Press Herald - As Maine agencies for aging try to find additional funding to serve more people, they face uncertainty about the future of the roughly $6 million in annual federal funding that supports Meals on Wheels in Maine. Congress has yet to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, which funds meal programs and other services to support aging Americans. Maine's Sen. Susan Collins recently joined a bipartisan group of senators to reintroduce legislation that would reauthorize OAA programs through 2030, but its path to passage remains unclear.
Press Herald - The Maine governor’s race is still more than a year away but already four high-profile Democratic candidates are vying to succeed Gov. Janet Mills, setting up what’s expected to be a heavyweight primary. There is still plenty of time for more candidates to join the mix, but now that the state Legislature has adjourned, a lot of eyes have turned to the 2026 governor’s race and whether Mainers will continue what has been more than a half-century tradition of not electing back-to-back governors from the same party.
Newsbreak - According to details from the LendingTree study. the average Mainer is spending $3,872 dollars per year on dining out, whether that be ordering take out or visiting a sit-down restaurant.
While that number may seem excessive, it's the second-lowest amount spent on dining out in New England. Massachusetts residents are spending an average of $4,626 dollars per year on dining out to lead the region.
Within the same study done by LendingTree, they also determined the average tipping percentage doled out by people within the state.
Maine was ranked at number 10 on the list, leaving a 8.18% tip on average. That number may seem surprisingly low but the data includes all restaurant transactions including fast food and convenience stores where tipping may be uncommon.
New Hampshire leads the nation as the best tippers, averaging a whopping 16.07% tip.