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York voters could make a single-use plastic ban permanent in November

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 1, 2026

York restaurants haven’t been allowed to use plastic straws, utensils or stir sticks since the town’s first-in-the-state ban went into effect in May 2025. But a sunset clause baked into the ordinance means it could be lifted on Dec. 31. Now, officials have decided to ask voters if the ban should be made permanent. The ordinance was proposed by a group of high school studentsand originally included single-use containers and cups. The Select Board was apprehensive of such a drastic change, especially because biodegradable materials are usually more expensive. Town Manager Peter Joseph said amending the ordinance made it easier for businesses to adapt and has led to a 100% compliance rate.

With tick-borne illnesses surging, we must strengthen research, prevention, and education

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 1, 2026

Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses continue to pose a major public health threat. An estimated 500,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, an increase of more than 2,000 percent over the last 20 years. Here in Maine, a record 4,200 cases were reported in 2025, more than three times the number reported in 2020. Experts predict tick populations will increase again this year following a winter that was not consistently cold enough to reduce their numbers. Nearly seven years ago, a bill which I co-authored was signed into law. It established a comprehensive approach to combat Lyme and other vector-borne diseases at the national, state, and local levels. Earlier this month, I led legislation strengthening that landmark law passed the Senate. I am optimistic the House will pass the bill before the end of the year. ~ Susan M. Collins represents Maine in the U.S. Senate

Tour boat spots great white shark feeding on a seal off MDI

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 31, 2026

Another great white shark was spotted feeding on a seal off Mount Desert Island on Sunday, according to a Bar Harbor whale watching company. It was at least the second sighting of the apex predator in the waters off MDI in August, joining what appears to be a growing number of shark encounters off Maine’s coastline in recent years.

At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 31, 2026

More than 14 million older adults fall every year in the U.S., perhaps none so often as 91-year-old Dale Sanders. By his count, Sanders fell 71 times while reclaiming his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Six were what he calls hard falls, including one that led to a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the finish. But none were enough to permanently divert him from the 2,193-mile trail that runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Katahdin in Maine.

Column: Bear population is right where it needs to be

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 31, 2026

For a brief period, there were efforts to increase hunting opportunities with the goal of increasing the bear harvest. Opposition was strong enough to quell them, and we have since learned that was not necessarily a bad thing. Thanks to our Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and its careful stewardship of a public resource, our bear population is right about where it should be. Let’s hope the agency, and we hunters, can keep it that way by preserving the measures in place to do so. ~ Bob Humphrey

Opinion: Make Maine walkable again

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 30, 2026

Being able to walk to day-to-day destinations is important for the vast majority of Americans, but our residential communities aren’t designed for it. Mainers are no different. Local surveys and planning projects in Falmouth, Presque Isle, Rumford, Waterville and others demonstrate walkability is a preference across generations and across the state. Not only is pedestrian access to nearby amenities and services important for individual health and happiness, walkability is a proven economic engine that benefits local businesses and raises tax revenue for communities. Although cars have long been symbols of American freedom, we shouldn’t forget the foundational role of connectedness by rail, trail, coach and trolley in building our economic centers and freeing us to explore the best of what’s out there. ~ Aaron R. Hanlon, Waterville

Maine bear discovers the perfect napping spot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 31, 2026

Ben Utecht has several bait sites for hunting bears in the North Maine Woods. His sites are remote, requiring a 3-mile, one-way canoe paddle and a short hike. Because of low water conditions, he had to reroute access to some sites or walk through two feet of mud. Due to the difficulty reaching the area, his bait, which consists of expired food, is placed in a pack for portability. This time, though, he forgot the pack at the bait site, and his trail camera captured something quite amusing — a bear picking the pack up, checking it out and then finally using it as a pillow to sleep on. Utecht did get his pack back, and surprisingly, it was unharmed.

At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 31, 2026

Letter: A suggestion for keeping dog waste off Maine’s beaches

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 30, 2026

Dogs are beautiful and loving. Most owners take remarkable care of them. They even pick up their droppings. But they cannot pick up urine as it seeds the beach for young children’s bare feet. Even worse, when babies put their hands in their mouths. With so many changes happening in 2026, let us inaugurate a change that benefits the entire community and the diseased ocean: No dogs on any beach in Maine. ~ Aurelie Bald, South Portland

Maine waited years for a Lyme vaccine. RFK hobbled the panel needed for a smooth rollout

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 28, 2026

With rates of Lyme disease on the rise in Maine, physicians are eager for a Lyme vaccine to assist patients. One is on the horizon, but its future availability is up in the air because the Trump administration has effectively eliminated the federal committee that would provide guidance on the new vaccine. What does this mean for the Lyme vaccine? According to vaccine law experts and former members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, there is no way to know whether the Lyme vaccine will receive the needed recommendations for the rollout to be accessible to consumers.

