SKOWHEGAN — Skowhegan Savings Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Vicki Alward to executive vice president, chief operating officer.

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff BANGOR — A man charged with murdering a Corinth man appeared in court Monday.

By Elizabeth Walztoni, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine saw a record-breaking number of tick-borne disease cases in 2024 for a second year in a row.

By Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine lawmakers have plenty of work ahead of them in 2025 to tackle a projected transportation funding shortfall, with a $100 million bond and other tax changes potentially on the table.

By Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News Staff The year 2024 was a busy one for politics in Maine, with high-stakes elections, legislative responses to the Lewiston mass shooting and local housing debates among the many notable events.

By Elizabeth Walztoni, Bangor Daily News Staff A number of agriculture-related laws passed this year were geared toward farmers, such as new rules for salmonella prevention, and monitoring at commercial egg farms; support for well-drilling to respond to droughts; and a new task force finding ways to support the state’s dairy industry.

The Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine are excited to announce that nominations are officially open for the 2025 County Teachers of the Year and the 2026 State Teacher of the Year.

By Michael Shepherd, Bangor Daily News Staff Working Mainers will notice lighter paychecks starting Wednesday, when a tax funding the state’s new paid family and medical leave program goes into effect with the new year.

By Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine has a small population and a part-time Legislature, but state leaders and lawmakers have plenty of big problems to tackle in 2025.

By Nicole Ogrysko, Maine Public In its first year of operation, Maine’s state-sponsored Roth IRA savings plan has enrolled nearly 12,000 workers.

Photo courtesy of Dexter Regional High SchoolCHRISTMAS FOOD BOXES — Early on the morning of Dec.

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff More than a year after a leaked federal government memo connected illegal marijuana grow houses in Maine to Chinese organized crime, “well below” 100 such properties are believed to be left in the state, according to the U.

By Zara Norman, Bangor Daily News Staff Mainers consider the housing crisis to be a bigger problem than any of the others facing our state.

By Zara Norman, Bangor Daily News Staff Much of Maine is already lagging behind the goals set in two state-sponsored housing studies largely due to a hostile construction climate, planners warn.

Grade eight, high honors: Crystal Adkins, Alessandra Long, Callie Rodgers, Fiona Rodgers, Liam Saunders, Hailey Young; honors: Lila King.

By Julie Harris, Bangor Daily News Staff Money for trail systems, airboat noise limits and a push to fight aquatic invasive species are among the Maine Legislature’s 2024 decisions that will affect your outdoor experience in 2025.

SKOWHEGAN — Skowhegan Savings Bank announced that David Cyr, president and CEO of the bank, will retire at the end of 2025 and the board of directors have appointed Dan Tilton, executive vice president of sales and customer relations, as the bank’s new president.

Eastern Maine Development Corporation named Jennifer King, senior director of planning and development, as the recipient of the 2024 Tom Davis Employee of the Year Award.