Crime/Public Safety/Drugs
Search Continues for Pair Missing on Mount Katahdin
(Baxter SP) A tragic update on a pair of hikers who went missing Sunday at Baxter State Park while attempting to summit Mt. Katahdin. A Maine Warden Service K9 search team located the body of 58 yo Tim Keiderling on the tableland about 2:45 Tuesday afternoon. Keiderling and his 28 yo daughter, Esther, from New York had left Abol Campground Sunday to hike to the summit. Family members report the pair were experienced hikers. They were last seen at approximately 10:15 a.m. Sunday. A search began Monday morning after the pair’s vehicle was discovered still in the day-use parking lot. More than 30 game wardens, a K9 team, and multiple helicopters are involved in the search. The search for Esther will continue today.
(Baxter SP) More than 30 game wardens, a K9 rescue team, and multiple helicopters will continue searching today for one of two hikers still missing on Mt. Katahdin. Baxter State Park authorities say 58 yo Tim Keiderling and his daughter, 28 yo Esther, were visiting from New York and left Abol Campground Sunday morning, attempting to reach the top of Katahdin. A K9 search team found Tim Keiderling’s body on the Tableland near the summit about 2:45 yesterday afternoon. The search for Esther Keiderling will continue today. The search began Monday after wardens discovered the pair’s vehicle still in the day-use parking lot. Anyone who was on or around the summit of Katahdin Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. is asked to call Houlton State Police.
FMO Arrests Orrington Man on Arson Charges
(Orrington) Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office Monday arrested 51 yo Mark Meierdirk of Orrington on arson charges. An investigation began on January 30th after fire broke out at 978 Brewer Lake Road in Orrington, the home where Meierdirk was living and that belonged to his family. The structure was deemed a total loss. Investigators say prior to the blaze, Meierdirk had removed property from the residence to a storage building on the premises. That, combined with a review of his financial records led to multiple charges against him, including two counts of arson, one for causing a fire to allow a person to collect insurance proceeds. Meierdirk was taken to the Penobscot County Jail where bail was set at $10K.
SW Harbor Fire Department Includes EMS First Responder License
(SW Harbor) In this age of ongoing funding struggles for ambulance services, especially in Maine’s rural areas, first responders are finding unique ways to accommodate their communities’ emergency medical needs. One example is SW Harbor, which does not have an ambulance, but is able to serve the community with a Maine EMS-issued First Responder license. The license allows them to provide emergency medical care, in addition to fire services. This includes performing immediate lifesaving intervention, assisting ambulance crews with hands-on skills, and delivering critical care while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. The department first earned their EMS license in 2001, enabling them to provide the best outcome possible in emergencies.
Local Politics
Independent Throws Hat in Ring for Maine Senate
(Waterboro) An Independent from Waterboro has thrown his hat in the race for Maine Senate in 2026. Phillip Rench says he’s a father, engineer and produce farmer who is committed to building a brighter future for Maine’s children by ensuring access to healthy food, clean water, affordable healthcare, and quality education. On his FB page, phillip for maine, Rench says he aims to bridge political divides, reduce the cost of living, revitalize Maine’s economy, and expand advanced technology industries with an eye toward environmental responsibility.
Senate Gives Initial Approval to Continuous Healthcare Bill for Children Under Age Six
(Augusta) A bipartisan majority of Senate lawmakers this week voted 21-13 in support of LD 896, which would provide continuous health insurance coverage to children from birth until they turn six. The bill was sponsored by Democrat Anne Carney of Cape Elizabeth who said, “Providing eligible children with continuous Medicaid coverage during their first five years will ensure they have access to essential care.” The House also voted in support of the bill by a narrow margin, 74 to 71. The bill faces additional votes in the House and Senate.
Federal Cuts Endanger Lives, Livelihoods
(Portland) Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was tasked with cutting government waste. While there’s no doubt waste exists, what DOGE actually “accomplished” has instead put lives and livelihoods at risk. A case in point is a para-medicine program in Portland and Lewiston that allowed EMS workers to make home visits to patients, helping to curb expensive hospital visits. The Maine Monitor reports after the federal government terminated a million dollars in grants to para-medicine programs in Maine, those cost-saving and potentially lifesaving measures are at risk. The latest round of grants was awarded earlier this year, with agencies eligible for up to $100,000 each. Among entities originally approved for the funding were ambulance and other healthcare services in Searsport, Waldoboro, and Belfast.
(Portland) Para-medicine – the pilot program was approved in Maine in 2012, allowing EMS workers to make home visits to patients, which in turn helped curb expensive hospital visits. The Maine Monitor reports the program has been especially critical in a state that has lost 29 nursing homes and 10 hospital-based birthing units in the past decade, most in already vulnerable rural areas. The Maine legislature originally approved up to 12 pilot sites at ambulance services around the state, including in Searsport, Belfast, Portland, and Lewiston. Federal funding cuts that were supposed to root out waste and bring efficiency have done the opposite, with the latest round of grants for paramedicine programs now withdrawn. Healthcare experts say most of the people served should now be in nursing homes … healthcare facilities that are becoming increasingly expensive and rare.
