AUGUSTA — The Maine State Beekeepers Association will mark its 50th year with the 2026 Bee Fest, a free public celebration of bees, beekeeping, honey, and Maine’s pollinator community, Sunday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Viles Arboretum, 133 Hospital Street, Augusta, Maine.

Bee Fest welcomes current beekeepers, people considering their first hive, families, gardeners, food enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the vital role honey bees play in Maine’s environment and agricultural landscape.

The 2026 campaign kicks off Thursday, August 20, at the Augusta National Guard Armory, and will be followed by monthly in-person hiring events throughout the state.

"You're invited!" said Maine Dept. of Labor, in a news release. "Are you looking for a new career? Maybe you are transitioning from military service, or just looking for a change?"

Maine's annual Hire-A-Vet Campaign is a statewide effort with the goal of at least 100 employers hiring at least 100 veterans and military family members during a 100-day period.

CUSHING — Alan Magee, distinguished artist, illustrator and a longtime resident of Cushing, will present "Stories from Five Decades" in an Arts In The Barn event, Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m., at 17 Hathorne Point Road in Cushing. 

"Hear tales from the advertising industry in New York City to the more personal artwork he does today in Maine and everything in between," said Cushing Historical Society, in a news release.

The Hosmer Pond Association’s annual meeting will be held Thursday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m., at the Camden Snow Bowl, and will begin with a potluck supper, followed by the speaker and a short business meeting.

BANGOR — The Maine Departmentof Transportation will be implementing a nighttime closure of Broadway under the I-95 bridge in Bangor on August 13, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

The project work consists of removing the existing concrete barrier and steel sheets below the bridge, according to MaineDOT, in a news release.

During these hours, Broadway will be closed to all vehicular traffic.

Volunteer Maine, the Maine Commission for Community Service, has received a three-year grant with an annual award amount of $308,436 from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The highly competitive grant, funded through the Volunteer Generation Fund, will expand Volunteer Maine’s volunteer engagement practices and fortify the recruitment and training of volunteers across Maine, according to Volunteer Maine, in a news release.  

ORONO, Maine — Maine’s largest education and research enterprise has welcomed four new members to its governing board. 

The Maine Department of Labor has updated the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program (CSSP) rules to implement recent statutory changes, expand participant supports, improve program flexibility, and clarify program requirements. The revised rules took effect on August 2, 2026.

Some of the most significant changes include:

BROOKSVILLE — Horse owners and equine enthusiasts will have a rare opportunity to learn from nationally recognized liberty horsemanship trainer Patrick, of Gamilah Unbridled, when he visits Bagaduce River Equine Rescue (BRER), 111 Bagaduce Rd., in Brooksville on Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

According to a news release, the free one-day educational event will introduce participants to the principles of liberty horsemanship while emphasizing trust, communication, and partnership between horse and human.

NORTH HAVEN — A passenger on the schooner Heritage was removed from the vessel by law enforcement this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 5, in Pulpit Harbor. Due to the behavior, Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies have since initiated paperwork requesting usage of Maine's Yellow Flag law.

Last week, over 250 friends and supporters of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences came together for an evening of discovery and inspiration. Through the Big Splash fundraiser, the institute raised over $800,000 in sponsorships and bids — far exceeding the original fundraising goal — all of which will go to support the institute’s “bold science for our blue planet.”

Hancock County volunteer from Lamoine, Lori Jordan, has been announced as the Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) Volunteer of the Month of August. Jordan is currently involved as a volunteer within the Frenchman Bay Service Unit.

The volunteer of the month is a prestigious title recognized by GSME, according to GSME, in a news release. It is awarded monthly to an adult volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and efforts within the organization to benefit Girl Scouts statewide. 

This week the Maine Gun Safety Coalition is partnering with local law enforcement to host free lockbox giveaways as part of National Night Out events across the state.

MGSC volunteers will join law enforcement officers in multiple locations, including Aug. 4, in Auburn, Biddeford, and Kennebunk, and Thursday, Aug. 6, in Augusta, to hand out free firearm lockboxes to families with children to promote secure storage of firearms.

Beginning Tuesday, August 4, at 10 p.m., "there will be NO PARKING at Harbor Park due to setup for the Maine Boat & Home Show," said the City of Rockland, in a parking notification.

BANGOR/HAMPDEN — The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) will be closing the on-ramp from northbound Route 202 to westbound I-395 on August 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., for bridge rail work.

According to MaineDOT, in a news release, drivers heading northbound on Route 202 towards I-395 should use Exit 3B on I-395 onto Main Street in Bangor and take the next on ramp to get onto I-395 westbound.

On July 29, 2026, the Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) officially undertook the responsibility of regulating manufactured housing in the state through the Manufactured Housing Program, formerly known as the Manufactured Housing Board.  

MOCA will regulate modular housing, manufactured homes, and manufactured housing communities. These responsibilities were previously held by the Manufactured Housing Board within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.