2 people rescue themselves after falling through ice on Moosehead Lake

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 31, 2025

John Soares and Matthew Soares of New Jersey were fishing around the Moody Islands but decided to go to the back side of Sugar Island to get out of the wind. John, who was driving the snowmobile, saw a pressure ridge between the point and the island and slowed down, remembering being told not to go near visible marker buoys on their sled. Just then, as they moved slowly, the sled broke through the ice. He hit the throttle to try to get out of it, but the sled sank. John got out of the cold water quickly. His passenger Matthew, who was fully in the water, panicked at first but managed to get out too. The men walked to the tree line and called 911.

Why midcoast towns are blocking dollar store development

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 31, 2025

A nearly unanimous vote at a town meeting in the Knox County town of Washington on Wednesday night for a six-month moratorium on the development of any major non-residential projects. The move was meant to block a proposal to build a Dollar General in the town — a development that residents feared would threaten their locally owned alternative. Washington is part of a growing group of midcoast communities that have sought to limit their development. Lincolnville recently renewed a moratorium against big retailers for a second time, after a big project was proposed, and in 2016, Thomaston voted a similar way. Belfast has long limited the development of box stores after a Wal-Mart was proposed in 2001. Washington officials plan to consider rules changes that would permanently restrict large, non-residential retail developments.

Letter: Don’t let MainePERS get away with fossil fuels

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 31, 2025

The state’s retirement system has only one year left of the five years the law, L.D. 99, has given it to divest from fossil fuel company investments. It has done very little so far to meet this legal mandate. Aside from the obvious harm to the Earth, fossil fuels are becoming a less profitable investment. MainePERS should understand that many people are watching and waiting for it to meet its obligation. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to not let this truly important issue slide. ~ Marian Flaherty, Waterville

Letter: Inhumane killing of coyotes must be stopped

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 31, 2025

Coming from a hunting family, any animal killed was used to the fullest extent possible with little to no waste. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said when it comes to coyote killing contests, which allow unlimited numbers of coyotes to be killed for prizes. There is no credible science that supports this as a management tool. Aside from not adhering to fair chase principles or ethical hunting, killing large numbers of coyotes interferes with the important role they play in maintaining Maine’s ecosystems and biodiversity. Contact state representatives and senators to request their support for “An Act to Prohibit Coyote Killing Contests” here in Maine. ~ Tammy Cloutier, Kennebunk

Northern Maine group wants to make the 1st ever international ice carousel

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 31, 2025

The Northern Maine Ice Busters, a St. John Valley group that holds the current world record for building the largest ice carousel, is setting its sight on two new records. At an event in March, it hopes to create the first ice carousel with an international boundary running directly through the middle, and the largest one on a river. An ice carousel is a piece of ice cut into a perfect circle over a body of water and designed to spin in a circle. In order for a carousel to qualify for world record status, it needs to spin one entire revolution. They will probably cut the circle on Friday and spin it on Saturday and Sunday.

Column: You can find these entertaining birds in the North Maine Woods

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 31, 2025

Canada jays are smart enough to go to college, except that they never leave the northern forest. They are among the most entertaining of Maine birds. you don’t have to find them. They find you. While many birds view humans with suspicion, Canada jays see us as an opportunity. They deserve their nickname of “camp robbers,” coming right down to the picnic table to boldly snatch a morsel. Their coastal range in Maine extends westward as far as Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Milford. Maybe that’s changing, though. I’m getting a little worried about my local Canada jays. I don’t see them as often as I used to. Or maybe they’ve just gotten bored with me, saying, “Oh, it’s just Bob again.” ~ Bob Duchesne

Brunswick waste digester proposal sparks debate

TIMES RECORD • January 30, 2025

Renewable gas developer Viridi is considering bringing in a major utility facility to Brunswick Landing, now a hotspot for contentious environmental issues. The anaerobic digester facility would bring a renewable energy source to the region — a step toward the town staying on track with its emissions goals. But Brunswick residents are concerned that the facility’s presence will add to myriad issues, such as PFAS contamination, already present in the neighborhood.

Massachusetts man killed in Jackman snowmobile crash

MORNING SENTINEL • January 30, 2025

Jamie Rooney, 52, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was riding his Ski-Doo snowmobile with a friend on the snowmobile trail ITS 89 when he traveled into Hastings Road and struck an EJ Carrier box cargo truck, driven by Katheryn Clark, 22, of Jackman shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday.

Nordic Aquafarms to pay Midcoast environmental group $125K

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Nordic Aquafarms has agreed to pay $125,000 to an activist group that fought the company’s recently abandoned plan to build a large aquaculture project in Belfast. The Norwegian company had for years attempted to build a $500 million facility, which would have been one of the largest inland salmon farms in the world. The company announced this month that it would be abandoning the project, citing legal challenges. Nordic Aquafarms falsely accused Upstream Watch of interfering with its right to use the adjacent intertidal land, the environmental group said in its announcement Thursday. “Nordic in fact, never had title, right or interest to that intertidal land, as determined by the Maine Supreme Court,” Upstream Watch said. Nordic Farms agreed to pay $125,000 and interest within two years, or upon the sale of any of its property in Belfast.

Maine’s backyard beehives see highest survival rate in 8 years

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 30, 2025

Maine beekeepers reported the lowest rates of hives lost last year since the state’s apiary program began surveying them in 2016. Honeybee hives regularly die off from a number of threats including parasitic disease-spreading mites, pesticides, starvation and unpredictable weather conditions. But Maine data has shown that trend dropping, which an expert thinks might be due to education efforts. Along with producing local honey, honeybees pollinate about 80 percent of all flowering plants and most of the fruit and vegetable plants people rely on.

