Madawaska road dispute / Bangor affordable housing / Milbridge theater rebirth

Today is Thursday. Temperatures will be in the low 70s to mid-80s with mostly cloudy skies and a chance for rain throughout the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Maine

Another two Mainers died and 61 coronavirus cases were reported across the state on Wednesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s the fourth straight day when new cases fell below 100. The statewide death now stands at 827. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information.

Maine will expand the use of rapid testing to allow workers in high-risk industries to get tested for COVID-19 as often as twice a week, the state announced Wednesday.

Maine vaccine incentives end with less than 15 percent of eligible adults claiming their reward

In this May 12, 2021, file photo, a man holds the door for another as they arrive at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Auburn Mall. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP

State health officials are happy with the program and exploring other ways to incentivize people to get the vaccine as roughly 350,000 eligible Mainers ages 12 and older remain unvaccinated.

Historic building renovation will add affordable housing and amenities to downtown Bangor

The Schoolhouse on Harlow Street in Bangor. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

Creating affordable units has been a challenge in Bangor, whose residents have a median household income more than 15 percent lower than the rest of Maine.

An Aroostook town got into trouble with a Barstool Sports host over renaming a road

The board of selectmen voted unanimously to designate Chapel Road as “Kirk Minihane Way for the Day” during the Boston-based podcaster’s June trip to Madawaska. Credit: Hannah Catlin / St. John Valley Times

A decision to temporarily rename a Madawaska road ended in a Twitter storm as two unlikely forces collided: longtime Massachusetts sports radio personality Kirk Minihane and the Madawaska Board of Selectmen.

Maine lawmaker will sit out House work after disobeying mask mandate

Rep. John Andrews. Credit: Contributed

Rep. John Andrews of Paris was one of seven members who initially defied the mask mandate last week after Gov. Janet Mills lifted the mask requirement for vaccinated people in indoor settings.

Years after Milbridge Theater was demolished, work on a new one is underway

A truck passes by the Milbridge Theater site in central Milbridge on Friday, May 28, 2021. A new theater building is under construction at the site, years after the old one shut down and was later demolished. Credit: Bill Trotter / BDN

The vision for the new theater is not just to show movies, but also to be a true community gathering space for people who live in Milbridge and surrounding towns.

Belfast window banners and artwork aim to break the silence of domestic violence

Fiber artist Alice Seeger holds the piece she made for the month-long Finding Our Voices art exhibit in downtown Belfast. Her piece, “It Takes a Village to Support Domestic Violence,” explores some of the ways that domestic violence is systemic. Credit: Abigail Curtis / BDN

New artwork in Belfast features swathes of rainbow-colored silk on a base of sumptuous black velvet. From a distance, it’s pretty. But up close, it tells a darker story.

Installation of UMaine’s new artificial football turf begins next week

Renovations have begun to replace the artificial turf on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium at the University of Maine in Orono. The old surface has been removed. The facility is UMaine’s home for football. Credit: Larry Mahoney / BDN

The old turf on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium in Orono has already been removed and the new FieldTurf surface will be installed beginning next week.

How to travel Maine like a tourist this summer

Camping is just one way to enjoy summer travel right here in Maine.

With summer travel around the corner, tourists will be arriving before we know it. But before they do, Mainers have an opportunity to enjoy the most popular regions of the state.