Crime/Public Safety/Drugs
Fishermen Rescued After Boat Catches Fire
(SW Harbor) Two men whose fishing vessel caught fire Thursday were rescued by members of College of the Atlantic that were conducting research on Mount Desert Rock. The U.S. Coast Guard Southwest Harbor reports they received a mayday call about 9:15, stating the damaged boat was in the vicinity of Mount Desert Rock, 18 miles offshore. While the Coast Guard was in route, the men abandoned ship and were rescued by the COA researchers. Once on scene, the crewmen were transferred to a Coast Guard lifeboat and transported safely to family and for a medical evaluation by emergency personnel from Southwest Harbor-Tremont Ambulance.
Orland Fire Crews See Long Day of Fighting Fires
(Orland) Members of the Orland Fire Department and their mutual aid partners worked from sunup to past sundown Wednesday. The first call of the day came late morning when they were dispatched to assist with a woods fire on the power lines by Williams Pond in Bucksport. They say one of their engines provided water for the fire crews there. First responders had barely cleared that scene and returned to service when two of their engines were called back to deal with a flare up of that blaze at the end of Betts Road. After cleaning the hose and the trucks, the last member left the station Wednesday about 9 p.m. Kudos to all our local firefighters.
Hancock County RCC Warns of Text Scam
(Ellsworth) The Hancock County RCC is warning this week of a text and email scam claiming to be from the Maine Secretary of State. The message tells people they owe money from an old ticket. Authorities say as long as the address on your license is correct, any correspondence from the Secretary of State will come through the mail, and you won’t get a text. You’re advised to report the scammers as spam and block them. We’ve posted a photo of one such message on our Star 97.7 FB page.
Dog Locks Driver Out of Car
(MDI) Just another caution not to leave that precious pup or any pet – alone in your car. Earlier this week, someone on the island called 9-1-1 to say their dog had locked them out of their car! According to police reports, the caller was given information for local tow companies that provide locksmith services. We’re sure with the culprit being a dog, it was purely accidental. Had it been a cat, the doors would have been locked on purpose, the air turned on, the radio and horn blaring, and there’d have been a demand for the finest plate of pate once rescued. Of course!
Local Politics
No Harmony Among Bar Residents Over Live Music Ordinance
(Bar Harbor) A live music ordinance is causing anything but harmony in Bar Harbor. The Mount Desert Islander reports in recent months, folks have been showing up at Town Council meetings to sound a sour note about certain applications, most recently an application to allow outdoor music by The Links Pub at Kebo Valley Golf Club. The venue hoped to have a permit for three or more musicians with amplified acoustic instruments, but nearby property owners aren’t going quietly about the lack of quiet that could bring. The desire for communal gatherings for live music and other events has grown more intense since the pandemic. The town says of 22 applications, only three have received complaints, with the Links’s application being the only one denied, drawing a good deal of mixed reactions on social media.
Loggers Relief Fund
(Washington, DC) All four members of Maine’s U.S. Congressional delegation are backing a bill that would create a disaster relief fund for the logging industry. The Portland Press Herald reports the bill is similar to one that provides relief to fishermen and farmers impacted by natural disasters. The Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act would create a new program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would be able to distribute up to $50 million.
ICE Ordered to Increase Monitoring of Certain Immigrants
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has directed personnel to sharply increase the number of immigrants they shackle with GPS-enabled ankle monitors. The Washington Post reports a July 9th memo from ICE orders staff to “whenever possible” place the monitors on all people enrolled in the Agency’s Alternatives to Detention program … some 183,000 persons. Currently, only about 24,000 of those individuals wear the monitors.
Governor Mills Will Skip This Summer’s Governor’s Meeting
(Augusta) Governor Janet Mills has opted to sit out this weekend’s summer meeting of the 2025 National Governors’ Association in Colorado. The meeting comes five months after a February meeting at the White House where a post about a transgender student in Maine caused the President to pick a fight with the feisty Democrat. Mills didn’t blink, but told Trump she’d see him in court. The Portland Press Herald reports Mills is mulling a possible challenge to Republican Senator Susan Collins in 2026.
Economy
Maine Home Prices Remain High
(Maine) The median home price in Maine remained consistent in June at $425,000. The Maine Association of Realtors told MaineBiz that’s an all time high first set in May and is a nearly 5% increase from the year before. Cumberland and York counties remain the priciest, with median prices there at 600 and 537 thousand, respectively. Lincoln County saw the steepest increase in June at nearly 24% compared to June 2024. Prices in Aroostook County were much lower, but still increased by just over 17% from the previous year. Part of the reason – houses aren’t easy to come by. Maine reportedly hasn’t seen a statewide for-sale inventory over 5,000 since October 2020.
