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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s cool being first … First for anything is meaningful, but it really isn’t about being the first woman. For me it’s just about being able to be the right fit for the job.”

— Bethany Couturier, the first female commander of the Maine State Police training unit. 

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it was arresting “the worst of the worst” in Maine. We only found a few criminals. The Bangor Daily News used court records and other sources to identify 67 of roughly 200 people arrested here during last month’s surge. 

Meanwhile, a quarter of those people are challenging their detentions. 

Here’s where housing units are being built in Maine. Although two southern Maine counties have built more than 5,400 homes between them since 2020, other parts of the state are lagging. We’ve also gathered stats for every town in Maine.

The use by police of license plate reader cameras is growing in Hancock County. So far, the only location made public for the new readers is Bucksport.

She’s the first woman promoted to lead Maine State Police’s training unit. Lieutenant Bethany Couturier joins two other women as commanding officers within the state police.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

John Ramsdell cares for hundreds of bonsai trees, both native to Maine and tropical, at his Verona Island home. Customers come from across New England and beyond, from beginners to seasoned growers. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Demonstrators are seen rallying on March 24, 2025, in Cumberland to protect transgender youth athletes. Credit: CBS 13

“Banning trans kids from using bathrooms, from sports’ teams or harassing them back into the closet doesn’t protect girls from predators.”

Opinion: The threat to your daughters is misogyny, not a handful of trans kids

LIFE IN MAINE

A hunter’s top picks for spring bear hunting across the U.S. and Canada. Eight states and nearly every Canadian province and territory offer spring bear hunting, and limited opportunities exist on tribal lands in Maine.

How my birding obsession took over my life. “When a bird eludes me for the first time, it’s forgiven. But when it repeatedly evades me, I start to resent it,” Bob Duchesne writes.

This Maine guide taught a pop star to fish. “How did I wind up in such an amazing place with a superstar? Well, it’s like this,” Outdoors contributor Catherine Gordon explains. 

Discover Maine’s new trails on Mount Tuck and two other places. “Mount Tuck is located just west of the Penobscot River, perhaps a mile or so south of the magnificent Penobscot Narrows Bridge.”