Good morning. Temperatures will be in the 30s with snow through the afternoon.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
The 2019 basketball tournament is officially underway
–High school basketball teams throughout the state took the first steps toward becoming champions this week, as quarterfinal and preliminary games began Tuesday. Interested in following along? Here’s what you need to know:
–Catch up on the latest game scores and schedule updates.
–Follow the tournament with our up-to-the-minute brackets.
–Want to watch? Here’s how you can catch every game.
–Follow all of our 2019 Tourney Time coverage here.
The Jackson Laboratory’s biggest challenge has nothing to do with mice or research
–It’s finding affordable housing for employees. That’s the assessment of the independent research lab’s new chief operating officer, who started last summer. Jackson Lab employs 1,400 people in Bar Harbor and has been expanding beyond its home base in part to be within commuting distance of more workers and to grow beyond Mount Desert Island’s housing limitations.
Read a book to her — then scratch her big furry ears
–Belfast Free Library has a new reading dog named Nikki, a 147-pound Leonberger. “She’s really cute,” library patron Eva Ociepka, 11, said, adding that she’s no stranger to the benefits of reading to dogs. “I did when I was younger. They always listen.”
Janet Mills responds to new climate change report addressed to governors
–A new report released by Environment America outlines ways that United States governors can immediately address climate change and protect the environment, something that Maine’s new governor, Janet Mills, considers to be a “top priority.”
320 Bangor Savings employees will start working at the bank’s new waterfront campus next week
–Bangor Savings Bank is set to open a five-story office building and 450-space parking garage at its new waterfront campus, although outdoor work on the structures will continue in the coming months. About 70 staffers have already started working at the bank’s new headquarters on the waterfront.
Tiny homes becoming big targets for thieves
–Among the attractions of tiny houses is the fact they can be built on wheels enabling the homeowner to easily relocate or adopt a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. But that same design is making it easy for thieves to steal entire structures.
Make this decadent chocolate dessert for Valentine’s Day
–Valentine’s Day is this week and something chocolate is in order. So grab your blender and whip up this tasty treat.
In other news …
Maine
Deal will protect 27,000 acres of Maine forestland
A man allegedly tried to rob a Waterville bank. He fell on the ice outside, in front of a cop.
Snow levels in Aroostook County are nearly 50 inches above normal. That’s still not the most ever.
Bangor
Bangor smoking lounge owner gets 20 months in prison for illegal pot sales
Bangor Historical Society names new director
Keep those shovels handy. Greater Bangor is about to get up to 10 inches of snow.
Politics
From Florida, LePage continues as Maine GOP’s rhetorical leader
Janet Mills warms up to CMP transmission project
Maine Senate president’s bill to aid unpaid federal workers clears hurdle
Opinion
Janet Mills offers hopeful budget but raises questions about funding sources
The consequences of a shredded social safety net
HR 1 will give average Americans tools to counter big money in politics
Sports
The latest schedule and scores from the Maine high school basketball tournament
2019 Maine high school basketball tournament brackets
How to watch every Maine high school basketball tourney game
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