Maine Second Only to New Hampshire as Retirement Mecca
(Maine) It’s little wonder the inventory is so limited. This week, we shared that Ellsworth was among the top seven places in Maine for retirees; that’s according to world atlas dot com. Apparently the word is out about the entire state. MaineBiz reports that, as a whole, Vacationland is second only to New Hampshire as a mecca for those aging out of the workforce and looking for a less stressful life in their golden years. The Pine Tree State received high scores for neighborhood safety, healthcare, and arts and entertainment options, according to personal finance website Bankrate. Other New England states in the top 10 – Vermont at No. 4 and Rhode Island at No. 6. Connecticut came in at number 13, with Massachusetts at 16th.
Environment
Illegal Introduction of Bass Threatens Downeast Brook Trout
(Talmadge) An illegal fish introduction threatens a pristine wild Downeast brook trout and landlocked salmon fishery. The Grand Lake Stream Guides Association and Operation Game Thief are offering a $6K reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for illegally introducing largemouth bass into Musquash Lake in Talmadge. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife last week confirmed the species’ invasive presence. Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call 1-800-ALERT-US.
Infrastructure
Conners Emerson School Construction Already Over Budget
(Bar Harbor) With just 30% of the work on the Conners Emerson School in Bar Harbor completed, costs have already exceeded the budget set aside as a contingency fund. The Mount Desert Islander reports MDI School Superintendent Mike Zboray informed the School Committee last week the $58M set aside to help cover unforeseen cost overruns, had already been used up. A delay in obtaining permits from the DEP necessitated the contractors to keep the ground warm in the winter for foundation work, and underestimates in the value of the engineering process contributed to the overrun. In addition, tariffs placed on steel imports by the federal government presented unexpected price increases, according to Zboray. Fundraising efforts have been ramped up to help defray taxpayer costs. Construction is on track to be completed by late fall 2026.
Machias Dike Bridge Work
(Machias) If your travels happen to take you through Machias on Monday, be aware the Machias Dike Bridge will be closed that day so that the Maine Department of Transportation can make progress on the ongoing project there. Workers will be making repairs to the tide gates on the existing dike structure. Detour routes will be marked.
Ellsworth Road Work
(Ellsworth) Some road work to tell you about in Ellsworth next week. Besides the usual construction, the city says there will be a lane closure on Christian Ridge Road Monday, July 28th, through Wednesday, the 30th. The closure is reportedly necessary for essential ditching and culvert replacement. The affected area will be in the vicinity of 228 to 256, where traffic will be reduced to one alternating lane. Motorists are advised to expect delays, and the Public Works Department asks drivers to use caution and thanks you for your patience while the work is completed.
Human Interest/Entertainment
Local Sailor Returns to MDI to Train for Olympics
(Mount Desert) A sailor training for the US Olympics is finding “there’s no place like home” FOR that training. The Mount Desert Islander reports Carson Crain grew up sailing in Northeast Harbor and has been sailing at the highest competitive levels for a number of years now. Crain and teammate Lindsay Gimple are on the U.S. Olympic NACRA 17 Team, competing in a fast-paced form of sailing in a catamaran with foils. The teams train year round. Crain was back home in Maine to train alongside a Canadian team. He and Gimple are currently training for a shot at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Treworgy Pays Tribute to Author in This Year’s Corn Maze
(Levant) Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant hopes to make a splash with this year’s corn maze. The 2025 theme is a whale of a tale! Visitors will wander through a maze featuring the giant of the sea, followed by Burt Dow – Deepwater Man in his tiny craft! The design is a tribute to children’s author Robert McCloskey, who spent part of his life in Deer Isle. The Treworgy maze opens this Saturday. Meanwhile, Thunder Road Farm in Corinna is honoring Maine’s own Cooper Flagg, this year’s first NBA draft pick, showing off a slam dunk as he sports his Number 2 jersey from Duke. That maze opens September 13th and runs through October 26th – Game time there, weekends only.
Bicyclists to Complete Cross County Trip in Bar Harbor Today
(Bar Harbor) Forty two hundred – that’s the number of miles a Cincinnati man will have ridden when he and a friend wheel into Bar Harbor on their bikes today. Charlie Nuck began the ride, Bike4Briar, two months ago in Washington State with a goal of raising money and awareness for Angelman Syndrome . That’s a rare neurogenetic condition that affects about 15,000 people, including Nuck’s six year old niece, Briar. The condition causes developmental delays and other symptoms. Nuck is also riding in honor of his dad and best friend who he says passed away last year. He and his dad’s friend, Todd Downey, have so far raised about $107,000 on the trek. No word on an exact arrival time, but Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert Police will be providing an escort for the final leg into Bar Harbor. Donations can be made to The Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics.