Morning Update: What you need to know in Maine today

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

“What happens in small towns, especially rural towns, is the talent pool is very very thin. You can’t find people that know basic accounting, let alone the added complexities of governmental accounting.”

— Marc Roy, a Lewiston-based accountant working to prepare The Forks Plantation for audits after its government collapsed in 2023.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

What to know as the Northern Light and Anthem contract deadline nears. While there’s still a chance for an agreement to keep Northern Light services in Anthem’s network, there’s no guarantee despite the high stakes for both sides.

A second insurance-free medical clinic is coming to Aroostook County. Maria Rutmann will open her own direct primary care practice, Lionheart DPC, in Presque Isle this month.

Two years after its government collapsed, a remote Maine community is still digging out. Turnover and poor bookkeeping practices have slowed a return to normal after a 2023 scandal roiled the community known best for whitewater rafting.

Police turned off the cameras in a Maine home while searching for drugs, torpedoing their case in the process. Kristy Braggs found a disabled Ring camera in her microwave after the search that led to the arrest of her husband, Steven Braggs.

Schoodic-area towns are trying to do something about the housing crunch. As places to live continue to be scarce throughout Maine, towns east of Ellsworth are looking at ways to bring in more affordable housing.