Good morning. Temperatures today will be in the 30s throughout the state.
Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
The leaders of the biggest union at one of Maine’s largest employers are fighting among themselves
–Mike Keenan, president of Local S6 of the machinists union at Bath Iron Works, on Thursday filed “trial board charges” with the union alleging misconduct by the local’s secretary-treasurer and chief steward. But those officers deny wrongdoing and say Keenan is retaliating against executive board members who have tried unsuccessfully for two years to work with him. The union squabbles come as the shipyard is preparing to hire hundreds of workers to complete Navy contracts and as the union gets ready to begin negotiations on a new contract.
Maine’s newest courthouse is designed to be uplifting
–The Waldo Judicial Center, which combines district and superior courts at one new location in Belfast, just opened. “This is about as exciting as it gets,” Chief Justice Leigh Saufley said as she admired the colorful art on the walls and the large windows, which flooded most of the rooms in the building with sunlight. “With any luck, people will come in here with a little bit lighter spirit than they otherwise might.” The new judicial center replaces two buildings — one of which dates to the first half of the 19th century — that had posed public safety and accessibility problems. And the seats are way more comfortable, too.
Bucksport papermaker gets retirement watch, 25 years late
–Arline Lamarche was going through some old boxes at her home in Prospect late last week when she discovered a watch. It turned out to be a retirement watch for a 30-year Bucksport paper mill worker who retired in 1994. Within a day, she had located the rightful owner and given him the memento from the closed mill.
A Catholic priest who said ‘people have lost their sense of sin’ has died
–The Rev. Rudolph “Rudy” J. Leveille saw many changes in the Catholic church during his six decades of ministry, including a switch from Latin to English Masses and a dramatic decline in attendance at Mass every weekend. He was 87 when he died on Sunday.
Watch this: East Millinocket man’s video captures roadside tiff between Canada lynx
–Many Mainers go through life waiting to see one of our not-so-common critters cross their paths.
Rob Michaud of East Millinocket had that happen to him Thursday afternoon while driving through Stacyville, as three Canada lynx showed up on the side of the road.
In other news…
Maine
The road construction projects you’ll encounter in Bangor when winter turns to spring
Skowhegan residents rally to overturn school board vote retiring Native American mascot
Rare hawk that succumbed to frostbite will live on as a display in the Maine State Museum
Business
Aroostook Centre Mall sells for $4.65 million
Maine added 800 construction jobs in January
Unemployment remains low in Maine
Politics
Local elections and school aid loom as the next big political fights in Maine
Lawmakers won’t change state flag, ask secretary of state to come up bicentennial flag instead
Collins, Pingree say Trump’s budget proposal won’t pass without big changes
Opinion
Betting it all in Final Jeopardy
Does northern Maine need more subdivisions?
Sports
UMaine game in Orono rekindles fond memories of The Pit
French musher was leading Iditarod, but then his dogs quit
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.