Today is Wednesday. Temperatures will in the high 50s from north to south, with cloudy skies throughout the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
The latest on the coronavirus in Maine
Another 290 coronavirus cases were reported across the state on Tuesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. No new deaths were reported, leaving the statewide death toll at 746. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information.
Maine will launch its first round of mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinics next week in Oxford, the state announced Tuesday. The clinic will primarily focus on reaching rural communities, who may not have as much access to vaccine providers as other parts of the state. It will use the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and will come after Maine opens eligibility to everyone 16 and older on Wednesday.
Maine tells 90K who signed up for COVID-19 vaccines on state site to pursue other options
Maine’s public health officials said on Tuesday that 90,000 people who signed up with its long-awaited coronavirus vaccine registration system should not wait for the state to seek appointments two weeks after it was launched with few providers using it.
PLUS: We want to track how and where Mainers are getting appointments and what is affecting any inability to get shots so far. Help us out by filling out our survey.
Portland’s restaurant workers are rushing to get vaccinated before the summer tourist season
For those with financial stakes in the city’s embattled restaurant industry, the news that younger people may be vaccinated couldn’t come soon enough.
A Belfast teen didn’t think she’d go to college. She’s graduating with scholarship offers.
Ruby Day, of Belfast, has the pick of nine colleges, including Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and Ithaca College. She’s been offered funding to help pay for it as well. And she’s even received a special scholarship designed for those displaying perseverance in overcoming adversity.
Piscataquis theater that county commissioners refused to support will apply for federal grant
The U.S. Department of Agriculture told the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft that it was eligible to apply for the funding, meant to pay for structural repairs, after determining that it met the application requirement of having “substantial” community support, said Patrick Myers, the theater’s executive director.
Disputed ballots in Hudson election lands selectmen’s race in court
Concerns about how the small Penobscot County town of Hudson conducts elections have arisen for the third time in less than a year, most recently over a list that identified 15 voters who requested absentee ballots in a municipal election.
$20K has been hidden somewhere in Maine for a treasure hunter lucky enough to find it
Somewhere in the state of Maine, $20,000 has been hidden. The search for this treasure, called Maine’s Dirigo Treasure, will engage players in a first-of-its-kind, real-world treasure hunt.
Maine regulator to investigate CMP’s issues linking to solar projects
CMP drew heavy criticism in February after it contacted some solar suppliers to tell them of potential delays and extra costs to integrate their project into CMP’s existing grid. The utility later reversed course after public pressure, but the issue is still gaining traction among the solar community and lawmakers as the state moves to meet clean energy goals.
Rockland will be the home base for a fledgling semipro basketball team
The Rockland-based Midcoast Sternmen will join the Pro Basketball Association for the 2021 season with a 12- to 14-game regular-season schedule followed by playoffs to crown the champion of a league with more than 50 franchises around the country.
Goose claims squatter’s rights in abandoned eagle nest
When you’re looking for a cool nature photo, sometimes the best tactic is to stop looking at things that surround us on the ground, and take a gander up in the air. If you get lucky, you might find something really interesting up there.
In other Maine news …
Maine broadcaster eyes ESPN hockey gig after 10-year stint with Orioles
Man killed in Blue Hill collision
Man accused of Easter arson at Bangor ice cream shop
Bradford man accused of drug trafficking after troopers find him with more than 3 pounds of fentanyl
Missing Maine teen found in New York
South Portland warns homeowners property taxes could jump 30 percent after real estate boom
National financial services company to lay off 40 as it closes Lewiston office