Maine waited years for a Lyme vaccine. RFK hobbled the panel needed for a smooth rollout

MAINE MONITOR • August 28, 2026

With rates of Lyme disease on the rise in Maine, physicians are eager for a Lyme vaccine to assist patients. One is on the horizon, but its future availability is up in the air because the Trump administration has effectively eliminated the federal committee that would provide guidance on the new vaccine. What does this mean for the Lyme vaccine? According to vaccine law experts and former members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, there is no way to know whether the Lyme vaccine will receive the needed recommendations for the rollout to be accessible to consumers.

Column: Do eastern bluebirds leave and come back?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2026

Not all bluebirds migrate. They are known as partial migrants; some of them will migrate south, while others will winter on or near their breeding grounds. Unless an individual is banded, it can be nearly impossible to tell if it is a returning bird. The southern (less migratory) birds are more likely to breed in the same place, at around 40% of the time, compared to more northern birds that return to breed 26% of the time. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Letter: Safety, pollution concerns on the Eastern Prom

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2026

Eastern Prom has become a common setting for cars and motorcycles showboating with speed and sound both the day and night. I have recently seen both a bicyclist and a motorcyclist in minor accidents and a very close call with a small child and a speeding truck. The employment of speed bumps and other devices to slow traffic on the Prom and Cutter Street seems critical. Also, why a metered electrical service for the food trucks has not been installed? The noise and pollution from the seven generators is ridiculous. ~ John Stewart, Portland

Federal arts leader has ‘extraordinary’ visit to Lewiston museum during Maine tour

SUN JOURNAL • August 28, 2026

The head of the National Endowment for the Arts wrapped up her three-day visit to Maine on Friday afternoon with a visit to the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor, which moved this summer into a new $15 million building along the Androscoggin River. “It’s projects like this that can change a town, change a community,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the NEA, the country’s largest funder of the arts. According to Carter, 18,000 Mainers work in the arts and culture sector, and the industry contributes $3 billion to the state’s economy.

Collins warns Canadian tariffs will hit $170M in Maine goods, urges return to negotiations

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 28, 2026

Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Friday that roughly $170 million in local goods will be impacted by the proposed Canadian tariffs, with more than half of that coming from the forest product sector. Collins wrote to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and urged them to resume trade negotiations with Canada. 

York’s Cliff Walk repair estimate skyrockets to $5.8 million

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2026

Months after York voters approved funding to begin repairing the historic Cliff Walk, the Select Board learned this week that the full cost of restoring the seaside trail could be nearly six times the initial estimate. What would have been a $1 million project could now cost just over $5.8 million. Now, town leaders are assessing their options, including a potential partial repair.

OSHA: Maine paper mill where 2 men died ignored broken alarm, fire hazard

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2026

The Woodland Pulp paper mill in Baileyville knowingly put employees in dangerous situations this year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA alleges that the company knew an emergency alarm system wasn’t working and that it didn’t activate during a Jan. 27 hydrogen sulfide leak that killed two employees. OSHA also alleges Woodland Pulp stored wood pulp, which is combustible, near hydrogen peroxide tanks, knowing it was a safety hazard. The pulp and the chemical came into contact on March 7 and started a fire.

Shifting the cleanup cost of packaging waste to companies could encourage greener packaging

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 28, 2026

Standing in your local store, it can be mind-boggling to try to weigh the pros and cons of all the packaging options. Disposing of the empty packaging poses a similar challenge. However, I’ve seen the potential in a policy approach gaining traction for packaging: extended producer responsibility, or EPR. This could radically change what packaging companies choose to use and what happens to that packaging after you throw it out. Extended producer responsibility policies are based on the “polluter pays” principle. By requiring brand owners to fund – and in some cases operate – recycling systems, EPR shifts the burden of waste management off local taxpayers. As producers incorporate these costs, the assumption is that they will redesign their packaging in ways that reduce their overall environmental impact.

Letter: Another choice for bicycling in and around Portland

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2026

The Casco Bay Bicycle Club offers social road bicycling in and around Portland from mid-April to mid-October. Our club is a great choice for cyclists whose desired pace is in the 12- to 15- mph range. All our rides are no-drop, meaning riders won’t be left out alone in the wild. Regular morning rides are Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays and range from 25 to 40 miles — with a slower paced, somewhat shorter “saunter” on Sunday mornings. Regular evening rides are on Wednesdays and Thursdays, ranging from 15 to 20 miles and usually start at 6 p.m. during longer summer days. ~ Uwe Uhmeyer, Gorham