State budget / Penobscot County dispatcher wages / Inclusive playground

Today is Monday. Temperatures will be in the low 80s to low 70s from north to south, with cloudy skies and rain throughout the state. See what the weather for the rest of the day will be here.

Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

How to not be a jerk when setting off fireworks

No matter how many laws or ordinances are passed locally or statewide, little will stop people from being jerks with fireworks. Before setting off fireworks, you should check to see what restrictions your town places on their use or sale. This interactive map can help you with that.

Want to watch fireworks instead of setting them off? Here’s where displays will be around the state this Fourth of July. Planning a gathering? Check out this New England-style strawberry shortcake recipe that makes the perfect summertime desert.

5 things that matter to most Mainers in the state budget

Those state budget policies include paid family leave, increased child tax credit and higher pay for child care workers.

Maine will hire more judges and clerks to address court backlog

With the number of judges set by law, Maine’s courts haven’t been able to address the backlog.

What’s replacing Maine’s senior property tax freeze

Maine’s sweeping property tax freeze program for seniors would go away under a budget compromise once the Legislature reconvenes this week.

Janet Mills vetoes bill aiming to give Maine tribes access to more federal laws

Her veto sets up a showdown with Maine lawmakers who may have the support to override it.

Penobscot County raises wages for 911 dispatchers to fight labor shortage

The raise has made pay for Penobscot County dispatchers more competitive, but it still trails other centers in the region.

Falling Maine home sales are ‘hurting people’

It’s good news for sellers, but the overall weakness in Maine’s real estate market isn’t helping prospective buyers.

Tiny Aroostook town is Maine’s 1st to build an inclusive playground

The state’s two other inclusive playgrounds in Portland and Lewiston both belong to schools, while Stockholm is the first town to form one.

Major Loring development could help revive Aroostook’s railroad

There are currently 33 miles of inactive railroad stretching from Limestone to Fort Fairfield, Caribou and Presque Isle.

New mobile Aroostook coffee shop is making the rounds

The coffee trailer A Different Point of Brew is offering a variety of coffee and tea beverages in Mars Hill and Presque Isle.

Festival will celebrate Aroostook’s bountiful potato

The Maine Potato Blossom Festival has celebrated the state’s premier agricultural crop every July since 1947.

Mallett Brothers Band will headline popular Aroostook music festival

“They encompass aspects of rural Maine life. They live like you and I do, and that comes out in their music and vibe.”

Newly hired officer with controversial past no longer employed by Southwest Harbor police

A decade ago, Richard Strout was sued by three women who claimed he assaulted and groped them while placing them under arrest.

Belfast’s dwindling food trucks are facing increasing challenges

June’s rainy weather didn’t help Belfast food truck operators who are already battling volatile costs and low margins.

Figure sketching meets beer in Portland at this weekly event

Behind closed doors above The Thirsty Pig on Exchange Street, a group of artists meet weekly for a covert Drink & Draw event.

7-year-old Mainer feels the thrill of climbing Katahdin

“I think the scrambling was my favorite part,” Abel Tomazin of Kingfield said after picking his way through the Katahdin tableland.

Watch this amazing video of a minke whale swimming off Vinalhaven

Jay Borden of Vinalhaven was treated to a minke whale sighting on Wednesday morning as he sat drinking his coffee.

Birds, bugs, flowers and sweet smells make the Belfast Rail Trail worth a summer stroll

“First I spotted a cedar waxwing, with its silky peach and yellow feathers. Then a chestnut-sided warbler swooped past me and snatched up a caterpillar,” BDN Outdoors contributor Aislinn Sarnacki writes.