Thanksgiving virus surge / Bar Harbor broadband / 'Rats with wings'

Today is Thursday. Temperatures will be in the teens to 20s from north to south with mostly cloudy skies in the north and snow in the south. Here’s what we’re taking about in Maine today.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Maine

A record-high 554 new coronavirus cases and two deaths were reported in Maine on Wednesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There are now 6,394 active confirmed and “probable” cases in the state. The death toll now stands at 267. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended Maine take additional measures to control the spread of the coronavirus as case numbers have entered a “red zone” for the first time in the pandemic but remain lower here than nearly every other state.

Nirav Shah: Maine is ‘squarely seeing the effects’ of COVID-19 spread over Thanksgiving

Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, is pictured on his office in Augusta in this Sept. 10, 2020, file photo. Credit: Natalie Williams / BDN

The continuing surge “does not augur well” for the coming holidays, the Maine CDC director said.

City pushing for demolition of condemned nursing home in downtown Belfast

The city of Belfast has condemned the former Bradbury Manor Nursing Home, a rambling, three-story building with more than 17,000 square feet, located in downtown Belfast. Credit: Abigail Curtis / BDN

“I’ve been in a lot of the buildings in Belfast, and they’re not all in tip-top shape,” said Bub Fournier, the director of code and planning for the city. “But when I set foot in that building, it was just like, ‘Whoa, this is the worst thing we have in the downtown area.”

Bar Harbor plans its own fiber network to avoid tenfold internet price increase

In this July 17, 2018, file photo, Bar Harbor Town Councilors Gary Friedman, Matthew Hochman and Joe Minutolo (shown left to right) listen as another councilor speaks during a council meeting. Credit: Bill Trotter / BDN

Bar Harbor currently pays $4,500 a year to use Charter Communications’ fiber network for town-owned properties, but that’s set to jump to $45,000 a year.

Arizona trail cam captures plenty of thirsty critters at this desert oasis

This coyote is one of many animals that stopped by for a drink after an Arizona man put water out on his property during a prolonged dry spell. Credit: Courtesy of Chuck Boyle

Deer, coyote, fox, rabbits, bobcats, javelinas, skunks, raccoons and a “wayward calf escapee” stop by for a drink.

Pigeons may be ‘rats with wings,’ but they deserve a little respect

A group of rock pigeons gather on the roof of a store in Bangor to enjoy the sun on a cold December day. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

Many people regard them as rats with wings. But perhaps they should be admired for their resilience and adaptability.

New Lincolnville selectman wants to improve town’s internet speed

Lincolnville voters narrowly elected Jordan Barnett-Parker Tuesday to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Barnett-Parker

Jordan Barnett-Parker hopes broadband expansion would allow more residents to work from home at jobs that require fast internet.

That time I ended up with baby owls and a bald eagle in my back seat

Having escaped the box it was being transported in, a young saw-whet owl perches on a seat inside a vehicle on the way to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Credit: Courtesy of Richard Spinney

The “great horned owl” that was really a northern saw-whet owl was put back into the box, the box was reinforced with duct tape, and a dog crate containing the eagle was placed next to the little box in the back seat.