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Column: An ode to a hidden river and a giant brook trout

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2026

Shrouded in mystery, the river’s name is rarely mentioned by local guides. Its reputation for large fish is only whispered. I chose a favorite fly pattern. My initial trepidation was quickly replaced by confidence when the line slid smoothly through the guides, the little wet fly wafting down like a bit of pollen onto a dark seam that slipped shyly beside the far bank. I watched as a fish’s maw rose through the tannin-stained surface. When I set the hook, the trout’s massive shoulder turned, its raw power transmitted from the frail tippet up the line and through the throbbing graphite. A fish whose ancestors have called these waters home for more than 10,000 years. ~ Bob Romano

Animal rescues convene for their causes in North Yarmouth

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2026

Nine rescues set up booths on Saturday at Well & Good Brewing Co. to show off their hard work saving all kinds of animals. “We take everything from mice to coyotes,” said Kathi McCue-Pillsbury, founder of Wilderness Miracles Animal Rehab in Bowdoin. “Possums are my favorite animals in the entire world,” said 13-year-old Magnola Gillespie, who admired a possum named Ziggy.

Column: How bluebirds made an incredible comeback in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2026

Bluebirds nest in cavities. So do starlings and house sparrows. These exotic species were introduced from Europe, and as their populations grew, they took over the nest sites favored by bluebirds. At the same time, suburbs were devouring farmland. Old trees riddled with woodpecker holes were pruned or removed from the landscape. Over time, our bluebird population dwindled. Efforts to save the bluebird began in the 1960s. Bluebirds will happily nest in wooden boxes, and as these were erected throughout their range, the population rebounded. ~ Bob Duchesne

Opinion: Maine’s towns and cities need the arts more than ever

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2026

Rockland has quietly become one of the most culturally vital places in New England, not despite its working-class identity, but because of it. Rockland understands something many larger cities have forgotten: making things matters. Whether one builds a boat, paints a canvas, composes music or crafts furniture by hand, the impulse is fundamentally the same. Art is not separate from civic life, but evidence of it. That philosophy has transformed Rockland into what many now call the Art Capital of Maine. The scale of its cultural ecosystem is astonishing for a city this small: two major museums, galleries, a restored Art Deco theater, internationally respected film programming, furniture craftsmanship, wooden boatbuilding, artist residencies, performance spaces and independent creative organizations. Rockland demonstrates that the arts are not peripheral to civic health, but central to it. ~ Donna McNeil

Central Maine towns hit by power outages

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2026

On Saturday morning, 11,788 customers of Central Maine Power lost electricity in Gardiner, West Gardiner, Dresen, Woolwich, Richmond, Bowdoinham, Litchfield, Pittston and surrounding Sagadahoc County towns, according to the CMP outage map. According to its website, CMP provides customers with initial estimates of how long it will take for electricity to return. The company could not be reached for comment on the reason for the outage or when they expect power’s restoration.

Column: A beautiful place to visit nature in the heart of Lewiston

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2026

Hidden in plain sight just 2 miles northeast of downtown Lewiston is the highest point in the city, the wooded 516-foot summit of Thorne’s Hill in the heart of the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary, which is owned and managed by the Stanton Bird Club. Most local folks in the area know about this 450-acre jewel of an urban green space, which encompasses an interesting mix of natural terrain and 5 miles of footpaths for hiking and trail running, and in winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. If you’ve visited Thorncrag in the past but not in the last 11 years, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. North of Whale Rock is an 80-acre parcel known as Centennial Meadow that was purchased from a local family, the Gendrons, in 2015. It’s a delightful walk through the fields and woods that is not only very pretty but peaceful as well. ~ Carey Kish

Warden service finds body of teen who fell in Androscoggin River

SUN JOURNAL • June 27, 2026

The Maine Warden Service Dive Team on Saturday afternoon found the body of the 18-year old who drowned after falling into the Androscoggin River in Lewiston on Friday night. Siloe C. Irumva, of Lewiston, was fishing with friends near the Gulf Island Dam on the Androscoggin River along Switzerland Road in Lewiston at about 7:30 p.m. when he allegedly slipped on a rock while trying to detangle a fishing lure from a tree branch and fell into the water. The river’s current swept him downstream, submerging him underwater.

