By Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News Staff U.

Maine Audubon has been working to protect Common Loons for decades, as the Fourth of July is one of the busiest periods on Maine lakes and ponds.

GUILFORD — Twelve members and one guest met at the Piscataquis Country Club clubhouse in Guilford for the monthly meeting of the Piscataquis Region Retired Educators Association.

The Fourth of July means fireworks.

The towns of Sebec, Dexter, and Greenville will each be celebrating Independence Day with events on and leading up to Thursday.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff Bangor Savings Bank helped nearly 500 people buy their first home in the last fiscal year, but the bank’s leaders said low inventory is the biggest hurdle it faces in getting more people to achieve the milestone.

BREWER — Northern Light Health announced that it has been accepted into the America Is All In Clean Energy Academy, led by the Rocky Mountain Institute, as it seeks to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

BANGOR — Penquis is encouraging survey participation in the Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment (Maine Shared CHNA), inviting individuals 18 and older to participate in the statewide community survey.

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine saw home sales increase in May, making it the fourth straight month of growth after more than two years of a steady decline in the state’s housing market.

By Michael Shepherd, Bangor Daily News Staff AUGUSTA — Solar subsidies and storms will drive another round of electric rate hikes hitting most Mainers on July 1, though the effects will differ depending on where you live.

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff If there’s one thing to learn at the height of summer, it’s that heat waves can seriously affect your health.

DEXTER — Dexter town officials are currently developing a municipal budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

By Nick Song, Maine Public Spending by tourists in Maine increased by 23.

AUGUSTA – Gov.

By Chloe Murdock, Dexter Regional High School Class of 2026 DEXTER — June 1 was a beautiful day for a color run! Dexter Regional High School’s JMG Student Leadership Team and Positive Action Team teamed up to put together a 5K color fun run.

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff Police departments across Maine have seized hundreds of pounds of marijuana during the last year in dozens of illegal grow house raids.

Editor’s note: The following video contains graphic language and the depiction of a shooting.

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff DEXTER — A 34-year-old man was hospitalized after an early-morning shooting in Dexter on Thursday.