MIDCOAST — The highly damaging storm that swept into the Midcoast has washed out roads and flooded basements nonstop since early morning, Oct. 31.
Fire departments are out in full force…
Spotlight Pilot
Citizen says draft is not accurate
CAMDEN — Four weeks after a Camden police detective began investigating a case of tree-cutting on public land near the spillway of the…
Camden Select Board approves sending joint letter with Thomaston
MIDCOAST — The tense and acrimonious energy at play during an Oct. 12 meeting of the Knox County Commissioners Meeting continues to reverberate throughout various Midcoast municipalities, with…
THOMASTON—Locally sourced, delicious food—that’s the Maine way—and entrepreneurs Tai Leavitt and Darren Albers are using the state’s area code as their Maine brand in their latest food truck…
ROCKPORT 10/17/2021 — After notifying relatives of the two people who died as a result of a two-vehicle crash on Commercial Street in Rockport, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, Rockport Police…
ROCKLAND – Knox County Commissioner Dorothy Meriwether leveled charges of “bullying” against members of the Midcoast Internet Coalition and called their actions, “disheartening.” She further said…
50 BAHS students in quarantine
BELFAST — The Belfast Area High School finished its day, Oct. 13, in person, but all practices and competitions have been suspended through Friday.
“Due to the increasing number of positive…
The new tasting room opened October 1 and will operate on Saturdays
ALBION—Right on the border of Freedom, Maine, an old dairy farm converted to an orchard is the site of the newly opened Freedom’s Edge Cider, a cidery and tasting room that opened to the public…
Town Office awaits police report
UPDATE: CAMDEN — Town Manager Audra Caler said Oct. 4 that, the person responsible illegally cutting vegetation and trees alongside the Camden Harbor waterfalls has come forward.
Caler said…
Public hearing on former Rockport Elementary property Oct. 12
ROCKPORT — With a request of $35,000 from taxpayers to have a Portland-based firm conduct market research and develop a site plan for the former Rockport Elementary School (RES) site appearing…
The Lincolnville restaurant is now open on the weekends as a shop
LINCOLNVILLE—Fans of Chez Michel Restaurant on Route One were pleasantly surprised to see a new post on the restaurant’s Facebook page after more than a year of inactivity.
The restaurant,…
New application required for change in Route 1 subdivision plan
In a vote of 3 to 2, members of the Rockport Planning Board decided Sept. 23 that a full site plan review by the board would not be required for a proposed takeout eatery on Commercial Street (…
AUGUSTA — Democrats and Republicans in the Maine House of Representatives have released proposed changes to the landscape of the Maine House districts ahead of the November 2022 elections,…
A fitting memorial to a funny man
LINCOLNVILLE—Author and columnist Tom J. Sadowski died June 16, 2021, at his home in Lincolnville. The author of the “Just Saying’” columns for The Free Press had just finished the final…
BOWA Restaurant: Long Grain’s takeout model reimagined
CAMDEN—The concept is simple—bowls of flavorful plant- and meat-based meals sourced locally.
That’s the concept behind Long Grain’s sister restaurant BOWA at 31 Elm Street in Camden.
…
An empty building that’s a huge deal for the Midcoast
SPRUCE HEAD — The Live Fire Training building in the St. George neighborhood of Spruce Head is ready for trainings after a year of construction and 25 years of forethought. Its premise is to…
Get your lobster fix at a reduced price Sept 19 through 25
Lobster rolls, lobster risotto, lobster mac and cheese—this coming week is a lobster lover’s paradise.
With…
A raffle benefit takes place September 19 at Randall Collins Vfw, Belfast
BELFAST—Alissa Grace Clark. Remember her name and beautiful face.
Thirteen-year-old Alissa died May 11 by suicide. Her family said they believe it was a direct causal effect from being…
New US Cellular tower will not appear on November ballot, but request is forwarded to Ordinance Review Committee
ROCKPORT — The Rockport Select Board unanimously approved a sewer study at its Sept. 13 meeting. The goal is to examine the feasibility of extending sewer lines along Route 90 (West Street) and…
CAMDEN and ROCKPORT — Annual tax bills were mailed at the end of August to property owners in Camden and Rockport, and both reflect a hike in the mil rate.
A mill rate is the unit used to…
Plus resources for financial support
CAMDEN—Peanut, a Calico-colored senior cat, had a good life for 15 years until her owner died this year. She landed at PAWS Adoption Center in Camden, where she now lives.
“I believe…
In a collaborative effort, the nonprofit Legacy Rockport and the Town of Rockport have embarked on the rehabilitation of the old Vulcan steam locomotive at Marine Park.