Trump tariffs may roil Maine energy prices, and lobster, lumber markets

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Tariffs that are central to President Donald Trump’s economic policies could destabilize markets for many Maine products from lumber to lobsters to electricity. The president has said he will impose tariffs of 25% of the value of a product imported from Mexico and Canada beginning Saturday. Essentially a tax, a tariff could lead to higher prices because businesses typically pass the cost onto consumers, fueling inflation. And they drive other countries to respond with a tax on U.S. goods. Tariffs on products from Canada, which is Maine’s biggest trading partner, would send powerful ripples across the state’s economy. Maine brought in $4.4 billion of goods – fuels, oil, electricity, wood pulp and more – from its neighbor in 2024. A 25% tariff will cost Maine electricity ratepayers $8 million to $10 million a year.

Maine Republican legislators write Trump asking for further action to stop offshore wind

MAINE MORNING STAR • January 30, 2025

Maine Republican legislators wrote a letter to President Donald Trump thanking him for his recent action on offshore wind and asking him to take it a step further.  The letter sent Thursday was authored by Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport). Offshore wind was a key issue for Paul in her reelection campaign last year. “Common sense, economics and environmental concerns are against the offshore wind projects proposed by Democrats for the Gulf of Maine,” Paul said Thursday. She went on to say that she and her Republican legislative colleagues “are asking his administration to finish the job before irrevocable harm is inflicted on marine wildlife, coastal communities and our quality of life.”  

So far, Portland has seen less snowfall than any winter in the last decade

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Meteorologist Jerry Combs said only 16.6 inches of snow have fallen in Portland since Oct. 1. During the same time frame in 2015, the center recorded 53.3 inches of snowfall. Snow for Portlanders has long been an important conduit for activities like skiing and sledding, that make the long winters fun. The National Weather Service is predicting 2 to 3 more inches of snow may fall on Friday evening followed by a couple of more inches on Sunday afternoon. Combs said this pattern of a few inches of snow falling every few days is likely to continue over the next week or so, but he said there are no major storms on the horizon.

Insurance claim will only cover a fraction of the Brunswick spill costs

TIMES RECORD • January 30, 2025

The entity on the hook for the disastrous toxic foam spill in Brunswick last August, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, reported that it received a $250,000 payout after the incident, covering just a fraction of the costs it has racked up. The payout makes a mere dent in the $781,000 cleanup bill the authority had accrued as of Dec. 31, 2024. An airport insurance policy through the Maine Risk Management Bureau underwritten by Chubb Insurance — was denied due to a PFAS-exclusion clause. A second policy claim with Acadia Insurance was denied for the same clause.

$50 million LMF bond bill introduced in the Maine Legislature

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • January 30, 2025

A bill to replenish funds for the Maine Land for Maine’s Future program has been introduced in the Maine Legislature. LD 362 would authorize a $50 million bond.

Maine’s already got 31 state symbols. A reptile, amphibian and dog could be next.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Even though Maine already has 31 official state symbols — including a soil type, soft drink, fossil and insect — there seems to be a tendency to focus on what we don’t have. Take for example proposals before the legislature this session. State Rep. Laurie Osher (D) presented a bill to name the spring peeper as Maine’s official amphibian and the wood turtle as state reptile. A bill to declare a state dog was brought by Rep. David Boyer (R).

Slow down, wood turtle. Here are what Maine’s state symbols should be.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

This legislative session, Maine lawmakers will decide whether to name the Seppala Siberian sled dog, spring peeper and wood turtle our official state dog, amphibian and reptile, respectively. Whoa. Before we add multiple cold-blooded creatures to our increasingly chaotic catalog of state emblems, can we take care of some more low-hanging fruit? Surely the potato is a shoo-in for state root vegetable. And how has the Maine Italian not yet been named our state sandwich? If California has named denim as its state fabric, we should do the same for flannel. The Bean Boot long ago should have been named our state shoe. We’ve got to prioritize. The Legislature needs to establish an Office of Maine State Stuff. If it looks like it’s going to get killed for lack of funding, I’ll volunteer as director. ~ Leslie Bridgers

Trump tariffs worry lobster fishermen in Maine and Canada

SPECTRUM NEWS • January 30, 2025

Leaders from the U.S. and Canada’s lobster fishing communities came together in Bar Harbor Wednesday to tackle what they said are pressing issues facing the industry. At the top of mind at this year’s 21st annual meeting was the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on Canadian products. “These tariffs, if they actually happen, will badly impact Maine harvesters and the Maine lobster sector — just as it will impact Canadians,” said Geoff Irvine, the executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada.

Portland jetport parking expansion earns planning board approval

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2025

After nearly a year of debate, the Portland planning board has approved plans for a jetport parking expansion. The plans call for the paving of new surface lots to accommodate a growing number of air travelers parking for longer periods of time. All told, the project would add a net total of 265 new parking spaces. Nearby residents and planning board members had expressed concerns about the project's environmental impacts on nearby wetlands and trees that provide a buffer between the airport and the surrounding neighborhood.

Land trust acquires 1,400 acres in western Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2025

The Greater Lovell Land Trust has completed the largest purchase in its history, buying more than 1,400 acres in Western Maine. The acquisition of family land adds to existing conservation land in Sweden and Lovell, including seven miles along the Kezar River, the land trust said. Together, there are now about 2,700 acres of contiguous protected land that includes wildlife habitat, wetlands, and recreational trails. The purchase was partially funded with a $1 million grant from the Land for Maine's Future Program and financial support from the Open Space Institute, Nature Conservancy in Maine, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and Maine Community Foundation among others.