A walking trail bench divides a midcoast Maine town

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • September 22, 2026

Ruby Pinders grew up in Maine, spent years building a business with her husband in Vermont, and then came home. As her 77th birthday approached this summer, she traveled to the Giant’s Stairs on Bailey Island to walk beside familiar waters. “I came back to Maine when the ocean called me back to retire,” Pinders said. But the relaxing stroll she envisioned was not to be, even with the walking poles she used to steady herself on the dirt and rock path running along the giant stone steps. After going just a short way, she lost momentum and — finding no place to rest — headed back to the car. There might have one day been a bench, if Harpswell Parks Director Katie Neal had succeeded in winning approval to place one along the path as part of a broader effort to make town trails more accessible. But that effort recently died amid objections from some of the people who own oceanfront homes and cottages along the trail.

Scarborough, Westbrook consider data center bans

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 22, 2026

After communities across the state enacted temporary data center moratoriums over the past few months, some are now considering banning them outright. Westbrook and Scarborough officials have proposed amending their ordinances to prohibit data centers in the interest of protecting community resources, noting that the rules could change later as technology advances.

Opinion: Maine needs to be standing ready for the next big storm

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 22, 2026

From working waterfronts to inland towns, storms are not distant possibilities. They are part of life. This year’s National Preparedness Month theme is Americans Stand Ready. This September, take one concrete step. Make the plan. Sign up for alerts. Check the batteries. Set aside supplies for your family and pets. Call a neighbor. Visit Ready.gov/stand-ready for free tools and checklists. The next storm will not wait for us to get ready. We should not wait for it. ~ Pete Rogers, director, Maine Emergency Management Agency; Jarrett W. Devine, acting regional administrator of FEMA Region 1

Letter: Maine’s electricity needs should take priority over data centers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 22, 2026

No data centers should be approved in Maine until the electric utilities reliably deliver 120 volts to current customers. Data centers and other businesses that consume large amounts of electricity should be approved at the state level, not by local governments. ~ Steve Painter, Kennebunkport

Jay solar proposal puts $45M tax benefit under scrutiny

SUN JOURNAL • September 22, 2026

A developer proposing a large-scale solar project in Jay said the town could receive $45 million over the project’s estimated 40-year life, but residents at a Sept. 14 public hearing pressed for details on how much of that money would ultimately benefit local taxpayers. The discussion raised a central financial question surrounding the proposal: not simply how much Walden would pay, but how tax exemptions, school and county obligations, a possible TIF and additional municipal costs would affect Jay’s bottom line.

Dead Katahdin hiker was still alive when 1st 911 call went out

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 21, 2026

A hiker on Katahdin was still alive when the first 911 call came in, Baxter State Park’s director told the Bangor Daily News. Another hiker encountered Bert Peter Goris, 64, of Colton, California, around 1:15 p.m. on Sept. 14 on Hunt Trail near York Valley, Director Kevin Adam said Monday. Goris had a leg injury and difficulty talking and could not move well. The Maine Army National Guard deployed a helicopter to rescue Goris. Baxter State Park rangers hiked up to Goris and helped him to the helicopter that landed on Katahdin’s Tablelands around 4:40 p.m. Goris was confirmed deceased at Millinocket Airport where ambulance staff met the helicopter, Adam said.

50th annual Common Ground Fair opens Friday with speakers, exhibits, vendors and livestock

CENTRAL MAINE • September 21, 2026

The Common Ground Country Fair marks its 50th year as it launches Friday in Unity. The three-day-event features more than 1,000 exhibitors and speakers, highlighting organic agriculture and sustainable rural living. Keynote speakers this year include Philip Gregory, a litigator with Our Children’s Trust, and youth plaintiff Avery McRae, who will explore on Friday whether the government has a duty to safeguard the climate for future generations. The fair is organized by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. For more details on the full event schedule and ticketing information, visit www.mofga.org.

Westbrook’s Vertical Harvest faces foreclosure

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 21, 2026

Vertical Harvest is facing foreclosure on more than $8 million in financing it received for its Westbrook hydroponic farm, according to a complaint filed by the lien holder. “The farm is operating, our team is at work, and we are supplying customers throughout the state through Native Maine (Produce and Specialty Foods),” Vertical Harvest CEO Nona Yehia said.

Thru-hiker died after summiting Katahdin, official says

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 21, 2026

A California thru-hiker died last week just hours after reaching the northern end of the Appalachian Trail on Katahdin. Kevin Adam, director of Baxter State Park, said Monday that another hiker called 911 at 1:15 p.m. on Sept. 14 to report a man lying on the Hunt Trail near York Valley, experiencing difficulty talking, unable to move and showing signs of a leg injury. Adam said the victim has been tentatively identified as Bert Peter Goris, 64, of Colton, California.

Maine publishes comprehensive study of the state's birds

MAINE PUBLIC • September 21, 2026

Maine has finally published the most comprehensive survey of the state's bird life ever compiled. The Maine Bird Atlas is the product of volunteer observations from nearly every corner of the state between 2018 and 2022, according to Maine Audubon naturalist Doug Hitchcox. "Just the fact that we had these thousands of volunteers and millions of cumulative records over those five years, it's easily the largest citizen science project that the state has ever seen," Hitchcox said. The atlas records bird species that breed or spend winters in Maine and is broken down into nine-mile blocks. It's an in-depth update to the first atlas published over 40 years ago.

