QUOTE OF THE DAY

“This is what I call the reemergence of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome,’ where suddenly people are opposing perfectly sane policies on the grounds that somehow it is going to be weaponized in ways that are not possible.”

— Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat representing Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, speaking on his vote in support of a bill that would allow the Treasury Department to end the tax-exempt status of nonprofits deemed to support terrorism.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

A Maine State Police sergeant broke the rules by working too much overtime in 2023. “Jon [Leach] was guilty of working too much,” said Col. William Ross, the chief of Maine’s largest police force.

Here’s what caused the collapse of Bangor’s biggest syringe provider. The Health Equity Alliance’s role as the largest sterile needle provider in Bangor came to a crashing halt in November when its certification was pulled.

Here’s why overdose deaths are declining in Maine. The drop is promising but could reverse if the drugs people use become more lethal, according Maine’s director of opioid response.

A nonprofit group has criticized Rep. Jared Golden for supporting a “terror-financing” bill on the House floor recently. The Maine Association of Nonprofits asked its more than 1,000 members to contact Golden to tell him to oppose the bill. 

Maine fishing piers are still rebuilding from last winter’s storms. The heavy surf and storm surge that slammed into Maine on Jan. 10 and 13 pulled apart dozens of docks from Eastport to Kittery.

Can-Am organizers have their fingers crossed for the 2025 sled dog race, after the race was canceled in 2024 due to warm weather. Then, in May, organizers were confronted with new regulations for bringing dogs into America the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Josh D’Alessio is executive director of HEAL in Bangor. The Bangor Daily News spoke with six current and former employees who worked at HEAL for varying amounts of time. All reported witnessing or experiencing mismanagement over the last year that interrupted the organization’s ability to offer harm reduction materials to clients. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus wave to people from aboard the Sunbeam, the Maine Seacoast Mission’s service boat, in December 2024. The Maine Seacoast Mission has delivered Christmas presents to island and coastal communities in eastern Maine for more than a century. Credit: Courtesy of the Maine Seacoast Mission

“Written in 1897, the words of New York Sun editor Francis Church remain an enduring explanation of love, poetry, belief, romance and the Christmas spirit.”

Editorial: How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus

LIFE IN MAINE

From casual backyard observations to awesome up-close moments, there’s been plenty of activity caught on camera by Mainers in 2024. We counted down the top ten videos so you can revisit them. 

A teen romance movie was quietly shot in Bangor last month. “Their Town,” directed by Milbridge native Katie Aselton, was filmed on location for a few weeks in November.

The Millinocket marathon is a special kind of madness, BDN Oudoors contributor Aislinn Sarnacki writes. She ran it, and she’s hooked.