MDI) Folks on MDI will see emergency vehicles and helicopters in the area of MDI high school this Saturday. It’s all part of a planned island-wide mass casualty exercise in which all MDI public safety agencies are participating. Fire Chief John Lennon tells Star 97.7 public access to the track and back parking lot will still be available. The exercise will take place Saturday, April 19th, from 9 to 1 and will mainly be staged at the parking lots by the gym and the baseball field.
(MDI) Don’t panic this Saturday when you see LIfe Flight helicopters, emergency vehicles from MDI and Maine Coast Memorial Hospitals, and members of the Hancock County RCC at MDI High School. Area first responders will be participating in a planned island-wide mass casualty exercise from 9 until 1 on April 19th. Other public safety agencies participating include Hancock County Emergency Management Agency, Trenton Volunteer Fire Department, and Northern Light Medical Transport. Public access to the track and back parking lot will still be available during the exercise.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
(Undated) 9-1-1 operators receive hundreds of calls a day … everything from medical emergencies, to structure fires, to domestic violence calls, to car crashes where lives hang in the balance. This is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and Star 97.7 wants to give a HUGE shoutout to all you who work in Regional Communication Centers and who know in a split second who to call, how to keep a panicked caller calm and get critical information, and where to direct that ambulance, fire crew, or law enforcement. You are truly heroes.
Economy
Tax Deadline Day
(Undated) The IRS predicted in January that more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024 would be filed ahead of the deadline. If yours wasn’t one of them, you have until midnight tonight. Consider yourself reminded.
(Undated) Two things, they say, are inevitable – death and taxes. Fortunately, today is the deadline for just the latter. It’s April 15th, and those tax returns for tax year 2024 are due by midnight tonight. While it used to be many folks rushed to the post office to beat the postmark deadline, now many, if not most people, e-file. However you file, make sure you do it today to avoid penalties.
Education
Easter
(Undated) For some, Easter is a sacred religious holiday; for others, it’s a chance to dye colorful eggs and get pictures with the Easter Bunny. Whatever way you celebrate, Shawn Laatsch, Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center, tells Star 97.7, it’s truly a heavenly holiday. (((Easter 1 “…after the vernal equinox.” :13))). So, Laatsch says, we had to get past the vernal equinox on March 20th, the first full moon following it, which was April 12th, and then another full week brings us to Easter Sunday, which this year is April 20th.
(Undated) Back in 2013, Easter was March 27th, this year it’s April 20th, and in 2026 it will be April 3rd. Why such diverse dates? Shawn Laatsch, Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center, tells Star 97.7, it has to do with the spring equinox and the same heavenly body that controls our tides. (((Easter 2 “…which is where Easter will be this year.” :16)))
Environment
Earth Day E-Waste Collection
(Ellsworth) Got e-waste you need to dispose of? Earth Day is coming up a week from Saturday, and MacRevival in Ellsworth is providing free e-waste collection and recycling April 22-26th. Plus, they’ll provide secure data destruction. Accepted items include laptop and desktop computers, computer monitors, accessories and cables, and gaming consoles – no printers, televisions, hazardous waste or smoke detectors, please. Drop off your acceptable e-waste from 11-3 next week at MacRevival, 14 State Street in Ellsworth.
(Ellsworth) How do you safely dispose of those unwanted computers, monitors, cables and gaming consoles? Bring them to MacRevival in Ellsworth! Between April 22nd and 26th, from 11 to 3 each day, MacRevival will be accepting e-waste for collection and recycling. They’ll even provide secure data destruction. It’s all in honor of Earth Day 2025, which is coming up April 26th. We’ve posted more information on our Star 97.7 FB page.
