QUOTE OF THE DAY

“My money is my voice. But how can a restaurant send out an SOS without seeming to be too dramatic? Nobody wants to admit business is bad.”

— Gregin Doxsee, one of many people who flocked to Slab in Portland on Thursday after the eatery announced it is closing. Doxsee wishes she’d known the restaurant was in financial trouble because she would have come more often.

TODAY’S TOP MAINE STORIES

Susan Collins criticized a report from a Democratic colleague that called the FBI’s investigation into Brett Kavanaugh “flawed and incomplete.” The vetting of the then-nominee to the Supreme Court did not verify sexual assault claims against him before Collins cast one of the deciding votes to appoint him. 

Two Ellsworth residents are appealing a state permit for a new housing project. The proposal is similar to others the city has seen in recent years that have tried to address the high demand for affordable housing by building high-density apartments and condominiums.

Three candidates are competing for two seats on the Brewer School Committee. The field includes two incumbents, each seeking another three-year term, and a challenger looking to join the committee.

A new Maine invention could change how wastewater is treated. DiriGoH20 is still in its early stages, but if successful, it could eliminate the need for chlorine bleach at wastewater plants.

Customers are waiting in line to say goodbye to Slab pizza. Business is booming now at the Preble Street eatery, but it’s too little, too late.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Pictured are new parents Tori Hildreth and Mark Dieuveuil with their toddler daughter Dianne and newborn baby Bella Reese Dieuveuil. Bella was born in the parking lot of Old Town High School on Tuesday, where her mother Tori is a teacher and expected to make it at least another day before giving birth. Bella, however, did not want to wait. Credit: Courtesy of Tori Hildreth

THE BDN NEWS QUIZ

Photo illustration by Leela Stockley

We’re back again with this week’s BDN News Quiz. How much do you know about invasive marine invertebrates? Or what Donald Trump said this week about one Maine politician? If you read the BDN over the past seven days, you just might have the answers. Click here to take the quiz.

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Arthur Barnard, the father of Lewiston mass shooting victim Arthur Strout, is hugged after speaking at a pro-gun control demonstration at the State House on Jan. 3, 2024, in Augusta. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP

“One year [after the Lewiston shooting], and now I only see my son in fractured, terrible dreams about that night. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about how it could have been prevented and how different life could be for me, my daughter-in-law, my grandchildren and my entire family.”

Opinion: After the Legislature failed to act, it’s on us to protect Maine communities

LIFE IN MAINE

“In apartments, the boiler, the insulation, the propane and whatever animal was making that noise in the attic was someone else’s responsibility,” BDN Homestead reporter Elizabeth Walztoni writes. Here’s what she’s learned preparing for her first winter as a homeowner.

Did you get a Maine moose permit this year? Even if you’re just tagging along with a permittee, you should know how to field dress a moose so the meat doesn’t spoil.

Speedway 95’s season wraps up Saturday with a 100-lap stock car race. Track owner Del Merritt expects 40 to 50 cars to compete in the annual Ikey Dorr (Memorial) race at the Hermon track.