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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you were to ask me where the restaurants are and all the attractions, you’re not the right person.”

— Real estate agent Beth Ingebritson on some surprisingly affordable homes with ocean views near Mount Desert Island.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

The Maine House censured a Republican lawmaker for her posts about a transgender student that drew President Donald Trump’s eye. And after failing to get a two-thirds majority Democrats started pushing through a short-term budget along party lines.

The VA fired several employees at its Maine headquarters. The Trump administration told the Togus workers they were losing their jobs due to “poor performance,” according to the Maine AFL-CIO.

This is how Bangor will use $1.5 million in federal funds to combat homelessness. A program that provides housing vouchers for 184 Bangor residents could be at risk if Trump’s funding freeze moves forward.

Efforts to deal with mercury pollution in the Penobscot River are moving ahead. The results of a pilot program in Orrington’s East Cove will inform plans to remediate nine tons of mercury that have been in the river since the 1960s.

This Maine island has surprisingly affordable ocean views, but the deals come at a certain cost. “If you were to ask me where the restaurants are and all the attractions, you’re not the right person,” a local real estate agent said.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness aims to begin renovating 16 Central St. into the Wabanaki Cultural Center this spring. This concept rendering shows how the interior would appear. Credit: Courtesy of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness

MAINE TOWN OF THE WEEK

SURRY: This scenic Hancock County town was a shipbuilding center in the 19th century, but by the 1970s, it became known for something else: the home of the Morgan Bay Zendo, Maine’s only Buddhist spiritual and meditation center north of Portland. The center, which was named to the National Register of Historic Places, is renowned not just for the spiritual practice that occurs there throughout the year, but also for its eight-building campus featuring Japanese-inspired architecture. 

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Parade watchers line both sides of Main Street near West Market Square during the 2024 Bangor Pride Festival on June 22, 2024 Credit: Bill Trotter / BDN

“If you think it can’t or won’t happen here, remember this: A large number of countries on this planet still criminalize LGBTQ+ people. In some, it is still legal to kill us. Today, it is the rights and very lives of transgender people that are under attack, but who is next?”

Opinion: I’m sad and scared about what is happening to LGBTQ+ rights under Trump

LIFE IN MAINE

These classic local TV shows from Maine were made with low-budget ingenuity. From game shows and music showcases to programming about Maine traditions, here are seven to jog your memory.

Maine’s spring is expected to be warmer than usual. Above-normal temperatures can lengthen the growing season, but they also can boost disease-carrying pests and prolong allergy season.

Amendments to a new bill would raise the price of fishing licenses even more. Outdoors contributor Bob Mallard explains the changes and why he disagrees with them.