CAMDEN — The Mid-Coast Board of REALTORS announce the recipients of its 2026 REALTOR of the Year honors: Kim Rush, Designated Broker of The Christopher Group, as the Acadia Council REALTOR of the Year, and Victoria Condon, Broker/Owner of Dwelling in Maine, as the Pen Bay Council REALTOR of the Year. 

The REALTOR of the Year award recognizes members who exemplify professionalism, ethical leadership, and outstanding service to their clients, communities, and the REALTOR organization.

Heidi Sanders has been promoted to Treasury Services Officer at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. In this new role, she will work closely with treasury clients in Maine to support them with their existing services and identify new tools that could help them succeed.

JEFFERSON — Starting July 13, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) will begin work on Hotel Bridge over Davis Stream in Jefferson for a wearing surface replacement project.

The project work, which will be performed in stages, will include milling the pavement off of the bridge, repairing concrete on the deck, installing a new high performance membrane, repaving, and replacing the guardrail on each corner of the bridge.

Applications are open for approximately $450,000 in coastal planning grants, according to The Maine Office of Community Affairs’ (MOCA), Maine Coastal Program (MCP), and Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP), in a news release.

Healthy Kids, a community-based family resource network based in Damariscotta, has officially announced the geographic expansion of its core services into Waldo County, beginning July 1, 2026. This milestone expands the organization's historic footprint beyond Lincoln and Knox counties to deliver proactive, community-defined family supports to communities across the Midcoast region.

Mushrooming author and teacher Greg Marley will lead an indoor presentation on "Foraging for 'Foolproof' Edible Mushrooms," Tuesday, July 21, at 12 pm., at Merryspring Nature Center.

The Maine State Fire Marshal's Office reminds everyone planning to celebrate the 250th Independence Day celebration with consumer fireworks to do so safely and responsibly.

The Fire Marshal's Office provides the following information:

Legal Hours for Consumer Fireworks

 Most days: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

 Extended holiday hours: On July 4 and the weekend immediately before and after July 4, consumer fireworks may be used from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. the following day.

For the 2026 Independence Day Holiday:

WALDOBORO — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host the third event of the annual Pasture Walk Series on Saturday, July 18, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., at East Forty Farm and Dairy, 2361 Friendship Road, in Waldoboro. 

The third session in the series' highlights the business and culinary side of sustainable grazing, focusing heavily on value-added production. East Forty Farm showcases how high-quality forage directly transforms into premium farm products.

HOPE — "Georges River Land Trust is proud to hold the conservation easement on Hope’s Edge Farm, a vital source of local produce in the Midcoast," said a news release. "Since 2005, Georges River Land Trust has worked with a generous and committed Hope landowner to place an agricultural conservation easement on the 100-acre working farm at the base of Philbrook and Hatchett Mountains. Thanks to support from Maine Farmland Trust and the Land for Maine’s Future Program, this property was permanently protected in 2025."

A groundbreaking ceremony was held June 25, 2026 for Sweetser's new youth psychiatric residential treatment facility in Saco. The new facility in Saco will provide 24/7 intensive care to Maine youth under 21 with acute behavioral health care needs, according to a news release from Governor Mills' Office.

BELFAST and ROCKPORT — On April 30, 2026, MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals achieved exceptional results during their Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program site survey, receiving a perfect survey outcome with no deficiencies cited, according to MaineHealth, in a news release.

This accomplishment reflects an extraordinary level of compliance with nationally recognized oncology quality standards and contributes to MaineHealth Cancer Care’s oncology accreditation and quality improvement across the system," said MaineHealth.

Due to water main replacement on Maple Street, the Rockland Public Library will be without water on Monday, June 29, and therefore will be closed, unless a schedule change occurs. 

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

Upcoming classes:

Workstation Ergonomics-Video Display Terminal – July 7, 2026 l 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, Department of Labor, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

The Pen Bay Amateur Radio Club (W1PBR) will participate in ARRL Field Day on June 27-28, 2026, at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, 117 Museum Street, Owls Head.

Field Day is the nation's largest amateur radio event and combines emergency communications training with public outreach, according to the Radio Club, in a news release. During the 24-hour exercise, amateur radio operators will set up temporary stations and demonstrate how communications can be established when traditional systems are unavailable.

PORT CLYDE — Two distinguished leaders in environmental science and communications have been appointed to Herring Gut Coastal Science Center's Advisory Council: Claire Parsons and Melissa Waterman.

The Advisory Council provides strategic guidance and expertise to support Herring Gut's mission of educating students and communities about the connections between Maine's waters, environment, and economy.