2026 Rising Tide Party & Auction will take place Thursday, Aug. 20, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Riverside Farm & Learning Center in Searsmont.

"Bringing together community members, nonprofit leaders, business supporters, and philanthropists from across Knox and Waldo counties, the Rising Tide Party & Auction celebrates the generosity and partnerships that strengthen our region," said United Midcoast Charities, in a news release.

BELFAST — Wild Blueberry Collective and Niweskok are collaborating to present The Blueberry Blues, a Canadian documentary, at the Colonial Theatre. Proceeds will go towards the Wild Blueberry Collective’s goal of purchasing and protecting 158 acres of blueberry land in Searsport, Maine.  

The Maine Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Standards will host a free webinar on July 16, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., to share information about recent changes to Maine state law and regulations on wage and hour, workplace safety, and other labor standards. Employers, workers, human resources and payroll professionals, attorneys, labor organizations, and others with an interest in Maine labor standards are encouraged to attend, acccording to Maine DOL, in a news release.

Presenters will provide information on changes to:

ROCKLAND—A new women's boutique, Salt & Moss, opened June 1 at 369 Main Street. Originally hailing from Texas, owner Cara Hersey said she thought Rockland needed an affordable place for women to shop.

"You can either spend $100 on a top in town, or go to Walmart or T.J. Maxx," she said. "I wanted a place that felt good, like when you walked in you were treating yourself, but not spending your whole paycheck."

Salt & Moss offers not only clothing, but also accessories, shoes, sunglasses, hats, and jewelry.

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.

Hurricane Island Outward Bound School (HIOBS), an organization focused on character education through outdoor expeditions, welcomes Joanna Benoit as its new Development Director. In this role, Benoit will work closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to strengthen and expand philanthropic support, build meaningful donor relationships, and lead the organization’s fundraising strategy to support its mission and scholarship initiatives. 

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.