2 days ago

Relay For Life volunteers offer ‘Hope From Home’ to fight cancer during COVID-19 pandemic 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previously scheduled Relay For Life live events across Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire through June have suspended their live events, and many now are participating on Sunday, June 7 in a virtual online experience called Hope From Home. Participants should register for their local event at http://RelayForLife.org and then on June 7 join the activities at https://bit.ly/RelayHopeFromHome.

3 days ago

Maine Warden Service urges all boaters to stay safe and practice appropriate social distancing

Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of the boating season in Maine for many, and the Maine Warden Service is urging all boaters to wear your life jacket, boat safely and maintain proper social distancing while out on the water.

3 days ago

Biologists propose all-time record 109,890 any-deer permits

The state's wildlife biologists have proposed a 61.2 percent increase in the number of any-deer permits allotted this year. If the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's advisory council approves the plan, 109,890 hunters will be allowed to shoot deer without antlers during the firearms hunting season.

5 days ago

What you need to know to protect yourself from disease-carrying ticks in Maine

Maine recorded its worst year for Lyme disease in 2019, with 2,079 reported cases statewide. Experts in infectious disease weren’t surprised. And there’s no indication that the upward trend won’t continue this year.

5 days ago

Sheriff’s building purchase question set for July 14 referendum

Piscataquis County residents will be asked to vote on the purchase of the former Key Bank location in downtown Guilford to be the new home of the sheriff’s office patrol and investigation divisions when they head to the polls on Tuesday, July 14.

6 days ago

Maine expands testing to anyone suspected of having COVID-19

Maine reached a milestone in its pandemic response on Monday by opening up COVID-19 testing to a greater range of people. 

6 days ago

Senate bill would provide $2 billion for state and local governments in Maine

A new bill in the U.S. Senate could provide more than $2 billion to state and local governments in Maine to help offset lost revenues due to coronavirus-related economic shutdowns. The proposal, co-sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, includes $500 billion for state and local governments nationally and also frees up $1.25 billion previously allocated as part of a stimulus package that passed at the end of March.

6 days ago

Why Maine experts anticipate a surge in tick samples this year

This spring, tick experts at the University of Maine Tick Lab have noticed a big increase in the number of ticks that the public is submitting for testing. They think this upward trend might be linked to people spending more time outdoors than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

7 days ago

Wondering where the pandemic stands in Maine? Here are some numbers to watch.

Now that the coronavirus has been circulating around Maine for more than two months, the ever-growing mass of numbers, anecdotes and other information about the pandemic may be dizzying to anyone without a very strong interest in biology or disease surveillance. So the BDN has reached out to a few public experts for their advice on the best metrics to pay attention to that demonstrate the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.

1 week ago

Mills Administration secures Wi-Fi, learning devices for 100% of students reporting a need in face of COVID-19

Gov. Janet Mills and Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin announced that the Maine Department of Education has secured internet access and devices to facilitate at home learning for 100% of Maine school children for whom there was a reported need.

1 week ago

Mills administration allows lodging reservations for future stays

The administration of Gov. Janet Mills announced that, effective immediately, Maine lodging providers can begin accepting future reservations for stays with an arrival date of June 1 and beyond for Maine residents and for non-residents who comply with the state’s 14-day quarantine requirement.

1 week ago

Staying healthy is more important than ever. Here’s how to bring exercise back to your life.

Maintaining your health is about more than just not contracting a deadly disease — even during the pandemic. But as the stay-at-home orders have dragged on, many of us have let our daily physical activity slide, which compromises our physical health in other ways. It’s time to change that.

2 weeks ago

Mills extends coronavirus state of emergency for another month

For the second time, Gov. Janet Mills extended her civil state of emergency proclamation for another month on Wednesday, giving her more time to access federal funding and use certain powers to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

2 weeks ago

After lower-than-expected revenues, Hampden waste plant needs to borrow $10M

The group representing 115 Maine communities that send their waste to a new plant in Hampden has made a loan of $1.5 million to the facility to help it make improvements after its first six months of regular operations brought in lower-than-expected revenues.

2 weeks ago

Here’s how you can arm yourself against those pesky black flies

Jokingly referred to as the “Maine State Bird,” black flies are one aspect of the Maine outdoors that most people would prefer didn’t exist. Dotting the air in early spring, these tiny bugs have an annoying habit of flying into people’s eyes and ears. And their bites can be especially itchy.

2 weeks ago

Maine DOE to announce the 2020 Maine County Teachers of the Year on Facebook Live Thursday

The virtual announcement will be streamed live on the Maine Department of Education Facebook page. The pictures and a recording of the presentation will also be available after the announcement.

2 weeks ago

Maine Sporting Camp Association says Governor’s rural reopening plan fails 

According to a group representing sporting camps around Maine, Gov. Janet Mill’s rural reopening plan falls short of providing relief to commercial sporting camps, employees, guides and rural neighbors because it bans visits from non-residents. Non-resident fishing trips over the next six weeks generates almost 90% of the annual revenue for many of the camps operating across the state.

2 weeks ago

Maine joins small group of states in reopening some regions before others

Maine has become one of at least a dozen states that are beginning to ease restrictions on businesses in rural areas with fewer cases of the coronavirus while many rules will be in place in more heavily populated areas until June.