Maine News Friday July 17

Fire destroys Yarmouth apartment building, displacing tenants (wgme.com)

Maine pushes $15 million roof grant program to next year, leaving homeowners waiting (wgme.com)

JOBS 

• Wolverine World Wide, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Store Associate - Merrell in Freeport. Apply here.
• CVS Health posted a job opening for Store Associate in Freeport. Apply here. 
• You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

Maine News Thursday Jul 16

Fire destroys Yarmouth apartment building, displacing tenants (wgme.com) Here are the Senate candidates who have officially filed to replace Graham Platner   The Town of Freeport is seeking residents interested in serving on a Town board or committee. Vacancies arise throughout the year, and a reserve list of candidates is maintained to fill future vacancies.  Current Vacancies Board of Appeals Board of Assessment Review  Cable TV Regulatory Board  Library Board of Trustees  Planning Board  Police Advisory (2 student seats) Project Review Board Shellfish Commission  Sustainability Advisory Board UPCOMING Thursday Night Concert Series at Winslow Park For more info on the artists and to see the Memorial Park summer concert schedule, visit the Meetinghouse Arts website JULY 23 — THE FLUKES:A Fun-Loving Ukulele Society, The Flukes bring joy to all ages with their performance, playing tunes from Bach to the Beatles. JULY 30 — THE DELTA KNIGHTS BAND: Led by frontman Rob Babson, The Delta Knights Band has spent 30 years as a Southern Maine staple, delivering a tight, expert blend of blues, R&B, and classic rock. AUGUST 6 — VINYL FOSSILS…Don't miss this six-piece band performing classic rock and roll music. AUGUST 13 — CAROLE WISE | MARK ABRAHAM | DENNY BREAU | APRIL REED-COX: Four gifted Maine musicians unite to perform a harmonious, authentic blend of original songs celebrating friendship and collaboration. AUGUST 20 — CORMAC MCCARTHY: Don't miss Cormac McCarthy's enthralling Americana set, showcasing his expertise as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and storyteller. AUGUST 27 — BESS JACQUES & THE STRAYS: Bess Jacques & The Strays deliver a vibrant, nostalgic blend of jazz and pop, featuring lush vocal ballads and hard-swinging originals from their debut album. Winslow Park Concerts are a community collaboration between Meetinghouse Arts and the Town of Freeport  View it on website JULY 17 JULY 18 Discovery Park, LL Bean, Freeport: Skosh, 7 pm JULY 19 Memorial Park, 5 Park St., Freeport: Arcadia Band, 2-4 PM Music in the Parks (Freeport) → Memorial Park, 19 Bow St, Freeport 2:00 pm Farmer in the Morning (Freeport) → Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, 184 Burnett Rd, Freeport 9:30 am JULY 21 The Sicilian Table, 261 US 1, Falmouth: Jim Ciampi with Christina Ackroyd, 5:30-8:30 JULY 22 Waves for the Bay: Friends of Casco Bay Members Annual Meeting:  5:30-7:30 pm. Where: Portland Yacht Services, 100 West Commercial Street, Portland, ME. The event will be held outside on a gravel surf JULY 23 Winslow Park, 50 Winslow Park Way, Freeport: The Flukes, 6-7:30, park has $3 entry fee JULY 25 Winslow Park, 50 Winslow Park Way, Freeport: The Flukes, 6-7:30, park has $3 entry fee JULY 26 Memorial Park, 5 Park St., Freeport: Jacob R. Miller & The Bandoliers, 2-4 AUG 20 As global tensions escalate in the Middle East, you have a rare opportunity to hear direct analysis and ask questions of three world-renowned experts in our intimate Freeport Speech venue.  Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (music starts at 6:30 PM) Freeport Performing Arts Center, 30 Holbrook St.  Get Ticket

Maine New Wednsday July 15

Independent -  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) pushed back on claims by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that she included safeguards for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after ICE shot and killed a man in Biddeford on Monday.

….The shooting comes as Collins faces a difficult re-election in Maine, a state that voted for Kamala Harris. Many of the Democrats who are running in the mini-primary to replace scandal-plagued Graham Platner excoriated Collins, who is chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and therefore writes the budget for ICE.

"Senator Collins wrote the blank check to allow these officers to conduct themselves in the way that they have in Maine in the first place, and she's the one who's poured resources into it," Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent. "And just because now that there's live footage of the atrocities that she has enabled, doesn't make it better than preventing them from happening in the first place."  Specifically, Democrats criticized her for voting to give ICE and Customs and Border Protection $70 billion earlier this year. 

Press Herald - Democratic committees in each of Maine’s 16 counties will pick delegates to select the party’s nominee to replace Graham Platner on the U.S. Senate ballot. The Maine Democratic Party's statewide convention is slated for July 25 in Bangor. There, 500 delegates and 101 state committee members will vote in rounds on a nominee.

Freeport Conservation Trust - The 2026 Freeport Trail Challenge runs August 10 through October 13, inviting hikers of all ages to discover four of Freeport's trails.

This year's featured trails are:

1. Simpson Woods – Blue Trail
2. Brewer Woods
3. Jackman Woods – Forest Ridge Loop
4. Hidden Pond Loop

Along the way, participants can enjoy a few special surprises:

1. Our 2nd annual StoryWalk® featuring The Bug Club by Elise Gravel at Simpson Woods
2. Nature trivia stations at Hidden Pond

Complete all four trails, submit your Trail Challenge passport, and you'll be entered into a grand prize drawing. Plus, the first 200 finishers will receive a Ben & Jerry's coupon while supplies last—a sweet reward after a day on the trails.