Economy
LIHEAP Cuts Could Deeply Affect Mainers
(Maine) With cool overnight temperatures, especially in the state’s northern counties, many are still warming their homes in order to stay safe and comfortable. If one of President Trump’s proposals is enacted, that ability would be at risk for thousands in the Pine Tree State. Maine has received just over $41M in LIHEAP funds – the low income heating and energy assistance program – for FY 2025. The Portland Press Herald reports the program aids those in all 16 counties, but is especially important in rural portions of northern Maine. The Trump administration argues his policies will make energy costs more manageable, eliminating the need for LIHEAP funds. Maine’s Congressional delegation remains unconvinced and continues to push for federal funding for the program’s continuation.
Education
Lawmakers Vote to Boost Teachers’ Minimum Salary
(Augusta) The Maine House on Tuesday passed a proposal that would incrementally increase minimum salaries for teachers to $50K by 2028, although the measure is expected to face funding hurdles. The Bangor Daily News reports whether lawmakers fund the proposal remains to be seen in a tight state budget climate. The bill from Senate Majority Leader Teresa Pierce would increase the current minimum $40K to $45K in the 2026-27 school year and reach $50K the following year.
Environment
UMaine Students Take Part in Advanced Ocean Training Course
(Orono) Fifty graduate students from around the world have set a course to become the next generation of marine scientists. From the heights of space to the depths of oceans, aboard the Norwegian tall ship STOTs-rod LAYM-cool (Statsraad Lehmkuhl), UMaine Oceanography Professor Emmanuel Boss, has been conducting NASA funded research on the makeup of plankton communities and their link to ocean color observations from space. On a voyage across the North Atlantic, the researchers will tie together insights that help scientists better understand the marine life within our blue planet. You’ll find a link to follow the findings during the ESA’s Advanced Ocean Training Course on the University of Maine FB page.
Air Quality Alert Issued
(Augusta) The Maine DEP has issued an air quality alert for today and tomorrow. They say ground level ozone concentrations are expected to reach the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” level along the coast from Kittery to Acadia National Park both Wednesday and Thursday, with particle pollution expected to be moderate statewide today due to wildfire smoke entering the region. Children, the elderly, and those who suffer from respiratory diseases are advised not to exert themselves outdoors; also, to close windows and circulate air with a fan or air conditioning, and keep asthma and other medications handy.
Human Interest
Ruth Foster Passes Away
(Ellsworth) Ellsworth has lost a legend, but certainly not her legacy. Ruth Foster passed away Monday. Ruth’s was a life well-lived, having served as a legislator, mayor, and longtime business owner who was truly larger than life. The title of Ruth’s memoir, released last year, perhaps says it best – Reason, Reality, Humor: Stories of an Adventurous Life in Maine. Hers certainly was. Foster was 96.
Rare Ancient Apple Tree Discovered on Verona Island
(Verona Island) Down a lonely dirt road on Verona Island, a group of gnarled trees stands guard in a grassy field that slopes down to the river. Though one trunk is hollow and barely rooted in the ground, apple historian John Bunker says at 200 years old, it’s a treasure trove of living history. Like many such trees in Maine, Maine Public writes, such cultivars aren’t in orchards, but stand as remnants of days gone by. A couple of years ago, Bunker’s fellow historians sent a leaf from the tree to a tree fruit geneticist at Washington State University, who in astonishment, identified it as the Drap D’Or de Bretagna – or Golden Cloth of Brittany, the only known living specimen in North America. Some experts have been allowed to graft cuttings from the tree. They say preserving heirloom trees safeguards agricultural history and genetic traits that could offer keys in adapting to climate change.
PrideFest at Knowlton Park
(Ellsworth) It’s the most colorful event of the year! June is Pride month, celebrating the LBGTQ-plus community and the right to love who you love. PrideFest events, through support by Heart of Ellsworth, are happening Friday and Saturday in Bar Harbor, and then on Sunday, join Ben Chandler as he emcees the 5th Annual Ellsworth PrideFest at Knowlton Park here in Ellsworth! Beginning at 11:30 a.m., there will be live music with Boy Scout and Lasers in the Jungle, food trucks and arts and crafts booths, plus a yoga hour at Noon, followed by a 1 p.m. Story Hour. Cap off the day with a 3 o’clock performance by the always entertaining Curbside Queens. That’s this Sunday, June 8th, rain or shine at Knowlton Park in Ellsworth!
Senior Cat Who Survived 400 Foot Fall is Adopted
(Utah) They say cats have nine lives; and that’s certainly true when it comes to a cat who in April survived a 400 foot fall at Bryce Canyon in Utah. The tabby belonged to a Florida couple living out of a UHaul van. On a visit to Bryce, the pair climbed over a railing, apparently slipped and tumbled to their deaths. Park visitors discovered their remains and alerted rangers, one of whom during the rescue grabbed what he suspected was a backpack. It turned out to be a pet carrier, with the senior tabby inside. The feline was taken to a rescue where vets determined she had miraculously survived with a few broken teeth and fractured ribs. But the 12 year old’s story doesn’t end there. On May 19th, Chelsea Tugaw, a helicopter pilot who had participated in the search and rescue, adopted the little survivor, now named Mira, short for Mirage. Mira will live out her life, now in a permanent loving home … furever spoiled as she should be, with brothers Max and Milo.