7+ hour, 54+ min ago (619+ words) In the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine, an ambitious effort is underway to conserve tens of thousands of acres in historic Wabanaki territory. For centuries, these have been prized hunting and fishing grounds, home to bear, lynx, deer and moose and one of the last strongholds of native brook trout in the country. But with a recent construction boom, forest fragmentation and rising temperatures, woods and wildlife are under threat. The Magalloway Conservation Initiative aims to safeguard both while also protecting public access to the region. "The area really speaks for itself," Caisse says, setting off toward Aziscohos Lake. "It's something that's uniquely special in the way that it looks and the way that it feels" Getting out of the truck, he takes a short walk through some dense woods to the edge of the upper Magalloway. It's quiet…...

10+ hour, 52+ min ago (238+ words) Don Christen, known as a godfather of Maine's marijuana industry for his activism, has died after a years-long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 72. Christen is remembered for his ability to organize and educate around the cannabis plant's medicinal properties. He's possibly best known for his annual demonstration that started in 1991 " when he sparked up a joint on the steps of the Somerset County Courthouse in Skowhegan in protest of cannabis prohibition. His advocacy group Maine Vocals organizes a handful of music festivals and helped lead the effort to pass a statewide referendum to legalize medical marijuana in 1999. Glenn and Catherine Lewis were Christen's friends. They own Kennebec River Cannabis Co. " a marijuana apothecary in Winthrop. Glenn, who stood with Christen in some of his demonstrations, said Christen's belief in the legalization movement went so deep it "seeped…...

3+ day, 3+ hour ago (247+ words) More than a half dozen medical groups in Maine issued a joint statement Friday affirming the safety of vaccines. The move is in response to changes on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's website that promotes a possible link with autism. The president of the Maine Medical Association, Dr. Jim Jarvis, says decades of rigorous research show that vaccines do not cause autism. He says misinformation is causing increases in preventable diseases because people are rejecting vaccines. Jarvis cites the ongoing measles outbreak and last year's influenza season. "We did not particularly think that was a harsh influenza season," Jarvis says. "And yet we had more children die of influenza last year than we had- especially if we take out the pandemic years- than we had going back to the early 2000's. That's unconscionable when something as simple as a flu shot…...

4+ day, 22+ hour ago (822+ words) Wood banks " which provide firewood to people in need at no charge " have officially existed in Maine for almost two decades. They're increasing in number, due in part to the rising cost of living, and cuts to government support programs. Maine Public recently visited one of the bigger, newer operations on the Blue Hill Peninsula. It's barely 8:30 on a mild Saturday morning in November, and the Downeast Wood Bank in Surry is a hive of activity. "We have two splitters going, about 15-20 volunteers it looks like, here to work 3-4 hours and get some wood split up and ready to go and help our neighbors stay warm this winter," Tom Matthews said. 72-year-old Tom Matthews helps run the all-volunteer, non-profit wood bank, established four years ago on a Blue Hill Heritage Trust property. It serves seven towns on or near the…...

6+ day, 4+ hour ago (367+ words) Nearly half of Maine's registered voters participated in this year's November election, which was much higher turnout than during the past two off-year elections. According to the Secretary of State's Office, just over 47% of registered voters cast ballots on November 4 or in the weeks leading up to Election Day. There were only two referendum questions on the statewide ballot, although local elections and initiatives drew voters to the polls in some towns. This month's turnout was much lower than the 70% or more seen in presidential years. But it is significantly higher than turnout for recent referendum-only elections. Two years ago, for example, roughly a third of voting-age Mainers cast ballots. Maine consistently has among the highest voter participation rates in the country. Two weeks ago, 64% of voters rejected the voter ID and absentee balloting changes proposed in Question 1. But 63% of…...

6+ day, 10+ hour ago (472+ words) This month, world leaders, scientists, advocates and lobbyists are gathering in Brazil for the COP30 climate conference. "COP" stands for "Conference of the Parties," referring to the roughly 200 countries who originally signed on to the UN climate agreement in 1992. This COP takes place ten years after the Paris Climate Agreement, when countries pledged to take steps to limit global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius globally, and to aim for less than 1.5 degrees. Researchers now say it's inevitable that we will surpass the 1.5-degree goal. With aggressive action, it's still possible to limit warming to 2 degrees, but right now, based on the "lackluster" commitments submitted by member nations ahead of the meeting, it's more likely that warming will reach somewhere between 2.3 and 2.5 degrees. The Trump administration declined to send an official delegation this year. But there are representatives from states, including…...

6+ day, 16+ hour ago (710+ words) After years of declining test scores the Maine department of Education last month announced what it called a "Back to Basics" teaching approach in math and reading. State officials say its a new approach aimed at getting kids invested in their own education. Brewer school department has been embracing some of these strategies for years. "If you guys can group up in groups of three or four, you can turn your chairs around and we're going to do the Candy Crush Data Challenge," said Sean Donovan, Math teacher at Brewer High School. "Does that mean I can just eat them now? Senior, Andre Lutz said. "Yeah you can eat them once you get the data" Donovan said. Donovan described Career Math as a tour through all of the common high school math disciplines " as they might be applied in a…...

1+ week, 4+ hour ago (309+ words) Gov. Janet Mills is calling on the Trump administration to reverse course on a series of policy changes that would gut federal funding for homeless services in Maine. The new policy, announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last week, will cap funding for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing services, effectively cutting the state's federal funds for those programs by two-thirds. State officials now estimate that as a result, about 1,200 people could lose their long-term housing and risk becoming homeless. At a press conference Monday, Mills said the federal cuts will burden general assistance and strain local communities. The state of Maine likely cannot fill the gap, she added. "This new directive from the Trump administration is callous," Mills said. "It is cruel, and it is unnecessary." Mainers throughout the state rely on permanent supportive housing or…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (479+ words) Democrat Jordan Wood announced Wednesday that he's abandoning his U.S. Senate bid to instead run for the 2nd Congressional District seat held by Rep. Jared Golden. The move by Wood follows Golden's announcement last week that he won't seek reelection, a decision that could diminish Democrats' ability to hold the seat in next year's midterm elections. Wood amassed more than $3 million during his Senate bid, but was overshadowed by Democratic hopefuls Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner. He now joins a Democratic primary that already includes former Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap. Dunlap launched his primary campaign against Golden against the wishes of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC. The organization is the campaign arm of the Democratic leaders in the U.S. House. It has also declined to endorse Dunlap after Golden dropped out. Wood lives in Bristol, which is…...

3+ week, 17+ hour ago (572+ words) Officials from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services say they are still waiting for guidance from the Trump administration about when food assistance money will be available. Maine receives $29 million monthly for roughly 170,000 residents who are on SNAP. "Maine's Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Family Independence is awaiting direction from the federal government regarding the issuance of partial payments," Lindsay Hammes, spokeswoman for DHHS said in a statement. "Once that direction is received, the department stands ready to issue payments to eligible recipients as quickly as possible." SNAP benefits are typically distributed between the 10th and the 14th every month. So Hammes said it is possible that DHHS could hit that timeline if the Trump administration provides additional guidance in time. In the meantime, Gov. Janet Mills said her office is talking with legislative leaders about other…...