Trail Challenge passports will be available throughout the community beginning in August.

This summer, Freeport Conservation Trust is partnering with the Freeport Historical Society and the Maine Conservation Corps on a major trail improvement project at Pettengill Farm. After months of planning and permitting, construction begins next week.

Planned improvements include:

• Replacing the Grant's Point Bridge

• Rebuilding the Grant's Point Steps

• Installing new drainage and erosion-control features

• Adding boardwalks at Carter's Creek and Brick Wharf

• Stabilizing trails and improving accessibility

• Updating trail maps and way-finding signage UPCOMING

 WalletHub - With 8.8 million Americans having at least one credit account that is either delinquent or in forbearance, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its latest report on the States with the Most People in Financial Distress. The report highlights where financial hardship is most widespread across the country and provides insight into the challenges many Americans continue to face.

Maine’s Financial Distress (1=Most Distressed; 25=Avg.):

• Overall rank for Maine: 50^th
• 40^th – Average Credit Score (March 2026)
• 43^rd – Change in the Share of People with Accounts in Distress - Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025
• 47^th – Change in the Average Number of Accounts in Distress - Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025
• 50^th – Change in Number of Bankruptcy Filings - March 2026 vs. March 2025
• 45^th – “Loans” Search Interest Index

Maine News Tuesday July 14

WCYY - For many years, the Broad Arrow Tavern was a restaurant that just seemed to be part of the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Maine.

Sure, guests of the hotel ate and drank at the Broad Arrow. But the tavern was always incredible welcoming and comfortable to the everyday residents of the town.

In 2024, both guests of the Harraseeket Inn and locals were sad to see that the Broad Arrow Tavern had closed, seemingly permanently.

Shared on social media by The Harraseeket Inn & Event House, the Broad Arrow Tavern is ready to roll again.

The restaurant will be revived with its relaunch menu officially unveiled by the hotel.

The Broad Arrow will once again feature wood-fired pizzas in several varieties as well as a couple of other wood-fired specialities.

Press Herald -David Bartner, who grew up in Kennebunk, was nominated for his first Emmy last week for his work on the Apple TV documentary series "Mr. Scorsese." Bartner graduated from Kennebunk High School and credits a film class taught there with nurturing his love of movies.

Press Herald -In parts of Maine, heat index temperatures will likely exceed 100 degrees today, with a possibility of thunderstorms, high winds, hail and even tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. The humidity is expected to ease Wednesday, but the heat is forecast into Thursday with highs in the low 90s.

Maine News Monday

Press Herald - Are you experiencing delays in receiving your mail? If so, you can join the other Mainers who have reported difficulties. Don’t feel hopeless. There are some steps you can take to help ensure your mail arrives on time. Read more.

Maine Morning Star -  The Maine Supreme Judicial Court Friday affirmed the Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision to remove a question about transgender sports from the ballot this November because its campaign committee  did not collect enough valid signatures.  The group, called “Protect Girls Sports,” initially submitted enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, proposing an initiative that would restrict what school sports teams, bathrooms and facilities trans students can access. Bellows later determined that the campaign had failed to qualify, after thousands of signatures were invalidated.

That ruling was upheld by the Superior Court in June and the campaign appealed that decision to the Supreme Judicial Court, which upheld the lower court and secretary’s decision in a ruling on Friday.

“The petition fell below the constitutional threshold for an initiative petition to be submitted to the voters of Maine,” the court said in its unanimous decision. 

Maine News Sunday Jul 12

JOBS 

• Skechers USA, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Sales Associate in Freeport. Apply here.
• Albertsons Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for Baker in Freeport. Apply here. 
• You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

 ace under a tent, rain or shine.

Maine News Saturday July 11

CNBC -   Maine has America’s lowest violent crime rate, with just 100 incidents per 100,000 people in 2024. After a horrific mass shooting spree in 2023 in Lewiston that left 18 people dead, Maine legislators passed a series of reforms that earned the state “most improved” honors in 2024 from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The Pine Tree State’s laws offer a wide range of protections against discrimination. But the state has some challenges when it comes to health. Maine ranks No. 42 for drug deaths and No. 35 for frequent mental distress, according to the United Health Foundation. 

2026 Quality of Life score: 232 out of 290 points (Top States grade: A+)

Strengths: Crime, Inclusiveness, Air Quality

Weakness: Health

 Financial Times -  “Graham Platner is what happens when pundits ignore obvious red flags . . . and sell voters an idealised version of a candidate who does not actually exist,” said Jessica Mackler, president of Emily’s List, a group that recruits and trains women as Democratic candidates.

“The lesson here is that we always have to be looking at these races and primaries through the lens of what it takes to win a general election, and that is what went horribly wrong in this situation.”

Under Maine state law, the Democratic Party now has just over two weeks to find a new candidate to take on Collins — a five-term incumbent with a record of defeating well-funded challengers — in November. State party officials have said they intend to pick Platner’s replacement at a nominating convention to be held later this month.

Press Herald - A ballot question limiting transgender students’ rights in sports and access to school facilities will not appear on the November ballot, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled Friday. The decision comes after an appeal by its proponents, who argued the rules for out-of-state signature collectors were unlawful. The court unanimously held that Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had a right and an obligation to invalidate those signatures.

JOBS

• Circle K posted a job opening for Store Assistant Manager in Freeport. Apply here.
• National Health Care Associates Inc. posted a job opening for Dietary Aide in Yarmouth. Apply here. 
• You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.