HAMPDEN — The Maine Savings Foundation is proud to announce the first five recipients of its Beyond Banking Grant Program, awarding $5,000 each to Maine nonprofit organizations advancing health, wellness, education, culture and essential social services across the state.

MILO — SAD 41 officials are starting preparations on the 2026-27 budget and the public is invited to provide feedback for next year’s finances.

By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor Throughout winter, when people are burning wood stoves, many households end up with piles of ashes, and most simply dump them in the woods or trash.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine’s most extravagant properties have attracted famous names such as John Travolta and Martha Stewart for decades.

By Daniel O’Connor, Bangor Daily News Staff It’s the first week of the new legislative session, but the clock is already ticking on a bill that would allow Maine counties and municipalities to declare bankruptcy if they default on their debts — something that could happen within weeks in Washington County.

SEBEC — A week into the new year, RSU 68 officials are working on developing the budget for the 2026-27 academic year.

WASHINGTON, D.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — During the first meeting of 2026 on Tuesday morning, the Piscataquis County Commissioners set the chair and vice chair for the new year.

SANGERVILLE — The Sangerville Fire Department has been awarded $56,000 from the Gloria C.

GUILFORD — Late last summer Wendy Lorrigan, a resident of Sangerville who teaches art at Piscataquis Community Elementary School in addition to being a community artist, was awarded two grants.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine’s largest city approved more than 1,300 new units of housing in 2025 — but only 159 homes were actually built in the last year.

By Pete McGuire, Maine Public Timberland owners and state officials hope to capitalize on a successful pesticide campaign against a spruce budworm outbreak by resuming aerial treatment next spring.

By Daniel O’Connor, Bangor Daily News Staff As Maine rings in the new year, many laws passed by the Legislature are set to go into effect.

By Kasey Turman, Bangor Daily News Staff Penobscot County Commissioners approved the county’s 2026 budget with a unanimous vote on Dec.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Center Theatre for the Performing Arts is thrilled to announce open auditions for its 2026 spring musical production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic “The Sound of Music.

AUGUSTA — New Ventures Maine Executive Director Janet Smith has announced a call for applications for the Gilda E.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine saw more houses change hands this year than last, with the state’s most populated counties seeing the highest number of sales — part of a years-long pattern.

By Carol Bousquet, Maine Public The government says the Rural Health Transformation Program is intended to help residents in rural Maine have better access to preventive, primary, maternal and behavioral health services.