Honoring her sister's life / Kineo tribe / UMaine's upended campus life

Today is Wednesday. Temperatures will be in the high 20s to low 40s from north to south, with a chance for snow and rain throughout the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Maine

A dozen Mainers have died as 258 new coronavirus cases were reported across the state Tuesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s the highest number of deaths reported on a single day since June 1, when only five Mainers died from the virus. There are 2,378 active confirmed and “probable” cases in the state, while the death toll now stands at 177. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information

The Maine Department of Education has activated a team of 21 nurses to get in touch with the close contacts of school staff and students who test positive for the coronavirus, adding to the capacity of an overwhelmed state corps of disease investigators.

Her sister died of coronavirus, so she joined a surge of new public health students

Karen Paradis-Hews, 45, of Liberty was spurred by her sister’s death from the coronavirus to pursue a master’s degree in public health at Husson University. Public health schools in Maine and across the country are seeing bumps in enrollment during the pandemic.

Like many Mainers, Karen Paradis-Hews lost a loved one to the coronavirus. She felt a career change would be the only way to honor her sister’s death after some in her community did not take the virus seriously.

Moosehead-region tribe’s bid for state recognition is nearly 200 years in the making

Mount Kineo, on a peninsula in the middle of Moosehead Lake, is seen on a recent Currier’s Flying Service flight. A small tribe that traces its name to Kineo, to which native people traveled long distances over the last 1,000 years to obtain stone for tools, is restarting a bid for state recognition. Credit: Courtesy of Ted Luebbers

The Kineo Band of Maliseet Indians descend from native people who lived in the Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville and Monson area. Maliseets historically occupied the region around the St. John River and tributaries on both sides of what is now the U.S. and Canada.

Small-business owners fight to stay afloat while supporting higher wages for workers

Michelle Souliere, owner of Portland’s Green Hand Bookshop on Congress Street, stands among the stacks on Monday. After a paperwork problem, Souliere will finally get a share of federal pandemic relief funds. Credit: Troy R. Bennett / BDN

Portland’s small-business owners are in a tough predicament.

At UMaine, a scaled-back fall semester was quiet, with a lot less interaction

Cooper Bennett, a senior at the University of Maine, raises his hand to ask a question during an on-campus hybrid class on Friday. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

The lack of athletics and performing arts events, classes taught partially online with small, in-person contingents, mandatory mask use and social distancing, and regular virus testing of students and staff have all allowed UMaine to stick to its plan for a shortened, in-person semester this fall. But for students, it’s meant a quiet semester on campus.

A 100-year-old Mainer has thrived through childhood poverty, a world war and now a pandemic

Victor Lister, who turned 100 in October, has seen a lot in his life. As a young soldier in the 1st Infantry Division, “The Big Red One,” Lister received medals for bravery and the wounds he received in combat, including two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. Lister fought in Africa, Germany, Sicily and the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Victor Lister, a World War II veteran and longtime teacher who recently turned 100, has a life marked by richness. He’s rich in friends, stories, experience — and above all, laughter.

Former Obama official buys prominent downtown Bangor building

A New York-based real estate development group has purchased 2 Hammond St. in downtown Bangor that houses the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Dash Davidson and his father, former Obama administration official Peter W. Davidson, said they wanted to purchase property in downtown Bangor for a reason that’s much more personal than it is financial.

Bangor High School goes remote 2nd time this month after COVID-19 case

Bangor High School. Credit: Gabor Degre / BDN

Bangor High School shut down for in-person learning on Tuesday for the second time this month after a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a student or staff member.

Maine’s massive pandemic budget gap may not be as bad as thought

The Maine State House in Augusta. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

Revenue has outperformed dire projections from earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, though the trajectory of the virus and the scope of any new federal aid package could change Maine’s budget picture in the coming months.

How to plan a festive holiday hike

Chris Swan (from left) of Hampden checks out the view from Chick Hill on with his friend Derek Runnells of Dedham, his daughter, Ally, and Kim Spaulding in this 2016 file photo. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

The tradition of holiday hikes is especially appropriate during the COVID-19 pandemic, when spending time outdoors is one of the safest activities and forms of entertainment. On most trails, it’s easy to practice social distancing and avoid germ-covered surfaces. But remember to exercise caution and avoid crowded outdoor destinations.