These signs mean Maine’s fall salmon run is getting started

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 21, 2026

Landlocked salmon are one of Maine’s top freshwater fish, typically ranking right behind brook trout in surveys occasionally taken over the years. And they should be. They are one of Maine’s true natives, originally found in only four river basins, including the St. Croix, Union, Penobscot and Presumpscot. Stocking in other Maine waters started as early as 1868. Today, salmon fisheries, either self-sustaining or supplemented and maintained by stocking, are found in approximately 300 Maine lakes and about as many miles of rivers. Genetically, landlocked salmon are closely linked to Atlantic salmon. There is one important factor when it comes to fishing the fall run. When will the run commence?

Juniper Ridge wants to treat its toxic runoff 20 miles away

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 21, 2026

The operators of the Juniper Ridge Landfill have alarmed environmental and community groups with plans to move a proposed PFAS treatment system to an offsite location, requiring the facility to truck its toxic runoff 20 miles away. The treatment system is a key requirement for approval of a 61-acre expansion permit that environmental organizations and abutters are currently fighting in court. Opponents learned of the plan to truck leachate from the landfill in Old Town and Alton to the Pine Tree Landfill in Hampden through a document filed in court and with state regulators by the company that runs Juniper Ridge. “That brings into question new environmental and public health concerns because you’re transporting massive amounts of leachate 20 miles south,” said Nora Bosworth, a lawyer for the Conservation Law Foundation.

Letter: Maine’s rare and fragile fisheries require discretion

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 20, 2026

The Sept. 13 report “Could Arctic char be restocked in Rangeley Lake?” was profoundly irresponsible. Broadcasting the exact location of a rare, fragile fishery like Long Pond is not good journalism; it’s reckless “spot-burning” and completely careless to conservation. The author broke the angler’s code in the worst possible way. There is a cardinal rule in the Maine woods: never expose a good fishing spot. This isn’t local greed, it is vital preservation. ~ Sara Smith, Rangeley Plantation

Watch out for these fuzzy caterpillars in Maine this fall

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2026

Several caterpillar species in Maine can cause skin reactions, including the invasive browntail moth. One of the most common caterpillars in the fall — the hickory tussock moth — can cause skin irritation if touched. At first glance, they may look almost cute, but don’t be fooled.

Maine’s Arctic char are showing off their stunning fall colors

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2026

Maine’s fall foliage isn’t the only place to find spectacular colors this time of year. Some of Maine’s rarest fish are now showing the brilliant orange-red colors they develop for their fall spawning season. Arctic char — also known as blueback trout and Sunapee trout — are native to only two states: Maine and Alaska. Maine has 14 lakes and ponds where Arctic char populations remain, most of them in the northern and western highlands. Several of those waters are state heritage fish waters, which are managed to protect native fish populations.

Column: Donnell Pond Public Land offers all the views, without Acadia crowds

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 19, 2026

Looking for an Acadia-like hiking experience without the crowds of Mount Desert Island? Head farther Downeast through to Donnell Pond Public Land, which spans the towns of Franklin and Sullivan and the unorganized townships of T9 SD and T10 SD. Amid the unit’s 15,500 acres, you’ll discover mountains, trails, views and elbow room aplenty. ~ Carey Kish

10 surprising facts about Katahdin

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 19, 2026

Katahdin, Maine’s tallest peak, has long been a source of awe and adoration. Over the years, I’ve learned some interesting things about the mountain’s history and habitats. Here are just a few of those fascinating facts.

Toxic algae bloom suspected in midcoast shellfish die-off

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • September 19, 2026

Clam diggers and other harvesters are reporting huge shellfish die-offs in mudflats around Harpswell. The town’s harbormaster and marine resources administrator, Darcie Couture, said it may be linked to a type of algae that’s not toxic to humans but is known to kill shellfish. Clam digger David Wilson, who is the chair of Harpswell’s Marine Resources Committee, said he noticed “a wicked smell” as he approached the mudflats yesterday near Pennellville, on Middle Bay in Brunswick. He said at first he thought it might be a dead whale that had washed ashore, but as he and the diggers he was with got closer, they saw dead and dying clams spread across the mud.

Column: Rare birds turned up on this wild Maine boat trip across the Canadian border

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 19, 2026

I spent last week birding Grand Manan. Prior to that, I spent three days birding Campobello. I can testify that the area around Cobscook and Passamaquoddy Bay is some of the best birding in or near Maine, due to the abundant variety of habitats influenced by the strong tides and maritime climate. Ocean birding on both sides of the border has been above average this month. After several down years, the number of sooty shearwaters offshore has rebounded. Jaegers from the Arctic and south polar skuas from the Antarctic are mixing it up out there. It’s a fine time to be an adventurous international birder. ~ Bob Duchesne

State Forester Patty Cormier recognized with Public Service Award by Maine Forest Products Council

DAILY BULLDOG • September 19, 2026

The Maine Forest Products Council recognized Patty Cormier, Director of the Maine Forest Service, with the organization’s prestigious Abby Holman Public Service Award at its Annual Membership Meeting. Presented by Maine Forest Products Council Vice President Alex Ingraham, the award recognizes Cormier’s dedication to sustainable forest management, wildfire prevention and community leadership.