Letter: Surry should reconsider flood control project

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2026

The recent rejection by Surry voters of the Carrying Place project on Newbury Neck Road is a short-sighted decision that may have significant consequences for our community. The proposal offered Surry a rare opportunity to address a known infrastructure and public safety concern while taking advantage of substantial federal funding that would have covered the majority of the project’s cost. By turning away this assistance, the town has not eliminated the problem — it has merely postponed it. Unfortunately, delaying action will likely result in higher future costs borne largely by local taxpayers. I hope Surry will reconsider this decision and seize the opportunity to protect our town, our taxpayers, and our future. ~ Philip Roberts, Surry

Divers searching for 18-year-old in Androscoggin River

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2026

The Maine Warden Service dive team is searching Saturday morning for an 18-year-old who is presumed to have drowned after falling into the Androscoggin River in Lewiston the night before. The warden service and Lewiston police and fire departments had searched for Siloe C. Irumva on Friday night with boats, along the shore and with drones. Latti said wardens are hampered by fluctuating water conditions on that section of the Androscoggin, which is between two dams. Irumva, of Lewiston, was fishing with friends near the Gulf Island Dam in Lewiston Friday night. He slipped on a rock shortly before 7:30 p.m. while trying to get a fishing lure untangled from a tree branch. Irumva fell into the water, was swept downstream by the current and went under.

Maine’s roadside farm stands now have their own map

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2026

Whenever Mike Connery would drive with his wife and kids from their home in Brunswick to Pineland Farms, he’d marvel at the number of roadside stands they’d pass along the way, selling everything from goat cheese to lavender — and lots of eggs. Initially, he thought they would make for a great coffee table book, but as it became a bit of game to look for them wherever they went, Connery realized that people might appreciate having a map. Nailing down the number and location of farm stands in Maine is nearly impossible. Because of Maine’s food sovereignty laws, many stands don’t need any sort of permit to operate. While there are maps of Maine’s farms and farmers markets that include farm stands, there didn’t appear to be one specifically for these roadside operations. Connery spent a weekend building the Farmstands Guide website (farmstandsguide.com).

Here are some animal signs to look out for while hiking in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2026

Signs of wild animals can be found all along hiking trails, but they’re easy to miss. Noticing them can give you a better picture of the wilderness you’re exploring. It can also signal you to keep an eye out for certain animals. If traveling quietly, you may catch a glimpse of a white-tailed deer or snowshoe hare as they bound through the bushes. When reading a landscape, animal signs are like words in a book, telling a story about the creatures that live there. Tracks are one of the most well-known and studied signs of wildlife. Scat can also tell you what animals are eating, if you dare to take a close look.

New Maine Restrictions on Certain Rodenticides and Herbicides Now in Effect

MAINE BOARD OF PESTICIDES CONTROL • June 26, 2026

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) is notifying homeowners, pesticide users, retailers, and applicators that new restrictions on certain rodenticides and herbicides took effect on June 16, 2026. Under the new rules, products containing the following active ingredients are now classified as Restricted Use Pesticides in Maine:
• Rodenticides: Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone, Difenacoum, Difethialone
• Herbicides: Tebuthiuron
As a result, these products may only be purchased and used by individuals who hold a valid pesticide applicator license issued by the BPC. General Use Pesticide Dealers may no longer sell products containing these active ingredients, and unlicensed individuals may no longer purchase or use them.

Internal memo tells national parks not to report deaths

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 25, 2026

Officials at Acadia National Park may stop reporting deaths in the park. A U.S. Department of the Interior internal memo obtained by the Washington Post instructs staff at national parks not to confirm deaths or provide details about severe injuries on park property. Park staff are only allowed to confirm “that an incident occurred.” Communication from Acadia is in decline. The park has responded less frequently to media queries the past two years, and since late last month has not had a designated spokesperson.

