Gov. Janet Mills directs flags lowered Statewide on Friday, Dec. 12
Gov. Janet Mills has directed the U.S. and State of Maine flags be lowered statewide on Friday, Dec. 12 in honor of decorated U.S. Army Veteran and Penobscot elder Charles Norman Shay.
Shay was 19-years-old when he became a U.S. Army medic and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and helped save lives.
He died at 101-years-old on Dec. 3 in his home in France’s Normandy region.
He will be laid to rest in France Friday.
https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Gov_Flag&id=13337406&v=article2019
Man admits to fraud and operating illegal marijuana grow house
A New York man admitted in federal court in Bangor Wednesday that he submitted a fake mortgage loan application to purchase a home for growing marijuana in St. Albans according to WABI news.
Court records state 49-year old Ken Yiu purchased the home last year using a loan from a Maine bank.
From 2020 until last year, he admitted to federal investigators that he used the property to grow pot which was then sold in Massachusetts.
He faces up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million for the mortgage fraud count and 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 for the drug count.
Group looks to push recreational marijuana in Maine on 2026 ballot
A new effort is underway to repeal legalized adult use cannabis in Maine, commonly known as recreational marijuana according to WMTW.
On Monday, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office gave the green light to let a group start collecting petition signatures to put a citizen initiative on a statewide ballot.
Supporters will need to collect over 67,000 verified signatures to get the effort on the November ballot.
Part of the proposed bill would repeal the provisions of the Cannabis Legalization Act that allow for the commercial cultivation, sale, purchase and manufacture of cannabis and cannabis products and the personal cultivation of cannabis.
https://www.wabi.tv/2025/12/11/effort-repeal-recreational-marijuana-maine-could-be-ballot-2026/
Unemployment rate stands still in Maine
The unemployment rate in Maine for September did not change from August according to WABI news.
According to the Maine Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for September was 3.2%.
Nationally, the unemployment rate for September was 4.4%.
The unemployment rate in Maine has now been below 4% for 46 months.
That is the second-longest such period, with 49-months being the longest time.
UMaine extension offering poultry education for backyard producers
On Monday, Dec. 15 the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will host a free poultry education program.
For backyard chicken keepers or small-scale poultry producers this is a great opportunity to learn about winter care, basic nutrition and flock health.
The half day-session will start at 8:30 a.m. at the UMaine Extension Penobscot County office at 307 Maine Avenue in Bangor.
https://calendar.umaine.edu/event/poultry-education-for-backyard-producers/
Bangor among most Hallmark-like cities in the U.S.
Bangor may be the hometown of horror author Stephen King and inspiration for his fictional town of Derry, but now the city is being recognized for another genre entirely according to WABI news.
The city has been named Maine’s most Hallmark-like city and ranked sixth in the entire country for where a Hallmark movie is most likely to happen in real life, according to a new study by The Action Network.
Bangor stands out for its classic New England charm with a population that is “big enough for a lively Main Street, small enough to feel close-knit,” according to the study.
https://www.wabi.tv/2025/12/11/bangor-ranked-among-most-hallmark-like-cities-america/
Pictures with Santa and Bake Sale
If you’re looking to get some family pictures with Santa, we have an opportunity for you!
Head over to the Growing Patch Childcare Facility in Ellsworth to get a snapshot with Santa and get some treats from their bake sale.
All of the proceeds will be donated to the Loaves and Fishes food pantry and you can also bring some non-perishable food items.
