A version of this story first appeared in the Morning Update newsletter. Sign up here to receive the Morning Update and other BDN newsletters directly in your inbox.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We’re going in the right direction. We want to keep moving forward, keep that momentum going.”

— Old Town Economic and Community Development Director E.J. Roach on efforts to revitalize the city’s downtown.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

A 13-year-old immigrant was arrested in Maine. It took two weeks to get her home. The girl is an example of how children have become ensnared in the president’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

History says this is how Maine will elect its third independent governor. Republican state Sen. Rick Bennett wants to be Maine’s third independent governor, but the last two only won after major-party campaigns collapsed.

Vacant buildings and empty sidewalks still plague downtown Old Town despite the city’s efforts. Some of the storefronts have sat vacant for years even though they’re on the third-busiest road in Penobscot County.

Maine’s tourism season is finally heating up. Worries that President Donald Trump’s policies on tariffs and immigration might cause prices to spike or visitors to stay at home have not been borne out.

Illicit camping is on the rise at a scenic midcoast pond. The town has received more complaints about overnight campers and the mess that some of them leave behind, including needles and empty cans.

I’m the Bangor Daily News’ new housing reporter. “It has been fascinating to watch the housing market in Maine change in my lifetime, especially in the region where I grew up.”

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Decked out for the Fourth of July, Fez, a Chihuahua, rides on a skateboard along the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge in front of his owner, Mongo, before the start of the annual Greater Bangor Area Fourth of July Parade. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Old Town Elementary Schools is one of Maine’s Community Schools, a federal program that aims to improve education and services in high-poverty areas. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

“Community Schools are growing in popularity because research shows they can improve student outcomes, while also being cost-efficient and locally controlled. Also, teachers are happier and less stressed at community schools, which means they stay.”

Opinion: Community Schools have big benefits. Congress should continue funding for them.

LIFE IN MAINE

Why Maine’s rollercoaster spring killed your garden plants. With seeds that never grew and weak seedlings that didn’t thrive, some gardeners are now without the crops they planned for.

How to catch togue when they’re on the bottom of the lake. “The surface temperatures climb, and cold-water fish including lake trout (togue) and salmon generally go deeper,” Outdoors contributor Tom Roth writes.

Three easily identifiable edible mushrooms. Many people like the idea of foraging, but are terrified of getting sick, or worse, hospitalized because of life-threatening toxins.