ORONO — The University of Maine System (UMS) Board of Trustees has elected new leaders. 

Roger Katz, of Brunswick, will serve as chair of the governing board for the state’s largest educational and research enterprise for a one-year term, while Elise Baldacci, of North Yarmouth, will be vice chair. 

Join Georges River Land Trust and scientist Matt Arsenault for a hands-on exploration of grasses and sedges, Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., at Riverview Hayfields Preserve in South Thomaston. This field-based workshop will introduce participants to grasses, sedges, and rushes. 

AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Transportation will be repaving the I-95 westbound on-ramp from Western Avenue.

According to MaineDOT, in a news release, this work is weather-dependent and is currently scheduled to begin on Sunday, June 7, 2026, or Monday, June 8, 2026.

During this time, the I-95 westbound on-ramp will be closed continuously, 24 hours a day, until paving operations are complete.

Join Georges River Land Trust and biologist John Tipping for a hands-on exploration of what's living in the St. George River, Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., at Appleton Preserve. John Tipping is a biologist and taxonomist with more than 25 years of experience identifying aquatic insects and macroinvertebrates. 

After a very brief annual meeting of the Thomaston Historical Society, attendees will celebrate the lives of John (1945 - 2026) and Lee-Ann Upham (1944 - 2025). Susan Devlin and Sandy Moore will review their lives and contributions to the town and encourage anyone to tell their own Upham story.

The event will take place Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m., at the Federated Church, 8 Hyler Street, Thomaston (enter around back).

All are welcome to this the free event.

ALBION — On Sunday, June 7, from 1 to 3 p.m., the public is invited to visit Northeast Equine Sanctuary, a program of Peace Ridge Sanctuary, for its first Open House of the 2026 season.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Little Popcorn and many of the other horses who call the sanctuary home, learn about their individual stories, and see firsthand the work that goes into providing lifelong care for rescued animals.

ROCKPORT — MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital welcomes Hannah Blasius, AGAC-NP, to its Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Rockport practice.

Blasius moves to Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Rockport from the hospital’s Special Care (SCU) unit, where she spent the past three years as a clinical nurse II and charge nurse. Before that, Blasius spent almost four years as a nurse at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland.

Stockton Springs Community Library (SSCL) will host "The Great Event" on September 12, and space rentals for the Giant Yard Sale start now.

The event includes a giant yard sale, along with barbecue, bake sale, homemade donuts, children’s events, and more. "The Great Event" will happen rain or shine.

"The town of Stockton Springs will be filled with a festive atmosphere on Saturday, September 12, and everyone is invited to join in the celebration to be held on the grounds of the library and the Stockton Springs Town Office," said SSCL, in a news release.

A "Soil Health Field Day" will be held June 9, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., at Meadowcroft Farm in Washington.

The community is invited to join Matt Boucher, State soil scientist with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, and Knox-Lincoln SWCD, to hear about “Rotational grazing and a cover crop trial,” the first of three Soil Health Field Days. 

BANGOR — Starting June 1, the Maine Department of Transportation will be replacing the wearing surface and repairing joints on the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge over the Penobscot River that connects Bangor and Brewer as part of a bridge preservation project.

Starting June 8, traffic will be restricted to one lane, allowing traffic to head westbound from Brewer to Bangor. Bangor traffic traveling to Brewer will be detoured to the Penobscot Bridge which carries Route 15/State Street over the Penobscot River.

Officials for the Town of Thomaston have been awarded a Safety Grant by the Maine Municipal Association Workers Compensation Fund in the amount of $2,185.48.

The grant funding will be used to purchase critical safety equipment for the Town's Code Enforcement, Police, and Fire Departments, including hard hats, steel-toed footwear, high-visibility safety vests, traffic cones, and a vehicle backup alarm.

THOMASTON — The Town of Thomaston announces the appointment of Lorenzo Bacchi as a Patrol Officer with the Thomaston Police Department. The Thomaston Select Board confirmed Officer Bacchi's appointment on May 11. 

THOMASTON — The Thomaston Town Manager, Fire Chief, and a hired architect are working to finalize an RFQ seeking a firm to act as construction manager to a proposed Fire and EMS building. During its May 26, 2026 meeting, Select Board members unanimously approved the distribution of that “Construction Manager (CM) request for qualifications and proposals (RFQ)”, keeping the proposed project moving forward on a recently adjusted timeline, which includes continuation of design development.

United Midcoast Charities (UMC) will host its next LEARN@UMC workshop, “AI for Nonprofits: Building Confidence with the Basics,” on Wednesday, June 10, from 9 - 10:30 a.m., at the United Midcoast Charities office in Camden. 

Around Thanksgiving last year, after it had become obvious that carmakers’ press fleets were shrinking to the point where I could no longer count on a new ride to review every week, I did something I hadn’t done since 1985: I went to a dealership and bought a daily driver—a battery-powered EV, at that: a Volvo C40 Twin Recharge from Goodwin's in Topsham.

Join Maine Woodland Owners during their third annual Tree ID Day event on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., for an opportunity to hear about the tricks and techniques to learn your trees. 

Do you need a refresher on how to identify the trees in your woods?

BELFAST — Concepta, who goes by her first name, is a fixture at the United Farmers Market of Maine in Belfast every Saturday. Behind the hot bar where she serves up chicken curry, minced beef curry, and lentil and potato curry, all over white rice, she is a one-woman powerhouse, selling out of her food and products every weekend, all the while conjuring up more angles for her business.

ROCKPORT — On Wednesday, May 20, the Penobscot Bay YMCA hosted its Annual Meeting, a heartfelt evening that brought together staff, board members, donors, and volunteers to reflect on a year of powerful impact and to celebrate those who help bring the Y’s mission to life.