The 100-year-…
Screening 9/2/21 in Camden and 9/11/21 in Owls Head
CAMDEN & OWLS HEAD—Cinematic escape in the outdoors on cool September evenings is on the docket for The Maine Outdoor Film Festival, an international festival of adventure, conservation, and…
Request $750,000 from county for broadband internet project
The Rockport Select Board approved four articles Aug. 30 that will be placed before voters on the November 2021 ballot. They include taxpayer approval of funds to continue efforts redeveloping the…
CAMDEN — The COVID pandemic upended the traditional manner of annual town meeting in Camden twice over the past 18 months, foreclosing…
Its Meeting House returns as a hub for the community
WARREN—COVID-19 left a hole in the tiny village of Warren last year when the St. George River Café had to close.
Warren resident C.T. Nguyen couldn’t bear to see the beloved community…
STOCKTON SPRINGS—The former private Stockton Harbor Yacht Club has been transformed into a public restaurant called The Club Marina and Bar and its quiet harborside vibe is a hidden gem.
…
Select Board approve new participation bylaws
ROCKPORT — In a unanimous vote Aug. 9, the Rockport Select Board authorized Town Manager Jon Duke and Town Clerk Linda Greenlaw to draft language for a warrant article asking taxpayers to approve…
speeding, OUI charges lead to motion to revoke 2019 deferred disposition
WISCASSET — Three years ago, on Aug. 2, 2018, Kristen McKellar, 32, died after a boat operated by a Massachusetts man struck her in Damariscotta Lake. Jonathan Roberts, 47, subsequently plead…
...with a restaurant and distillery planned for Camden in spring, 2022
HOPE—Blue Barren Distillery, formerly based in Camden, has gotten a new lease on life in Hope, and is once again, is open to the public.
Many businesses have suffered during the COVID-19…
Christine and John Burstein are miserably sick this week, each with separate symptoms. Christine started with a massive head cold, and…
Hail to the Rad Kids
HOPE—The Hope General Store serves as a catalyst in 19-year-old Emma Jordan’s short film The Musicbox, which won an Honorary Mention award at the 43rd Maine Student Film an Video Festival…
Good Natured hosted its Grand Opening July 31
LIBERTY—The quiet little inland town of Liberty certainly has it going on these days. Good Natured, a home goods and artisan shop with nature-inspired crafts and decor held its Grand Opening on…
‘the CHPA will make a formal bid to preserve Coggins Hill’
The recently formed Coggins Hill Preservation Association (CHPA) is a group of current and former Union Maine residents. Their primary objective is to…
Featuring a brew-pub style tasting room with all Maine-sourced food and beverages
WISCASSET—Lobster. Blueberries. Beer. Maine’s most well-known fare is synonymous with the state. But, what about sea salt? Seaweed? Kombucha and Jun? The native products that can be derived from…
these changes are recommendations, not requirements
AUGUSTA — The Mills Administration announced Wednesday the State of Maine will follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (U.S. CDC) updated face covering guidance, which…
ROCKPORT — Camden-Rockport Police Chief Randy Gagne said Wednesday afternoon, July 28, that the man who died in the Simonton Quarry, on Main Street in Rockport, was Joshua D. Clapp, 38, of…
ROCKPORT — A Knox County Superior Court Justice is taking up the constitutional question concerning two land use ordinance amendments…
Growing concern that municipal funding will get stricken from federal infrastructure bill
The flow of federal money to the states for broadband…
ROCKLAND – A 2017 idea to create a trail connecting Rockland’s harbor to a parcel of land known as the Bog may soon see its first completed trail segment, the Bog Overlook Trail.
Rockland’s…
$2 million building to offer additional space, safety
On July 12 the Rockport Select Board will review the design and costs of a new West Rockport Fire Station, which would replace the existing building at the corners of routes 17 and 90. At the…
Making public ways to the ocean more obvious and accessible
CAMDEN — While Camden occupies a lengthy portion of Penobscot Bay’s western shoreline, most of the land is privately owned, and the public has but a limited number of access spots to the ocean.…
ROCKLAND—A wild idea turned out to be the smartest thing that Richard Curtis, a lobsterman out of Friendship, ever had.
He’d never run a food truck before. “One day, I found a truck for…
Misfits Rehab on the proper care of rescued animals
AUBURN—Summers are an exhausting time for licensed wildlife rehabilitators such as Jennifer Marchigiani, who has run Misfits Rehab since 2002. With so many babies born in the spring and summer…
Rescue dog adoptions surge in the Midcoast
Numerous new canines have taken up residence in the Midcoast, stepping out smartly on walks around town, visiting local dog parks and…
Healthy Lincoln County’s ‘Summer Meals Program’ expands to Knox County a second summer
MIDCOAST—Children in Camden, Rockland, Thomaston, Warren, Washington, and Union have access to free meals all summer long, thanks to Healthy Lincoln County, a local community health nonprofit…
Drive-ins and pop-up outdoor theaters became popular last summer and their staying power is holding the summer of ‘21. The beauty of not paying for a $10 tub of popcorn is that you can bring your…
