Crime/Public Safety/Drugs
Missing Plymouth Woman
(Plymouth) Authorities continue to search for a 70 yo woman they say went missing from the southern Penobscot County town of Plymouth on August 15th. Police say Pauline Berardi was last seen leaving her home just outside Newport in a black sedan with an unknown driver. They tell Star 977 they have reason to be concerned for Berardi’s welfare and that she could be anywhere between Newport and the Detroit area. Anyone with information is asked to call the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Bangor Plane Crash
(Bangor) The pilot was killed and the runway at Bangor International Airport closed for a time after a small plane crash Friday afternoon. Airport officials say it’s the first fatal crash at the airport. The Cessna’s flight plan shows the plane was flying to Bangor from Goose Bay Airport in Canada. Bangor Police and the NTSB are investigated to determine what caused the fatal crash. The BIA runway was reopened shortly after the tragedy.
Deputies Find Missing Piscataquis County Man Trapped in Vehicle
(Greenville) A man reported missing early Saturday was found by Piscataquis County Deputies after being trapped in his wrecked vehicle for more than six hours. The Bangor Daily News reports the victim was last seen leaving Greenville Junction at 7:30 Friday evening, heading north on Route 15. Deputy Kyle Wilson drove the route in the early morning darkness and found the wrecked vehicle some distance from the road shortly before 3 a.m. First responders were able to extricate the injured person, who was then taken to a hospital. It’s believed speed was a contributing factor in that crash.
First Hearing in Paddle Boarder’s Homicide Death
(Rockland) Friday marked what was supposed to be the first public hearing relative to the homicide death of paddle boarder Sunshine Stewart on July 2nd. The Pen Bay Pilot reports a gathering outside the courthouse in Rockland encouraged drivers to “Honk 4 Sunny”. The case and the hearing ended up being closed to the public. A Knox County Superior Court judge reversed an earlier decision and has mandated that law enforcement and legal records remain sealed, though the Maine Attorney General’s Office has indicated it will seek to have the teen accused of her killing tried as an adult in the case. The coroner ruled Stewart died of strangulation and blunt force trauma after she went out on Crawford Pond to paddle board last month. 17 yo Devon Young was later arrested and charged with the crime.
Labor Day Weekend “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”
(Augusta) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”. That’s the reminder as we approach the Labor Day Holiday weekend. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is partnering with law enforcement agencies to raise awareness of the dangers of driving impaired. They say all motorists need to consider the deadly consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two. If your celebration is going to involve such substances, they say designate a sober driver ahead of time; and if you see someone operating a vehicle in an erratic manner, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 and report it.
Montville Crash Leaves Motorcyclist with Serious Injuries
(Montville) A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash Friday in the Waldo County town of Montville. Authorities responded to the intersection of South Mountain Valley Highway and Hogback Mount Road and found a 50 yo man unconscious and in serious condition. The victim was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center by LifeFlight. His identity has not been released. The incident remains under investigation, but police say speed was a primary cause. They’re asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Maine State Police.
Bar Harbor Campfire Ban
(Bar Harbor) Campers on parts of MDI have been told to “hold the s’mores” for now. The Bar Harbor Fire Department on Friday instituted a ban on all outdoor burning, including campfires, due to ongoing drought conditions that have resulted in more than a hundred wildfires across the state. On Saturday, crews from the Mount Desert Fire Department were called to an active ground fire on Cooksey Drive in Seal Harbor shortly after 7:30 p.m., after a resident reported a strong smell of smoke. First responders quickly went to work to contain that 8 by 8 foot blaze and say they were able to extinguish it by shortly after 9 p.m.
Local Politics
Bar Harbor Seeks Candidates for Board of Directors
(Bar Harbor) Ellsworth isn’t the only municipality looking for new faces to serve in town government. The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce is seeking applications for their Board of Directors. Each year, prior to the Annual Dinner, the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce holds elections for four seats on the Board of Directors. Each director is elected for a term of three years. Applications must be received by noon on Friday, September 19th. Ballots for Bar Harbor members to vote on will be sent out September 23rd. For information, contact the town manager at everal at visit bar harbor dot com.
Lower Interest Rates Could be on the Horizon
(Washington, DC) Lower interest rates could be on the horizon. The New York Times reports on Friday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell sent his strongest signal yet the central bank is preparing to soon restart interest rate cuts, highlighting the labor market’s vulnerabilities … even as inflation accelerates. Powell didn’t explicitly endorse a reduction in borrowing costs at the next meeting in September, but economists say his focus on the prospects of a weakening economy made clear a cut is likely.
