Good morning. Temperatures will be in the low 30s today, with half a foot of snow predicted for most of the state.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
Jared Golden defeats Bruce Poliquin in contested 2nd District ranked-choice count
Assistant Maine House Majority Leader Jared Golden defeated U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in a ranked-choice count in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District that finished on Thursday and is the subject of an uphill challenge in federal court by the Republican incumbent. Golden was declared the winner as a result of the ranked-choice tabulation with 50.53 percent of votes to Poliquin’s 49.47 percent.
About 90 minutes before the ranked ballots were to be tallied, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Walker denied Poliquin’s request for a restraining order to stop the count. That dealt a major blow to Poliquin’s overall legal bid, though the Republican said in a statement that he would continue the court fight.
Today’s snowstorm could drop half a foot of snow on most of Maine
It may be only mid-November, but roughly half a foot of snow has been predicted for most of Maine, with slightly higher amounts possible in some areas.
You can check out the latest closings, cancellations and delays throughout the state here.
A town on Mount Desert Island will become the latest to ban plastic shopping bags
Voters in Southwest Harbor overwhelmingly supported a ban on retailers’ use of the single-use, plastic bags during a special town meeting earlier this week. Southwest Harbor joins more than a dozen Maine towns that have already banned the plastic shopping bags. Check out this interactive map to find out which towns they are.
Mainers still make less than folks in Vermont and New Hampshire, but we made progress last year
The average personal income of Mainers rose 3.7 percent from 2016 to 2017 to $46,455, ranking the state 30th in income and reversing sluggish wages in previous years as the economy improved, according to statistics released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Maine’s growth rate topped the 3.1 percent in Vermont, which has an average income of $52,225 in 2017. But it lagged New Hampshire’s 4.5 percent increase from 2016 to 2017, when that state’s average income hit $59,668. Cumberland County continued as the state’s beacon of prosperity while Piscataquis County had the lowest average income in 2017.
Bucksport girl takes 10-pointer while hunting from her brother’s stand
Twelve-year-old Taylor Pinkham of Bucksport was hunting with her father, Greg, when a prime stand became available — her brother’s. The 184-pound 10-point buck she shot was Taylor’s second in three years of hunting.
Taylor said her brother wasn’t too pleased that she shot such a nice deer out of his stand, and said he has forbidden her from using her stand in the future.
Maine farmers gear up for winter markets
Once a sign of spring and the new growing season in Maine, farmers markets are becoming a year-round tradition in the state with communities from Houlton to Biddeford extending the season by hosting winter farmers markets.
And not even the nastiest of Maine winter weather can keep the diehard market fans away.
Do this: Your Maine weekend guide
Three beloved seasonal events kick off this weekend, all around the state. The ninth annual Maine Harvest Festival, a smorgasbord of food, crafts, kitchen goodies and other Maine-made products, is set for Saturday and Sunday at the Cross Insurance Center. Also in Bangor, there’s the annual Feztival of Trees, hosted by the Anah Shriners at their HQ at 1404 Broadway. It’s open Fridays-Sundays, this weekend and next. And, down in Boothbay, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens opens its wildly popular Gardens Aglow event. It runs Thursdays-Sundays, through Dec. 31.
In other news…
Maine
Maine police catch ‘unruly’ runaway pig along Interstate 95
Bar prosecutor argues failed DA candidate should be disbarred
Rivals both plead not guilty in case of pet cow shooting
Politics
Poliquin vows to push forward with his legal challenge to ranked-choice voting after loss
These Democrats want to be Maine’s next attorney general
After busy Election Day, Wells selectmen call for polls to open earlier, additional lines
Opinion
The hate crime numbers are in, and they are as misleading as ever
Nothing about ranked-choice voting infringes on voters’ rights
Poliquin right to challenge ranked-choice voting
Sports
After controversial draw, opponent says Bangor fighter ‘should have won’ main event match
Nokomis’ state title game run a dramatic turnaround for 12-year-old football program
Former UMaine women’s head coach McCallie still going strong at Duke
Your Morning Update is published every weekday. To receive this in your inbox weekday mornings, or to check out our range of free newsletters, click here.
To subscribe to the Bangor Daily News, click here.