Good morning. Temperatures today will be in the 30s with snowstorms in the morning and afternoon throughout most of the state.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
Maine has a new governor
–Democrat Janet Mills pledged to implement Medicaid expansion, fight climate change aggressively and treat opiate addiction as an illness in the inaugural speech she delivered after becoming the first woman to be sworn in as Maine’s governor.
Half of Maine’s homicides last year were related to domestic violence
–Eighteen people were killed in Maine in 2018. They included 10-year-old Marissa Kennedy and Cpl. Eugene Cole of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.
The New Farmer’s Almanac wants to change the way we see farming
–Farmer’s almanacs, yearly compendiums of weather predictions, astrological calendars and more, have long been a fixture of rural New England life. The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Farmer’s Almanac have been printed for centuries out of New Hampshire and Maine.
The New Farmer’s Almanac honors that geographic legacy — the group that puts the book together is based in Maine, and the almanac is published out of Vermont — but it looks a little different from its predecessors. Instead of weather forecasts and planting charts, the New Farmer’s Almanac is filled with essays, stories and art from a diverse array of farmers across the country.
A century ago, about 1 percent of Bangor died from the flu in three months
–Maine saw its first death from influenza late last month, after an older resident of Hancock County passed away during the second to last week of 2018. 100 years ago, however, Maine saw thousands of flu deaths, and millions more died all over the world, during the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic that killed an estimated three to five percent of the world’s population, or between 50 million and 100 million people.
Construction firms want to hire but are having a hard time finding workers
–With an ongoing worker shortage, construction firms in Maine are turning to technology — including drones and three-dimensional printers — to keep projects from falling far behind schedule. The challenge in finding workers to meet demand for construction jobs affects contractors in most states and is expected to continue deep into 2019.
Inexperience not hampering Hampden’s return to top of ‘A’ North basketball ranks
–Hampden Academy graduated five of its top seven players, including three starters, from the team that was the Class A girls basketball state runner-up last season. Coach Nick Winchester’s ballclub has overcome significant inexperience to put itself back among the top regional contenders.
Do this: Go pond skating
–Unlike in the arena, the ice out in nature is rarely smooth. On the pond’s surface, gusts of wind mold the ice into ripples here and there, and the pressure of the water expanding as it freezes forms cracks and ridges.
In other news…
Maine
Tanker carrying 9,500 gallons of heating oil engulfed in flames after Belgrade crash
Dover-Foxcroft man found dead in front of his home
Aroostook hospital welcomes Maine’s first baby of 2019
Bangor
New Penobscot County officers take the oath of office in Bangor
Indian priest to serve Greater Bangor Catholic churches while murder victim’s adviser on leave
Bangor’s Bagel Central announces new owner
Business
Minimum-wage workers are getting a raise in Maine and Vermont
Feds will now allow flood insurance sales during shutdown
Shutdown threatens to undercut home sale gains in Northeast
Politics
Read Janet Mills’ full inaugural address
What to expect as Maine swears in a new governor
Former Maine secretary of state takes over as Pentagon spokesman
Opinion
Ranking the people involved in the ranked-choice challenge
Congratulations Gov. Mills, now lower taxes
After eight years of decimation, it is time to rebuild Maine’s mental health system
Sports
UMaine men’s hockey team finally returns home, faces Colorado College
UMaine women’s basketball team hosts rival New Hampshire in America East opener
Solari’s definitive list of the top 2018 sports stories
