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Maine climber rescued after getting stuck on granite cliff

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 26, 2026

A Portland man was rescued Sunday morning after he got stuck while climbing a granite cliff in New Hampshire. William Carron, 30, was climbing alone and unroped on the Sliding Board route up Whitehorse Ledge in Hale’s Location, a small township north of Conway, about 8 a.m. when he realized he could not climb any higher or climb back down. He called for help. Nine climbers made their way up to Carron, fixing ropes from the ground up to the Portlander. They brought him to the cliff’s base.

Earthquake shook Piscataquis County town

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 26, 2026

An early Friday morning earthquake rattled Guilford. The magnitude 1.8 temblor shook the ground at a depth of more than 6 miles northwest of the Piscataquis County town about 12:13 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1997, there have been more than 170 recorded earthquakes in the state.

Maine OPA warns community solar farms of 'misleading' appeals to low-income customers

MAINE PUBLIC • October 26, 2026

The Maine Office of Public Advocate is warning community solar companies against making "misleading" appeals to people that receive benefits from the state's low-income assistance program for electricity. Public Advocate Heather Sanborn said at least one company is offering 20% electric bill discounts to electric customers if they subscribe in a community solar program. But after a change to the Low Income Assistance Program this year, those customers could receive up to 80% off their monthly bill based on income eligibility, Sanborn said.

What it means when you see purple paint on a tree

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 26, 2026

Have you ever been out in the woods and found a tree with a purple stripe painted on it? And if so, what did you do after that? The correct answer, it turns out, is to turn around and exit the area. The use of purple paint is a way to designate areas where access to land is limited to those who’ve received advance permission from the landowner.

Does the moon determine when Maine’s deer rut peaks?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 26, 2026

Many sportsmen count the November deer hunt as the highlight of all their outdoor pursuits. In general, knowing when the rut peaks gives you the best chance of catching a buck distracted by breeding activity, with his guard down and less focused on danger. But predicting the peak involves educated guesswork and anecdotal evidence, making the timing of the deer rut a subject of spirited debate at deer camp. There are two schools of thought on the subject. One theory holds that the breeding season is driven by day length. The more romantic theory is that although the rut occurs over a period of several weeks, there is a “sweet spot” lasting about 10 days regulated by the lunar cycle.

Column: Why you hear owls hooting more in October

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 25, 2026

Maine has three common nesting owls. One of them, the tiny northern saw-whet owl, generally leaves Maine during the coldest months. The other two don’t migrate. In fact, great horned and barred owls don’t even wander very much. They always have some notion of their territories, and are apt to proclaim it periodically. The hootin’ and hollerin’ starts in August, but intensifies in October. Now that you’re eavesdropping on owls, make sure you know who you’re snooping on. The hoot of a barred owl is famously described as “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” The great horned owl booms a deeper five-note phrase, often described as “Who’s awake? Me, too.” ~ Bob Duchesne

Wetlands restoration effort in Kennebunkport nears completion

MAINE PUBLIC • October 25, 2026

The Kennebunkport Land Trust has been working toward restoring a 13-acre hayfield into wetlands for the past three years. This week, they finished planting roughly 2,400 native plants that will help the land hold onto water, said Katelin Nickerson, project manager for Flycatcher, a land use consultant group. Reintroducing a scrubby, shrubby freshwater wetland will bring back birds and other animals whose populations have been declining in Maine, Nickerson said. The Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program has funded restoration efforts at nearly 200 sites across Maine since it was created in 2008.

Opinion: Will we succeed in saving the right whale?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 24, 2026

To celebrate the United States’ first 250 years, a time capsule was buried in Philadelphia on July 4, to be opened in another 250 years. Maine contributed seven items, a vertebra from a North Atlantic right whale among them. Maine State Museum Director Bernard Fishman proposed including the vertebra. He wanted the capsule to ask the future: “Did we — did you — save the right whales?” Only about 380 right whales are left, and only 70 are reproductive females. Fishing gear and ship strikes are the leading causes of death. Fortunately, technologies exist the fishing industry could use to ensure right whales have a future. However, since 2022, a pause has blocked new rules to reduce entanglements. A bill in the Senate co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden would extend the pause on new federal right whale protections to 2035. Call or write to Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and urge them to oppose Golden’s bill. ~ Cindy Lowry

Column: Some interesting insects to look for before winter

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October x, 2026

Ectothermic (relying on external sources of heat) invertebrates don’t fare too well in freezing temperatures, but there are a few interesting ones to be on the lookout for. The non-native Asian lady beetles in the fall look for warm places to spend the winter. They are especially fond of entering human dwellings for a warmer reprieve. The other insect you’ll find sneaking inside is the western conifer seed bug, often mistaken for a “stinkbug” because of the pungent smell it produces after being disturbed. Most of our butterflies and moths are soon to be gone. Not an insect, but an arachnid worth mentioning is the dreaded eastern black-legged tick. Leave your leaves on the ground. They provide important nutrients for the soil and shelter for many beloved animals, from wood frogs to woolly bear caterpillars. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Letter: Solar farm development will be good for Jay

