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

“Bangor’s constantly referred to in articles as like the best kept secret, right? … And who wants to be the best kept secret? We want everybody to know how awesome we are.”

— Betsy Lundy, executive director of Downtown Bangor Partnership, outlining plans for a new downtown visitor center.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Judges in Maine cases admonish Immigration and Customs Enforcement for falsehoods and violating court orders. Four federal judges have ordered ICE to release detainees after discovering the agency filed documents that were false or ignored a judge’s order.

Bangor is getting a welcome center for downtown visitors. The visitor center will be part of a larger tourism push in Bangor as the downtown district has become more lively in recent years.

Nearly half of Maine renters are spending too much on housing. More than 48% of Maine renters devoted at least 30% of their income to housing in 2020-24, according to census figures.

East Millinocket may get 150 acres from the state to use for housing. The state acquired the land in 2011 after Katahdin Paper Co. declared bankruptcy.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

By the end of lambing season, which is underway, the population of Waldoview Farm in Winterport will have roughly doubled. Sheep often have twins and sometimes triplets that grow quickly, making them a good choice for beginning farmers, according to Waldoview co-owner Tom Hodgman. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

The morning fog lifts beyond the Burton M. Cross Building, left, and the Maine State House on June 21, 2023, in Augusta. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP

“Our health care system is broken. It doesn’t work for people or employers, and our entire system of care is at risk of collapse.”

Opinion: Rapidly rising health care costs demand action from Legislature

LIFE IN MAINE

Lambing season brings long nights and signs of spring to Maine sheep farms. Lambing season typically runs from late January or early February through the start of spring on Maine farms, keeping farmers busy.

I went night skiing on a triple date. What could go wrong? “This combination of exciting outdoor activity, chairlift conversations and yummy food is perfect for an evening out,” Outdoors contributor Aislinn Sarnacki writes.

Why crow hunting is more fun than you think. “I may be wrong, but I’m willing to bet hunting crows is not high on the priority list of most hunters, especially during the winter season,” Al Raychard writes.