AUGUSTA — "After careful consideration and extensive evaluation of available resources, the Maine Hospice Council Board members have made the difficult decision to cease operations and close the organization effective October 17, 2026," said Maine Hospice Council and Center for End-of-Life Care, in a news release. The Council operated out of Augusta. 

As part of broader efforts to keep more Maine students in the state for college and careers, the University of Maine System (UMS) will offer $250 scholarships to 24,500 Alfond Grant recipients who are now in high school and even beginning to graduate, supporting their educational attainment and upward mobility while strengthening Maine’s workforce.

Maine Listings reported that home sales prices in Maine increased 2.6 percent to a median sales price of $415,000 comparing September 2026 to September 2025, according to an October news release from the Maine Association of Realtors.

The MSP indicated that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less. Realtors across Maine reported a 4.15 percent statewide sales decrease with 1,526 homes sold in September 2026 compared to a year ago.

Keyes Pottery, the handmade ceramics studio and gallery of artist Laura Keyes, is opening the doors to a new location in downtown Belfast. The community is invited to attend a Grand Re-Opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m., at the new Keyes Pottery studio and gallery, 15 Main Street in Belfast.

According to a news release, the move marks a new chapter for Laura Keyes, who is relocating from her previous studio and gallery at 107 Church Street. 

Our Town Belfast's 2026 Cedar Street Halloween Candy Drive is underway. Several thousand people descend to Cedar Street for trick or treating every Halloween. To help Cedar Street residents, OTB is organizing a candy drive with multiple drop-off locations around Belfast (listed below). 

ROCKLAND — After a comprehensive search, Nicole Chaplin will join Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO) as the organization’s next Executive Director, succeeding Alan Kearl, who is retiring from his position following years of dedicated leadership and service to the organization and the people of Knox County, according to the AIO Board of Directors, in a news release.

Central Maine Power presents: Storm Response in Your Community.

Join us to learn how CMP prepares for severe weather, restores power, and strengthens Maine's electric grid.

BANGOR — From October 16 to October 19, the Maine Department of Transportation will perform work on the I-95 bridges over Broadway at Exit 185 in Bangor as part of the ongoing I-95 bridge replacement project.

Crews will complete shoulder reconstruction, milling, paving, and related work on I-95 Southbound necessary to transition traffic from the temporary southbound bridge onto the new, permanent, southbound bridge.

The work will proceed in four phases, with lane and ramp availability changing as construction progresses.

The Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) and Maine Public Health Association (MPHA) have launched a new Age-Positive Public Health movement to help make Maine a place where longer lives are healthier lives. 

According to a joint news release, the partnership brings aging and public health leaders together around a simple idea: Mainers are living longer, and we need to be much more intentional about helping people live these additional years in good health.