By John Baldacci and John McKernan Making the Maine Free College Scholarship permanent for the high school graduates of the Class of 2026 and beyond delivers on a promise the two of us made decades ago — and maintained since — to keep a community college education affordable to as many Mainers as possible.

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has completed the 2025-2035 Maine Wildlife Action Plan, a wildlife conservation blueprint that provides voluntary, non-regulatory strategies for protecting Maine’s most vulnerable fish and wildlife and leverages additional federal conservation funding.

By Sabrina Martin, Bangor Daily News Staff Despite coming under scrutiny in the past year because of Hancock County’s suspended probate judge, a bill to reform how probate judge positions are filled and overseen was rejected March 26 by the state Senate.

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff DOVER-FOXCROFT — Three colleagues are running for Piscataquis County sheriff — making it one of the most contested county-level races in Maine’s June primaries.

By Joyce Bucciantini, AARP Maine community outreach volunteer Maine is the oldest state in the nation with 23% of its population over the age of 65.

By Peter McGuire, Maine Public A new Maine law will require state utility regulators to focus on lowering consumer energy costs.

By BDN Sports The Maine Basketball Hall of Fame is set to get even bigger in August, with a group of 10 new inductees, six legends of the game and two teams slated to join the hall’s prestigious membership.

AUGUSTA – The Maine Development Foundation’s Maine Downtown Center program is pleased to receive a $750,000 grant from the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program.

AUGUSTA — Maine Arts Day was held at the State House earlier in the month.

Candace Chase of Milo was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at University of Maine.