Rare partial solar eclipse visible in Maine skies Wednesday

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

The moon will appear to take a cosmic bite out of the sun on Wednesday afternoon, offering Maine sky watchers a celestial show in their own backyards as about a quarter of the sun goes dark for two hours. It will be the last time that any part of the sun will be eclipsed in Maine skies until 2045. In Bangor, the eclipse begins at 12:54 p.m. and will reach its maximum coverage of about 24% at 1:53 p.m. before ending at about 2:49 p.m. The “bite” visible from Portland will be a little smaller, peaking at 19% obscurity. The timing remains consistent within a minute or two.

Kennebunk officials tell beachgoers: Put down your phone and watch your kids

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

Kennebunk officials are warning parents and caregivers to put their phones down when supervising children at the beach after a child briefly went missing. The child was found safe at Mother’s Beach on Monday afternoon, having wandered into a different area of the beach while their caregiver was distracted. After the child was safely reunited with their caregiver, fire officials said they saw the adult immediately return their attention to their phone. That prompted a “stern warning” about the seriousness of the situation and the adult’s responsibility.

King Introduces Legislation to Reward Offshore Wind Developers Who Stand Up to Trump

ALES PADILLA • October 11, 2026

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Angus King (I-ME) have introduced the Outer Continental 5 Shelf Lease Restoration Act of 2026. The legislation in intended to reward developers who buck Trump Administration demands to abandon their offshore wind leases with access to an expedited route to more development, incentivizing private companies to stand up against the Trump Administration’s efforts to kill the renewable energy sector. “This legislation is a concerted effort to onshore energy jobs while bucking the Administration’s partisan attempt to pick winners in the energy field,” King said.

South Portland launches new home energy program

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

50 South Portland households can assess and make minor repairs to their home energy system with municipal support. Homeowners and renters can apply for free home weatherization assistance to improve energy efficiency, lower their costs and improve sustainability. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. “We want to take a holistic approach to helping people come up with a plan,” said Julie Rosenbach, the sustainability director. “We want to reduce the growing energy costs for people with fixed incomes, low incomes and moderate incomes.” 

Rockland manufacturing plant set to be sold

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • August 11, 2026

International Flavors and Fragrances announced in a news release that it has reached an agreement to sell its food ingredient businesses to CVC Capital Partners, a private market manager. That includes the Rockland plant off Tillson Avenue where carrageenan is produced from seaweed. Carrageenan is used as a thickener and stabilizer in processed foods and personal care products, such as toothpaste. The manufacturing plant has seen a series of new owners over the past decade. CVC manages more than $230 billion in assets across the world. Its corporate office is in Luxembourg.

Why beaches close for piping plovers in Maine and New Hampshire

FOSTERS DAILY DEMOCRAT • August 11, 2026

Piping plovers have restricted nesting requirements that put them in conflict with humans. Their numbers have declined due to the loss of safe nesting habitat. They are now listed as an endangered species in both Maine and New Hampshire and threatened in Massachusetts. According to Kevin Mullan of Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Project, “These birds are endangered due to coastal development and disturbance from human activities. Piping plovers need a healthy beach ecosystem to survive. It’s where they nest, rest, and forage. With the popularity of beachfront property and beaches as a place of recreation, there will always be a need to protect their nesting grounds in order to manage that conflict between human use and plovers. The presence of plovers is also a signal of a healthy and diverse beach ecosystem that we should strive to maintain.”

Column: Exploring the Orange River Water Trail

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

Located in Whiting in far-eastern Maine, the Orange River Water Trail is a unique trail system that encompasses Rocky Lake, Orange Lake, Orange River, Reynolds Brook and Little Lake. The trail is offered to the public by a partnership consisting of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Cobscook Shores, Downeast Coastal Conservancy and Downeast Salmon Federation. Much of the shoreline is preserved by the partnership organizations while some areas are privately owned. The preserved lands are largely undeveloped and recreation is encouraged. There are picnic areas, campsites, hiking trails and several boat launches; some require a short hand-carry. ~ Ron Chase

How Aroostook County is growing Maine’s sovereign food movement

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 11, 2026

When Stockholm launched Maine’s first sovereign market in 2024, few knew it would lead to a statewide movement. But Maine’s expanded Food Sovereignty Act, which allows small farmers to sell goods directly to consumers without state licenses, resonated with people. The act aimed to increase food self-sufficiency, encourage local farming and stimulate rural economic development. 

