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.
Happy Friday!
Way to go! You made it again. Just a few more hours, and you’re in the clear.
Now the temperatures will peak today in the mid-30s to mid-40s from north to south, with cloudy skies across the state. There’s a chance for light rain or snow Down East; otherwise, we’ve got a dry day ahead.
More scattered or isolated showers are possible over the weekend, largely across western and northern Maine. Then the beginning of our next workweek is shaping up to be dry for most of the state.
On the election front, a ranked-choice recount has confirmed Republican Paul LePage’s win over Democrat Matt Dunlap in the 2nd Congressional District. Gov.-elect Hannah Pingree has named her chief of staff, and he’s a familiar Pingree family insider. And U.S. Sen.-elect Troy Jackson caused a stir among the chatterati when he apparently wore an $89 suit from Target to the U.S. Capitol. The two camps are divided over whether his sartorial choice represents a sylvan authenticity or a cynical working-class cosplay.
Hey, at least it wasn’t tan.
What’s behind the spiking Penobscot County budget
Penobscot County hasn’t finalized next year’s budget yet, but the latest version would jump by 23% with very little new revenue to make up for it.
That follows a 15.6% increase in this year’s budget.
Some of the hike in the last two years can be explained by rising healthcare costs, staff salaries, new hires, interest payments and maintenance expenses. But those are increases that counties across the state are facing.
As today’s story explains, Penobscot County is finally coming clean on how it funds its jail.
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From the Opinion Page
“We can secure our borders and manage immigration in an orderly way without unvetted and poorly trained masked, armed agents harassing and killing innocent people. We’ve done it before and must do it again.”
Editorial: Enforcing immigration laws with unvetted, poorly trained thugs is deadly mistake