Good morning. Temperatures will be in the high 20s throughout the state.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
15th year of Bangor’s Downtown Countdown brings a few small changes
–Though most of the things people have come to expect from Bangor’s New Year’s Eve Downtown Countdown will return this year — the ball drop, the family-friendly activities, the music and dancing — one big thing will not be part of the fun this Monday night. The central gathering area, usually a large tent set up in West Market Square with bands and DJs playing inside, will not be featured at this year’s event.
Meet the women reconnecting Maine to its agriculture roots
–The 42-member group Maine Agri-Women is an affiliate of American Agri-Women, the country’s largest coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women with more than 40,000 members nationwide.
“We were alarmed by the deteriorating image of agriculture in Maine, so [we] decided to do something about it.”
How turning Ellsworth into an ‘experience’ revived its downtown
–Not long ago, the view of City Hall from the intersection of Franklin and Main streets was framed by empty downtown storefronts, the locked doors and dark windows a sign of the decline of small-town general merchandise retail stores across the country. Today, Ellsworth’s downtown has managed to renew itself as a hub of activity.
The resurgence follows a trend of small-city Maine downtowns coming back — not as the shopping centers of the mid-20th century, but as cultural centers that appeal to customers looking for something they can’t find anyplace else.
‘Our students are so much more than their test scores’
–Pender Makin, Gov.-elect Janet Mills’ choice to lead the Maine Department of Education, suggested Wednesday that the state needs to explore new ways to help students succeed and “stop overlooking measures of success simply because they’re difficult to measure or to plot on a graph.” Maine’s two most recent governors have struggled to manage the state’s K-12 public education system amid changing measurement systems, heightened funding demands and declining test scores. If confirmed by the Maine Senate, Makin will guide Mills’ education agenda, which includes universal pre-kindergarten and higher minimum salaries for teachers.
Here’s when you should throw away your Christmas tree
–Bangor Public Works is making Christmas tree disposal easy for residents by offering free curbside pickup for two weeks in January. Trucks will circulate throughout the city on weekdays, starting Wednesday, Jan. 2, and continuing through Friday, Jan. 11. Residents who want to dispose of their trees earlier may take them to Bangor Public Works at 530 Maine Ave. during daylight hours.
Seven Hancock County towns could have weekend power outages, Emera warns
–Emera Maine customers in several Hancock County towns are warned to expect power outages on Saturday into early Sunday as the company replaces 6.5 miles of aging electrical wire in Surry and Blue Hill. The older utility lines will be replaced with larger-gauge covered wire as part of a rebuilding project.
Do this: Go see ‘Aquaman.’ He’s from Maine
–DC’s newest superhero movie, “Aquaman,” tries for two and a half hours to sell audiences on the computer-generated underwater setting, but the most memorable parts of the movie take place in the fictional town of Amnesty Bay, Maine.
In other news…
Maine
The record that made Maine humor famous
Sullivan woman accused of unlawful drug trafficking
How to treat your winter cold using natural remedies
Bangor
Bangor council approves $100K study of Community Connector bus system
Bangor police searching for bank robbery suspect
Nonprofits see holiday volunteer influx, but struggle to find help the rest of the year
Business
Historic Westbrook mill sold to New Hampshire company for $5.1 million
Bucksport food pantry rebounds from flooding damage
US stocks rebound as traders return from Christmas holiday
Politics
Maine court suspends license of unsuccessful GOP candidate for district attorney
Six Maine political stories to watch in 2019
Homeland Security chief to travel to border to review deaths of migrant children
Opinion
Work requirement waiver no gift to low-income Mainers
Campus food pantries deserve our support
Sports
Six undefeated teams among the contenders at the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Classic
This Division II basketball program in Massachusetts thrives on talented Maine players
Olore, Norsworthy-Hartman to join Presque Isle athletic hall of fame