Health
Lyme Disease Vaccine Update
(Rockport) Fifteen different tick species have been found in Maine, according to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab. Last year, the state recorded its highest number of tickborne diseases, particularly Lyme, with Knox, Lincoln, Waldo, and Hancock counties being the epicenter for tick exposure and parasites. Studies focused on finding a vaccine have been underway since 2023, with MaineHealth Pen Bay one of two sites in Maine participating in the study. The study was open to healthy adults age 18 and older who live in or regularly visit areas that may expose them to ticks. The Pen Bay Pilot reports a completion date for the Pfizer Lyme vaccine study is anticipated by the end of the year.
(Rockport) As of April 1st, there were more than 300 cases of Lyme Disease reported in Maine thus far this year – and warm weather, when the pests tend to thrive, hasn’t yet arrived. Since 2023, a Lyme disease vaccine study has been underway at MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital. The Pen Bay Pilot reports the Pfizer Lyme vaccine study is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2025. And that’s a good thing, since experts say Knox, Lincoln, Waldo, and Hancock counties are the epicenter for tick exposure and parasites in Maine.
Infrastructure
Ellsworth Water Main Break
(Ellsworth) A contractor struck a water main yesterday morning, affecting locations along High Street in Ellsworth and leaving some temporarily without water. The Ellsworth Water Department was quickly on the scene and able to restore water to the area in a little over two hours. No boil water issue was necessary.
(Ellsworth) Locations along High Street in Ellsworth found themselves without water about 10 yesterday morning after a contractor struck a water main. The City was quick to issue an alert to local media, and the Ellsworth Water Department quickly sprang into action and had the issue fixed by shortly after noon yesterday. No boil water issue was necessary.
Human Interest/Entertainment
Maine Wildlife Park Opens
(Gray) The Maine Wildlife Park in Gray opens today for the 2025 season. The park says you won’t want to miss their newest wildlife residents, new nature store souvenirs, and engaging daily presentations by wildlife keepers. The park boasts 30 species of Maine wildlife, and you can enjoy the beautiful gardens throughout the park as well. Gates are open daily, rain or shine, including holidays from 9:30 to 4:30, and visitors can then continue to enjoy the park daily through 6 p.m. You might want to put it on your list of activities for April Break week next week.
Senator King Spotlights Importance of Local News, Free Press
(Washington, DC) Finally, a heartfelt thanks from all of us to Senator Angus King. King co-sponsored a resolution designating April 2025 as “Preserving and Protecting Local News Month”, underscoring the vital role of local journalism in American democracy, especially as the First Amendment faces mounting threats. King said local news – television, social media, newspapers, and radio – is the key to better-informed communities, public interest journalism, and responsive governance, and noted journalists are feeling an unprecedented squeeze from economic and political pressures.
Scientists Discover Lost Civilization in Amazon
(WaPo) Back in 1913, archeologists discovered a fortress rising deep above the Amazon rainforest. The discovery begged the question, where was the rest of the civilization that 18th century maps revealed once sheltered at least a thousand people, military villas, churches. The thick rainforest vegetation had concealed it – until now. The Washington Post reports a group of scientists, using a laser technology known as lidar, have discovered the lost Portuguese colony, uncovering an intricate urban system of canals, roads, military structures and stone structure remains. Experts say such revelations have upended long-standing theories about the Amazon, that was long thought could not sustain complex agrarian societies. It turns out, the evidence was there all along – scientists simply lacked the tools to see it. Stay tuned.
Harvard Will Not Comply with Administration’s Demands
(NYT) Harvard University on Monday rejected policy changes demanded by the Trump Administration related to the University’s DEI policies, putting nearly $9B in federal funding at risk. Harvard’s President said, “No government – regardless of which party is in power – should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” The President late yesterday pushed back, freezing $2.2B in grants.
Wrongly Deported Man Remains in El Salvador
(Washington) The President admits the innocent father was wrongly deported. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the White House to facilitate his return in a unanimous 9-nothing ruling. Yet Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in a notorious gang prison in El Salvador…if he’s still alive. President Trump met yesterday with El Salvador’s far-right president who said he would not return Abrego Garcia. President Trump blamed the victim’s deportation on an administrative error.