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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It was cool to see a lot of people coming out in force and be like, ‘Yes, we want human-made art from somebody that lives in our town.’”

— David Aston, a Newburgh resident and graphic designer, on the overwhelmingly negative response to the town’s use of artificial intelligence to make a new municipal logo.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Maine Republicans are moving aggressively to take down Bobby Charles. The increasingly harsh attacks among Republicans have reshaped a crowded primary just one month away.

Here are three themes we’ve noticed in the election-year debates over local budgets. The thread running through them all is rising costs, which are forcing communities to balance school quality and tax burdens.

Bangor changed its rules to encourage more housing, but developers say it’s not enough. One cited the growing cost of land, construction materials and labor as the biggest barriers.

An endowment and innovative programs have kept the College of the Atlantic viable, its new leader told the Bangor Daily News. Lynn Boulger’s interim presidency comes at a turbulent time for higher education that has forced other schools to fold.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Clifton town officials opened and tallied two previously uncounted ballots on Wednesday, flipping the outcome of a tight Select Board race but not putting an end to the election, which will be sent back to Maine’s highest court for a second time. Credit: Kasey Turman / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Fairmount School in Bangor is pictured on Sept. 4, 2024. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

“While the apparent lack of transparency surrounding this issue ultimately falls on the superintendent, I believe this situation runs far deeper than the recent communication failures.”

Opinion: The closure of Fairmount School is a cost of delayed decisions in Bangor

LIFE IN MAINE

Browntail moth caterpillars have emerged again in Bangor.

A Maine fly-fishing writer recalls the late Ted Turner’s trout conservation efforts.

Bring your own water if you’re going to Camden Hills State Park.