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 Paul Koenig, Bangor Daily News Staff This year had it all in Maine.

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.

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff The state’s system that manages legal representation for low-income defendants is awaiting two big decisions that will shape its future.

By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor A fake announcement about changes to northern pike regulations claiming to be from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife circulated among Maine’s fishing community Dec.

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.

By Elizabeth Walztoni, Bangor Daily News Staff Reports of common tick-borne diseases in Maine broke records again in 2025 as tick populations have expanded in the state.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — SeDoMoCha Elementary and Middle School hosted a special schoolwide assembly on Dec.

By Cameron Levasseur, The County Staff Twice in recent memory, groups of school districts in southern and northern Aroostook County have looked to consolidate into one regional high school under mounting budget pressure, declining enrollment and staffing shortages.

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff Penobscot County is scheduled to see four murder trials in 2026, nearly three years after the last murder trial was held in Bangor.

By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor Maine lakes and ponds are beginning to freeze as winter sets in, but ice conditions remain variable across the state.

By Lori Valigra, Bangor Daily News Staff Consumers likely noticed smaller apples and potatoes and pricier blueberries lining grocery shelves this fall after one of the driest summers in 30 years triggered drought alerts throughout Maine, with the National Weather Service predicting that the parched conditions will likely continue into next spring.

By Sara Coughlin, Harpswell Anchor Baxter State Park encompasses more than 200,000 acres of wilderness in northern Maine, far from coastal Harpswell.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff During Maine’s pandemic-era housing crunch when high demand and limited inventory caused property costs to skyrocket, many buyers chose to forego a home inspection before closing.