Today is Thursday. Temperatures will be in the high 60s to mid-70s from north to south, with mostly cloudy skies and scattered showers in the north and sunshine in the south. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Maine
Five more Mainers have died and 51 more coronavirus cases were reported across the state on Wednesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The statewide death toll now stands at 853. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information.
There’s a big question hanging over this tourism season: will Maine have enough workers to serve up all the lobster rolls, craft beer and other attractions that normally draw so many visitors here?
Maine incentivizes more residents to get vaccinated with a nearly $1M sweepstakes
The program will award a jackpot that equals the number of Mainers who have received a vaccination, in an effort to get the state to 70 percent of its population fully vaccinated by July 4.
ALSO: As cases tumble and states reopen, the potential final stage in the U.S. campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog, with a worrisome variant gaining a bigger foothold and lotteries and other prizes failing to persuade some Americans to get vaccinated.
Piscataquis becomes 1st Maine county to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary
The resolution states that county commissioners will refuse to enforce or financially support any new gun laws that infringe on the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution or Article I, Section 16 of the Maine Constitution, which states that the right to bear arms “shall never be questioned.”
California woman sues Red Lobster for ‘deceptive advertising’ of ‘sustainable’ Maine lobster
The lawsuit accuses the restaurant chain of falsely claiming Maine lobster is a sustainable fishery that follows the highest standards.
Utility takeover on track to head to skeptical Janet Mills after Maine Senate passage
It appears the bill does not have the two-thirds support in both chambers to avoid a likely veto from Gov. Janet Mills.
Utah firm says Boothbay businessman behind ice palace attraction infringed on its patent
A Utah firm has sued a Boothbay businessman and two of his companies, alleging they illegally used the firm’s patented design to build an ice palace earlier this year as a tourist attraction on Route 27.
Voters in Winterport agree to share the cost of a $1.4M upgrade to its water treatment plant
While nobody has said that the discharged wastewater has had a direct impact on the Penobscot River’s water quality, Winterport is upstream of an estuary, a natural habitat between river and maritime environments.
This Caribou native and Husson grad wants to revolutionize the way women use birth control
Phexxi, a contraceptive gel a woman uses up to one hour before having sex, offers an option that wasn’t previously available to women: a reliable form of birth control that does not involve hormones and puts the control in a woman’s hands.
Presque Isle will restore a 90-year-old hotel to help revitalize its downtown
The nonprofit IgnitePI will operate the Northeastland hotel, add new dining options and open a community coworking space, along with other professional amenities, to create a business hub.
In other Maine news …
Man shot during Dover-Foxcroft robbery reportedly told police he was ‘in a bad way’
Death of man found in Owls Head wetlands in April ruled an accident
Man arrested for cutting 2 women in Portland
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will visit Acadia to highlight planned park improvements
Facial recognition bill gets initial approval in Maine
Maine Medical Center receives $25 million gift from summer Boothbay residents
Susan Collins wants to ban ‘forever chemicals’ from cosmetics
Woman dies after her car struck a tree in Woodland
Whitefield farmer prepares for influx of customers after Gordon Ramsay show appearance