Maine News Monday

 Press Herald - State Rep. Laurel Libby announced Monday that she will not seek reelection and instead will launch a network of organizations focused on educating and mobilizing conservatives. Libby, a Republican who has represented Auburn and Minot for three terms, said the network with include a nonprofit organization, a state political action committee and an overarching communication network.

She also announced the launch of the “Lead Maine Committee,” a federal PAC created in partnership with Sentinel Action Fund to support U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ reelection campaign in 2026 and Republicans in future elections....

While Libby said she would not seek another term in the state Legislature, she did not say if she’s considering running for any other offices. She has long been considered a top candidate for governor.

Press Herald  

  •  Rural Maine libraries fear loss of services if new standards are approved 
  •  Business owners say they can’t afford to pay workers the high wages necessary to keep up with rising housing prices, and even when they can, there’s nowhere for employees to live.
  • Only a year old, The Portland Dirt, which is styled after newspapers, has been amassing a following through copies placed in businesses around the city. Issues include restaurant reviews, horoscopes and comics, but mostly it’s poetry, surrounded by drawings, photos and collages. All the content is cut and pasted, scanned and printed — in black and white — on 11-by-17-inch pieces of paper that are then folded twice into their final form. 
  • A strain of the influenza virus that’s not a precise match for the vaccine has been spreading in the U.K., Canada and Japan, among other countries, and could sicken many in the U.S. this flu season. Dr. Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth, said H3N2 tends to be a more potent strain, especially in older adults, which can result in more hospitalizations and illness in long-term care facilities.