Letter: Time for another vote on Pine Tree Power Company

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 11, 2026

In 2023, we had a ballot initiative to replace Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power with a cooperative option called Pine Tree Power Co. CMP didn’t like that. They spent millions of dollars to build fear, anxiety and doubt over a public takeover of their business. It worked; the ballot initiative was defeated. Three years on and electricity prices have risen significantly. It seems they’ve passed the cost of defeating the bill on to us. And the quality of power is as bad as it’s ever been. The best time to make the change was yesterday. The next best time is now. ~ Gardiner Bryant, Unity

Inescapable: Facing Up to Forever Chemicals

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • August 10, 2026

Invisible and nearly indestructible, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have seeped into the blood of almost every American and permeated the natural world. Inescapable reveals how ordinary people are tackling the toxic impacts from this sprawling class of industrial compounds—long used in consumer products, building supplies, and firefighting foam and still widely produced. Journalist Marina Schauffler recounts how PFAS contamination in Maine, a state known for its bountiful farms, woods, and waters, has upended lives and livelihoods, endangered public health, and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Maine is among states at the forefront of PFAS testing and regulation, but no region is immune from this chemical threat.

White shark dragged lifeguard underwater in Scarborough this weekend, officials say

MAINE PUBLIC • August 10, 2026

A lifeguard had a close call with a white shark at Scarborough Beach State Park over the weekend. Daryen Granata said the lifeguard was swimming back to shore Saturday with his hand strapped to a plastic rescue device. "A white shark grabbed hold of the line, or the torp, and pulled the lifeguard down five or six feet underwater," Granata said. "The lifeguard was able to shed the strap and then he began to swim in." The lifeguard made it back to shore safely. The incident occurred about 50 yards off the beach. There have been a number of white shark sightings in the area within the last week.

Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 10, 2026

The contiguous United States sizzled to its hottest month ever last month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree.

These workers keep Old Orchard Beach’s coastline clean

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 10, 2026

Fred Hoyt said the most common pieces of trash — by far — are cigarette butts. He counts how many he collects each day. “Yesterday was 379,” Hoyt said. Hoyt, 66, is one of three seasonal employees who work for Old Orchard Beach, picking up trash on the town’s seven miles of shoreline every morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They start at 5 a.m. and finish before many people staying in the oceanfront motels wake for the day.

Maine CDC identifies 10 cyclosporiasis cases connected to lettuce recall

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 10, 2026

Maine is now officially part of a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis tied to iceberg lettuce. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a public health advisory Friday afternoon that it has identified 27 cases of cyclosporiasis in the state so far this year, 10 of them directly related to the Taylor Farms lettuce recall. That means Maine has reached the threshold to be considered part of the nationwide outbreak.

Tell Congress NO IMMUNITY FOR BIG OIL!

MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS • August 10, 2026

Big Oil is pushing Congress for something no industry should get: a special shield from accountability. Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation that would block climate lawsuits and state laws aimed at making fossil fuel companies help pay for the damage they’ve caused. Here in Maine, that could undermine our progress toward holding Big Oil accountable and establishing a Maine Climate Superfund program. On Thursday, August 27, Maine Conservation Voters is joining our partners in the Make Polluters Pay coalition for two rallies calling on Maine’s congressional delegation to reject immunity for Big Oil:
• PORTLAND, August 27 at 12 PM, Lobsterman Park, 1 Temple Street
• LEWISTON, August 27 at 4 PM, location coming soon

Waterville man drowns in New Hampshire lake

CENTRAL MAINE • August 10, 2026

A Waterville man was found dead Saturday in Ossipee Lake in Freedom, New Hampshire. Members of a local dive rescue team recovered the body of Shawn Meader, 45, from the lake after receiving a dispatch call around 3 a.m. The caller reported that someone had entered the lake for a swim, but had gone under water and couldn’t be located. First responders performed life-saving measures on Meader, but pronounced him dead at the scene.

Maine state park closes beaches to swimmers after shark sightings

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 10, 2026

Reid State Park has closed its beaches to swimmers after a spate of shark sightings last week. There will be no swimming at Mile, Half Mile and East beaches Monday after shark sightings Friday and Saturday. The sharks may have been attracted to the area because of an abundance of seals and baitfish. That comes on the heels of sightings of numerous great white sharks in the waters off Scarborough last week.

Crews responding to fire on shores of Moosehead Lake

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 9, 2026

Emergency crews were responding to a structure fire Sunday evening near the Rockwood town landing on the shores of Moosehead Lake. It’s the second major fire in the region in as many days.

13 cars derail on CSX train between Veazie and Orono

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 9, 2026

Thirteen cars derailed from a CSX train Saturday afternoon between Veazie and the Penobscot County Country Club. No leaks, spills or hazards to the public were reported, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection confirmed no release and no impact to the Penobscot River.

Fire crews battle blaze at old Moosehead Mill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 9, 2026

Multiple fire departments from both Piscataquis and Penobscot counties battled a blaze at the Moosehead Mill in Monson on Saturday night. Monson Deputy Fire Chief Terry Gaudet told Newscenter Maine that mill owners had a permit to burn debris, but the fire got out of control and spread to buildings, at least three of which were a total loss. [The Moosehead Manufacturing Company was founded in 1948. In its 23 years of operation, Moosehead became famous for its design and craftsmanship of Early American furniture.]