Good morning. Temperatures will peak in the 20s and low 30s with mostly sunny skies throughout the state.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
As the shutdown drags on, stress mounts for Coast Guard families
–Bills are due. Children need to eat. But the paychecks are not coming and active-duty Coast Guard members still have to work, so they cannot seek side jobs to tide them over. Despite local offers to help, uncertainty about when they will be paid adds stress and robs “dignity” from Coast Guard families in Maine.
Center turning lanes planned for crash-prone sections of Route 1A in Holden
–State transportation officials are planning changes along a busy section of Route 1A in Holden that’s been the site of traffic jams and crashes in recent years. The work would expand two sections of Route 1A, totaling about 1.5 miles, to include two travel lanes and a center lane for drivers turning left from either direction, according to Ted Talbot, a spokesman for Maine Department of Transportation.
Maine man accused of killing dog could go back to jail for 3 months for previous conviction
–Prosecutors are trying to send a Steuben man accused of killing another man’s dog back to jail for violating conditions from a previous terrorizing conviction. Justin T. Chipman, 23, is facing charges in connection with the shooting death last summer of a dog named Franky that belonged to a Winter Harbor fisherman. Nathan Burke, 37, of Hancock, who worked as a sternman for the dog’s owner, also is accused in the alleged crime.
You might not be able to buy a Big Mac in this coastal Maine town
–Later this month, the Camden planning board will consider an ordinance amendment that would keep fast food restaurants out of the downtown.
Bucksport Town Council chairman suddenly decides to resign
–Bucksport’s Town Council chairman and mayor, a 23-year council member, has rather abruptly resigned his position. Town Councilor Chairman David Keene, a retired ship’s engineer and Maine Maritime Academy graduate, attributed his stepping down to age and a general satisfaction with how Bucksport is doing.
Best season ever could re-start UMaine football’s coaching carousel
–It didn’t take long for third-year head coach Joe Harasymiak to take a job at a higher-profile school (Minnesota) after leading the Black Bears to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals for the first time ever. UMaine, a former proving ground for upwardly mobile college coaches, could face more frequent turnover if it keeps winning.
In other news …
Maine
The ‘super wolf blood moon’ is coming Saturday, but Mainers may not be able to see it
Giant ice disc in Maine river attracts attention
Bangor
MDEA arrests 4 after seizing drugs and money from Bangor apartment
Should inmates be released at midnight? Penobscot County Jail just changed its rules
Business
Children’s clothing retailer with Maine stores to file for bankruptcy, close stores
Midcoast town clears way for new farm-to-table restaurant
After 30 years, downtown Bangor’s Panda Garden has changed hands
Politics
Mills pledges to deliver food stamps early because of government shutdown
Newly re-elected Maine GOP chair wants the ‘too nice’ party to be more like LePage, Trump
Maine Democrats elect new leaders
Opinion
Taxpayers shouldn’t pay for government work that no one actually worked
Climate change, health care, education: What’s your top concern for Maine?
Trump should demand a better tax cut, not a bigger wall
Sports
Stars trade former UMaine standout to Ducks
Patriots offense thriving after emphasis of rushing game
Cony High player among 6 finalists for Gaziano lineman awards
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