United Midcoast Charities has launched the Community Volunteer Hub, a new online portal designed to make it easier for community members to find volunteer opportunities that match their interests, skills, and availability.

With an overnight storm system forecast expected to bring hazardous travel conditions, Governor Janet Mills has directed all State of Maine government offices closed Wednesday, December 24, 2025. Local municipalities are initiating parking bans and some town departments are staying closed for the day.

ROCKLAND — There will be a city-wide parking ban in Rockland beginning at 9 p.m., Tuesday, December 23, until 8 a.m., Wednesday, December 24.

A new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant is powering a statewide effort led by the University of Maine to address one of the state’s most persistent challenges: the shortage of highly qualified K-12 teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). 

DAMARISCOTTA — Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust has been awarded $8,500 through the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program, which Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) administers.

"Entering its 21st year, the program continues L.L. Bean’s long-standing commitment to support public access, habitat protection, and outdoor recreation across the state of Maine, bringing total funding to $558,750 for 129 projects since 2004," said Coastal Rivers, in a news release.

Nature has a palette, and artist Gabrielle Benzie is the paintbrush. 

When Benzie was a little girl playing outside in her backyard in Camden, she would often gravitate toward the neighbor's field.

"As a kid, we would spend hours back there, playing and exploring, making play houses, and collecting things," she said.

Those carefree childhood moments stuck with her while she went on to study graphic design and digital media at the Savannah College of Art and Design before completing her degree at Northern Vermont University.

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

Upcoming classes:

Forklift Operator Safety – January 6, 2026 l 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

United Midcoast Charities will host its next LEARN@UMC professional development workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., at the UMC office in Camden. The session, Storytelling for Impact, will be led by award-winning journalist and audio producer Elaine Appleton Grant.

ROCKLAND — A buyer has come forward with intent to purchase the current Police Station condo at 1 Park Drive. Details are still to be publicized, however that buyer intends to repurpose the basement level condo into a parking garage, according to Rockland Police Chief Tim Carroll, thus relieving the question of what new group of people would be inheriting the black mold that has manifested within Police Plaza.

The dirt roads in the northern corner of Oxford County froze early this year, marking the unofficial start of the winter logging season in Maine. 

The hardened roads make it possible for loggers such as Andy Irish and his Rumford-based company, Irish Family Logging, to drive a fleet of semi-trucks and heavy machinery into the woods without disturbing the underlying soil as much as in the summer.

Steel-Pro welcomed 17 students from Waldo County Technical Center (WCTC) in Belfast on Monday, December 8, for a facility tour and welding competition.

Students began their visit with a guided tour of the Rockland manufacturing shop, gaining firsthand insight into Steel-Pro’s production process—from the arrival of raw materials to the completion of precision stainless-steel equipment.

ROCKLAND — Alterations to a proposal to construct a 6-unit apartment house on Gay Street have been made, and developers will return before the Planning Board, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

Broad Vision Builders, of Medford, Massachusetts, is proposing to build a three-story, 2,267-square-foot structure on the lawn at 26 Gay Street, parallel to the current house on the property. The current house is not a part of the development plans, according to the Code Enforcement Office.

ROCKLAND — “Ultimately, would you rather a building be built with four apartments with parking, or six apartments without?” said Planning Board Member Ed Ledoux, during the Dec. 8, 2025 City Council Meeting. “Worded another way, how many parking spaces is worth one person sleeping in their car? Would you rather someone open a restaurant without parking, or not start their business at all?”

ROCKLAND — Join City Manager Tom Luttrell and Police Chief Tim Carroll on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 5:30 p.m., for the first public meeting on a new police station. The meeting will take place at City Hall, 270 Pleasant Street in Rockland.

Through grant funding and commissioned research, Maine Cancer Foundation recently invested $700,000 in support of cancer patients’ access to care.

According to Maine Cancer Foundation, in a news release, the research – a transportation and lodging needs assessment – offers an increased understanding of services available to Maine patients and a roadmap to better support cancer patients in their access needs in the future. The 14 grant awards will provide transportation and lodging to cancer patients when they need it the most.