QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Everybody was working together. We had some rules: nobody [broadcast] live, nobody take pictures, [and] if you find something, back away and don’t touch it.” 

— Stacey Baker, organizer of a search party to find missing Washburn man Erik Foote.

TODAY’S TOP MAINE STORIES

The Maine House narrowly passed a ban on bump stocks and a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases. These and many other gun-control bills were introduced after the Lewiston mass shooting.

Ellsworth’s fired police chief probably reported to work drunk after a police shooting, according to the City Council. The Bangor Daily News obtained Glenn Moshier’s termination letter through a Freedom of Access Act request.

Orono police are cracking down on drivers who don’t stop for school buses. One bus driver counted 254 times the extended stop sign was ignored between September and April.

Searsport officials are trying to stay out of the debate over the location of an offshore wind port. The state has already chosen Sears Island, but opponents want it elsewhere, and they want the town’s backing.

Houlton businesses are closing as once-in-a-lifetime eclipse tourism wanes. An ale house, a game store, a tea shop, a crystal store, a sword seller and a tattoo shop are among those vacating downtown storefronts.

This $2.3 million midcoast property for sale isn’t fancy, but it comes with a granite quarry. It’s one of 21 properties in Waldo County listed for more than $1 million.

MAINE IN PICTURES

Sheep Malik (above left) and Dodgie stand near a window in a photograph by Maine photographer and sheep farmer Nina Fuller. Hanna (above right) gazes out through falling snow in another image by fuller. Both images will be featured in a Portland art show next month. Credit: Courtesy of Nina Fuller

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Maine’s housing crisis continues to challenge the state, even as home sale prices are down in some cities. One aspect that may be contributing to the lack of housing inventory on the market is the fact that many people that bought homes prior to 2020 are locked into favorable interest rates and mortgages that are well below current market prices. Are you hesitant to sell your home — even if you want to — and lose out on a cheap monthly mortgage payment and low interest rate? Email us at news@bangordailynews.com and let us know if you’re holding off on selling your home to avoid more expensive home prices and higher interest rates. 

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

“At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, everyone involved should be working to save the Hope House Health and Living Center.”

Editorial: State and local officials must work together to keep homeless shelter open

LIFE IN MAINE

The Sea Dogs may be the longest-lived minor league baseball team in Maine, but they are far from the first. Read about the state’s long history of small-time ball, from the Millionaires to the Orphans.

Dyed freshwater bait is catching on in Maine. “I swear by them,” said Jake Dumais of Backcountry Baits in Waterville. “Different fish like different colors.”

If you like foraging for fiddleheads, try looking for Indian cucumber.