United Midcoast Charities (UMC) will host the next session in its LEARN@UMC workshop series on February 11, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., at the UMC office in Camden. The workshop will offer hands-on, expert-led training designed to help small and rural nonprofits build fundraising capacity and access tools that are often out of reach due to geography and cost.

The Knox County Maine Republican Committee February meeting is being held on February 12, at 6 p.m., at the committee's headquarters, 336 Limerock Street, in Rockland.

The guest speaker this month is Representative Laurel Libby with Lead Maine.

There will be light refreshments and announcements.

Backyard chicken keeping in Maine is taking off, and Rockland’s Good Tern Co-op and Clement Hill and Fern Axelson of Fern Hill Farm are inviting the community to be part of it.

"Building on the success of past workshops, Fern Hill Farm, a small personal homestead in Thomaston, is proud to announce an updated free Backyard Chicken Keeping 101 class for 2026," said a Good Tern news release.

PenBay Showcase & Job Fair will take place Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m., at the Samoset Resort, in Rockport.

The PenBay Showcase & Job Fair is a regional business and nonprofit showcase, designed to bring together organizations from across the Midcoast to promote their work, connect with the community, and strengthen the local economy, according to PenBay Collaboration, in a news release.

100+ Women Who Care Knox County has continued its mission of collective giving, awarding a total of $4,300 to four local nonprofits through quarterly giving events held throughout the year. The group brings together local women for one-hour gatherings where members pool donations and collectively select a nonprofit to receive immediate financial support, according to 100+ Women, in a news release.

The 2025 recipients included:

 Habitat for Humanity, awarded $900 in March at a gathering hosted at MRC and sponsored by Maine State Credit Union

Over the last four years, Fisher Engineering has honored Breast Cancer Awareness Month by selling limited-edition Pink FISHER plows and hosting a raffle, donating a portion of the proceeds from these initiatives to MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals to support breast cancer care.

In 2024, WRFR-LP Rockland programmer and board member Rachel Albury ran into WERU East Orland station manager Matt Murphy at the Common Ground Fair. Rachel and Matt chatted about the challenges of running a community radio station and how important community-run media is, according to a Jan. 27 news release from the Maine Community Radio League.

Regional School Unit 13 (RSU13) has been awarded $1,170,000 in federal funding to support the critical repair, upgrade, and modernization of the Oceanside High School (OHS) auditorium.

"This significant investment was secured thanks to the dedicated efforts and bipartisan support of Maine’s Congressional delegation: Senator Angus King, Senator Susan Collins, and Representative Chellie Pingree," said Rockland resident and Funding our Future committee member Dan Bookham, in a news release.

For college students seeking internships at cutting-edge companies and employers looking for top-tier interns, applications are open for the 2026 Innovate for Maine Fellows Program, a statewide initiative connecting emerging talent with innovative Maine businesses.  

Hosted by the University of Maine’s Foster Center for Innovation, the program will connect up to 45 Maine college students with the state’s most innovative companies, offering paid, hands-on internships that drive growth and impact.

William Pasternack has joined the Rockland office of J. Edward Knight Insurance, where he will serve as a member of the Personal Lines team.  

"Pasternack brings valuable insurance industry experience to J. Edward Knight, having most recently worked as an Associate Underwriter with Big Sky Underwriters in Montana," said J. Edward Knight, in a news release. "While his background is on the brokerage side of the industry, his underwriting experience provides a strong foundation for helping clients understand coverage options and make informed decisions."

THOMASTON — The Penobscot Bay YMCA, in partnership with the Town of Thomaston, has launched a new Community Navigation pilot program designed to help residents access local and state resources, benefits, and support services. The grant-funded pilot program will serve Thomaston residents, providing free, confidential assistance to help navigate programs related to housing, food, utilities, transportation, recovery support, employment, and more.

Heather Devita, Penobscot Bay YMCA’s new Community Navigator, will be available at two convenient locations, according to a news release:

The City of Rockland has issued a parking ban for snow removal in the downtown area from 11 p.m. tonight, Thursday, January 22, until 8 a.m., tomorrow, Friday, January 23.

This parking ban will be from Union Street to Main Street, and from Pleasant Street to North Main Street, according to the City of Rockland, in a parking ban notification. Also included will be Tillson Street, Winter Street, and Park Drive. See the map for details.

Jane Lafleur of Camden and Yvonne Thomas of Vinalhaven have joined the Maine Community Foundation’s (MaineCF) Knox County Committee.

MaineCF’s county committees are made up of community members who live or work in the county and serve as local ambassadors for the foundation, sharing their knowledge and providing on-the-ground local leadership for the foundation, according to MaineCF, in a news release.   

As of January 1, 2026, consumers and retailers in Maine are no longer allowed to sell or distribute mercury-containing fluorescent light bulbs, according to Maine Department of Environmental Protection, in a news release. This decision follows the enactment of a ban by the Maine Legislature in 2023, aimed at reducing mercury pollution and protecting public health and the environment.

A City-Wide Parking Ban will be in effect from tonight, Wednesday, January 21, at 10 p.m., until tomorrow, Thursday, January 22, at 7 a.m.

Maine Department of Labor announces its no-cost upcoming trainings for February 2026.

Upcoming classes:

Mine Safety & Health Administration: Refresher – February 3, 2026 l 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

Midcoast Rec will cut the ribbon for the new Camden National Bank Pickleball Center, January 29, 2026, at 5 p.m. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire and University of Vermont Extension, will offer a 2026 Tri-State Dairy Exchange monthly webinar series beginning Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The series continues on the last Wednesday of each month and is held live online.