SUN JOURNAL • October 24, 2026

E.S. Boulos has been the electrical contractor on Walden Renewables’ Leeds and Mousam River solar projects here in Maine and on the Nutes Solar project in New Hampshire. Across those jobs, Walden has been a genuinely good partner: clear plans, realistic schedules, quick decisions when issues came up and commitments kept every time. The proposed Alden Mill solar project would extend that partnership to Jay. It is the kind of project built by experienced teams, with real benefits for the host town. I hope the community will support it. ~ Scott Marquis, E.S. Boulos Company, Westbrook

Judge allows lawsuit against Maine salmon firm to proceed

QUODDY TIDES • October 24, 2026

A judge has ruled that the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) can move forward with its lawsuit in Maine against Cooke Aquaculture, one of the world’s largest salmon producers, for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act. The Canadian company has 13 active sites in Maine, including in Cobscook Bay and Machias Bay, where the company grows millions of salmon. CLF alleges that Cooke is violating the state’s effluent limitations through unlawful discharges. Most of Cooke’s salmon cage sites are located in coastal communities where lobstermen and fishermen depend on clean and unpolluted water for their livelihoods.

Column: Rare bird in Maine sparks frenzy, echoes past birding crazes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026

Stop the presses. A grey heron has been identified in Cape Elizabeth. Hundreds of birders have already rushed to view it in its adopted farm field. If it lingers, more people will go. The grey heron is strikingly similar to our great blue heron. They are common and widespread throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, but very rarely seen in North America. That makes sense. The Atlantic Ocean is a nearly insurmountable barrier. Birds that swim might make the jump. Northern birds occasionally leapfrog from Europe to Iceland to Greenland to Newfoundland. It’s exceedingly rare for a wading bird to make the crossing. ~ Bob Duchesne

8 places to hike in Maine where there’s no hunting

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026

As deer hunting season gets into full swing in Maine, many people are looking for places to hike and bike that are off limits to hunting, simply to avoid even the possibility of a mistake or conflict. Wear orange.
• Fernald’s Neck Preserve in Lincolnville
• Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park in Brooksville
• Salt Pond Preserve in Hancock
• Rolland F. Perry City Forest in Bangor
• Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden
• Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island
• Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
• Baxter State Park near Millinocket

Letter: Matt Dunlap is the best choice for sportsmen

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026

Maine’s outdoor heritage is one of our greatest treasures. As a sportsman, I want our elected officials to preserve the outdoors and advocate for hunters and fishermen. That’s why I support Matt Dunlap for Congress. Matt Dunlap served as the executive director of the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) and expanded membership. He also received an A+ rating from SAM. As a state representative, Matt served as House chair on the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, where he wrote the bill for lifetime hunting licenses and fought for an expanded season for bow hunting. ~ Roger Corrow, Bangor

Trump administration to exempt Canadian products used by Maine farmers from tariffs

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2026

The Trump administration is creating tariff exemptions for Canadian products important to some agricultural sectors in Maine, according to Sen. Susan Collins. The exemptions announced on Friday will apply to nine categories of products, some of which are important to blueberry and apple growers, potato farmers and seaweed producers in Maine. But the announcement immediately became fodder for Maine's closely watched U.S. Senate race as Democrats accused Collins of seeking to mitigate economic damage that she helped to cause.

Crayola among companies failing to disclose toxins in kids products

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2026

Crayon maker Crayola is among manufacturers of products for children that failed to tell Maine regulators their goods contained toxic chemicals as required by state law, according to Portland-based nonprofit Defend Our Health. Defend our Health Executive Director Emily Carey Perez de Alejo said Crayola did not disclose that some of its art supplies including markers and finger paint used formaldehyde as a preservative.

Man rescued after getting stuck in mud by Newport’s Sebasticook Lake

CENTRAL MAINE • October 23, 2026

A duck hunter was rescued from deep mud by Sebasticook Lake in Newport on Friday afternoon. Newport Fire Chief Jeff Chretien said the man walked out on the lake bed to retrieve a duck he had shot when he became stuck. The man was stuck for about an hour, Chretien estimated. There were no injuries — “just pride,” he said.

Orland campground owner fined $8K over substandard waste piping

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2026

The owners of an Orland campground have been ordered this month to pay $8,000 in fines over 20 campsites that violated town development ordinances. The owners of Wanderin’ Moose Campground, which sits on the shore of Toddy Pond in Hancock County, have been in a multi-year dispute with the town of Orland after adding 20 unsanctioned campsites that were not part of their original approved site plan. The town alleged that the campground violated local laws about cutting down shoreland-adjacent trees and installing professionally-graded sanitary waste piping and electrical hook ups.

Opinion: Maine’s working waters are not dumping grounds for foreign corporations

SUN JOURNAL • October 23, 2026

Before leases are renewed or industrial salmon farming expands, we call on the commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources and the next governor and Maine Legislature to enforce stronger accountability, transparency and public input. The burden should not fall on coastal residents to prove harm after the fact. Companies operating in public waters should face strong monitoring, clear reporting and real enforcement from the start, with that information easily accessible so communities can see what is being discharged, what regulators are tracking and how they are responding. Protections for our waters only matter if they are enforced. ~ Rock Alley, Jonesport lobsterman and president of Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation; Jason Faulkingham, lobsterman from Beals