An escaped peacock has been prowling Gray for more than a month

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2026

A lone peacock has been roaming the forests of Gray since flying over a perimeter fence at Maine Wildlife Park last month. The peacock has been missing from the wildlife park since the week of May 18. Marie Jacobs, of Friends Of The Maine Wildlife Park, said in a Facebook post that the peacock’s name was “Rambo.” Rambo has spent much of the past month wandering the woods of Thayer Brook Preserve, roughly 5 miles from the park, but has recently moved north toward Shaker Hill. Royal River Conservation Trust, which manages Thayer Brook Preserve, has been keeping track of Rambo.

Two hikers stranded on Mount Katahdin rescued by Maine Army National Guard Thursday

MAINE PUBLIC • June 26, 2026

Two technical climbers stranded on Mt. Katahdin Wednesday due to severe storms were rescued early Thursday by a Maine Army National Guard helicopter team. According to Baxter State Park Officials, 35-year-old climbers Dylan Cunningham and Sean Rowan of Virginia were on Mt. Katahdin's Flat Iron Wednesday when severe thunderstorms rolled through Baxter State Park. The pair were stranded on the rough terrain and exposure to the elements left both men hypothermic and dehydrated.

Mi'kmaq Nation to expand lands with new Aroostook county parcel

MAINE PUBLIC • June 26, 2026

The Mi'kmaq Nation has obtained a new land parcel of over 3,400 acres, after several years of land-return efforts by the tribe and local conservation groups. The parcel will more than double the tribe's land holdings. The Mi'kmaq Nation, a Wabanaki Tribe with lands in Aroostook County, hopes to use the new parcel for hunting, fishing and basket-weaving, and to teach those skills to the next generation. The Conservation Fund purchased the parcel last year from a local forester and held the land for the tribe until fundraising for the $1.9 million parcel was completed.

How climate change is reshaping trails in the White Mountains

MAINE MORNING STAR • June 26, 2026

“When the trails…in New Hampshire were laid out, they were laid out to maximize adventure, challenge,” said Matt Moore, senior operations manager for Appalachian Mountain Club Trails. It’s common for trails in the White Mountains to follow direct routes up slopes, eschewing twists and turns, or switchbacks, that would moderate their ascents. The trail crews that charted these routes in the 1920s and 1930s often crafted them to mark a straight path up the slope, Moore said. That approach created some iconic routes up and down the region’s famous peaks — but it also established trails that tend to be aligned with the path of rainfall runoff. That means trails in New England are particularly susceptible to erosion to begin with, Moore said. And as climate change continues to make rain events more intense, that creates a growing problem for hikers and trail crews alike.

Column: New Maine MILL is something every Mainer must see

SUN JOURNAL • June 26, 2026

In an old mill building facing west toward the Androscoggin River, a $15 million arts and culture museum in Lewiston is about to use deep ties to the community’s past to open the door to a new future for much of Maine. Opening Saturday, June 27, the spectacular Maine Museum of Innovation, Labor and Learning focuses on the industrial heritage of Lewiston and the region with flair and hope. Not so many years ago, the nearby Androscoggin River was a stinking mess so awful that the only people who lived along it were those too poor to live any further from its banks. Following Sen. Ed Muskie’s 1972 Clean Water Act, spurred in part by the senator’s memories of growing up in Rumford, the river is now a delight. The cities built alongside it are now increasingly looking to spur economic growth. ~ Steve Collins

Column: This honor-system farm store in Cumberland couldn’t work just anywhere

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2026

In the corner of a big white barn on Winn Road about a half mile off Route 9, anyone can walk in at anytime of day and comb through coolers of grass-fed beef, grab a carton of eggs or select snacks from the shelves. The farm store at Pine Ridge Acres never closes and has no cashier. Instead, it relies on a log where customers are asked to write down their name, what they’re buying and how they intend to pay for it — by cash or check (slid into a locked box beside the counter), credit card or Venmo. The business model doesn’t seem like it should work, but the store’s shrinkage rate is right around the industry average and, for theft in particular, is far below it. ~ Leslie Bridgers