Economy
Maine’s Free Lunch for All Students Facing Funding Cuts
(Maine) Maine remains committed to offering free school meals for all students, but that program could be harder to fund in the future because of short- and long-term cuts to federal nutrition benefits. Changes in eligibility for food assistance could further limit such funds. The Portland Press Herald reports last year, the state received about $67 million in federal funding for school meal reimbursements. That’s 56% of the total cost of providing free school lunches to every student statewide.
Blue Hill Farmers Work to Protect Maine’s Developing Coast
(Blue Hill) Reid Calhoun and his partner, Nikki Burtis are working to preserve farmland on Route 15 in Blue Hill through their organic vegetable farm. Burtis told the Bangor Daily News she first became interested in farming while growing sugar snap peas in a school garden. The two recently moved from MDI to start Moon Beam Farm on land that is part of a corridor of high quality agricultural soil that has been the focus of local farmland conservation efforts for decades. The pair converted an overgrown field into an acre of lettuce, carrots, melons, and other crops and plan to add a farm-based preschool on the site. The couple met while in the Peace Corps and moved to Maine in 2021. They’re in the process of placing a conservation easement on the land to ensure its preservation from other uses.
Health
State Remains Measles Free
(Augusta) A bit of encouraging news from Lindsay at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Maine remains measles free as of Friday. Maine law requires any pre-K through grade 12 student enrolled in a designated public or private elementary school to show proof of immunization with certain vaccines, including the MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella. During the last school year, MMR vaccination rates for school-aged children in Maine reached 97.6% – the highest rate of MMR vaccination and the second consecutive year Maine has exceeded the “herd immunity” threshold since reporting began in 2011.
Report Says Medicaid Cuts Puts Hospitals in Ellsworth, Other Parts of the State at Risk
(Ellsworth) Maine hospitals are expected to lose $700M in revenue under the reconciliation legislation signed last month by President Trump last – and a new national report warns Maine’s rural hospitals are among the most vulnerable. The Maine Morning Star writes the report, released this month by advocacy group Protect Our Care, estimates more than 300 hospitals nationwide – including Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle and Maine Coast Memorial in Ellsworth – are at risk of shutting down due to the reductions. The cuts could reportedly cost Maine hospitals alone more than $66M in annual revenue.
Federal Funding Cuts Affect Cancer Research
(Undated) Federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health support critical scientific and clinical research that drives progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. On Friday, the US Supreme Court allowed the Trump Administration to cut two billion dollars in NIH funding. Dr. Julie Gralow, CMO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, tells Star 97.7 cuts not only affect research on the basics, like cancer’s causes and how to slow it, but, she says, (((Cuts 1 “…. new advancements, new breakthroughs.” :14 ))). Dr. Gralow adds federal funding also goes for research on rarer types of cancer, such as pediatric cancer.
(Undated) Everyone agrees wasteful government spending needs to be curtailed. But proposed cuts to federal programs, like cancer research, have medical personnel and others scratching their heads. Dr. Julie Gralow is the Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. She tells Star 97.7, the cuts are not only hindering research, but are driving away RESEARCHERS, as well. (((Cuts 2 “…and they leave the field entirely.” :17))) Dr. Gralow says federally funded cancer research has fueled nearly every major advancement in cancer care over the last 50 years, and that today, more than 18M Americans are alive thanks to federally funded cancer research, screening, and prevention.
(Undated) Locally, you won’t find a better resource and support for those facing cancer than the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth. They, like others, count on federal dollars to continue funding research that leads to treatment, discoveries, and cures. Dr. Julie Gralow, CMO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, tells Star 97.7 listeners of one such important discovery. (((Cuts 3 “…there is a genetic predisposition.” :22))). That led to the discovery of the BRC 1 and BRC 2 genes – keys to unlocking the mystery of breast cancer. You’re urged to call your representatives and urge them to continue funding life-changing cancer research.
Infrastructure
Water Main Repair
(Ellsworth) A reminder first thing to drivers in Ellsworth to avoid Foster Street and Water Street/Bayside Road this morning from Washington Street to Beechland Road. Those areas are closed to through traffic today as crews begin work on a complex water main repair at the end of Foster Street and across Water Street. The closures are in effect until the repairs are completed, which Public Works crews say may take several days. Local traffic only will be permitted. We’ve posted continuous updates on our FB pages, and you’re also encouraged to check the City of Ellsworth FB page for updates on the progress of the project.