Herbal Revolution welcomes the community to its organic farm in Union during Maine Open Farm Day, Sunday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

"Join us for a day of connection, exploration, and herbal goodness," said Herbal Revolution. "Come walk the land, sip herbal drinks, and sample our farm-crafted wellness products during this special, once-a-year celebration of Maine’s vibrant agricultural scene."

Julie Beckford will present an ecology talk, The Health of Your Land, July 23 at the Tranquility Grange in Lincolnville.

The focus will be on agriculture and rural communities, and responsible land stewardship.

Beckford and her husband, Pete Beckford, of Rebel Hill Farm in Liberty, have raised field-grown, certified organic native plants for 35 years. Julie will explain the ecological rationale for fostering native plants in varied landscapes.

The talk beings at 6 p.m. at the Tranquility Grange Route 52 in Lincolnville.

Owls Head Transportation Museum’s (OHTM) STEM Community Center remains in the running for $1,533,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending  in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill.  The legislation, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee July 10, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.  

What, you may ask, is a Kia K4? Clearly, it’s a sedan. (Do we still buy sedans?) What does it cost? (It looks a bit spendy.) Where does it sit on Kia’s deep bench? Isn’t it electric? (It looks electric.) Is it crammed with tech that I can’t deal with?

A federal grant request of $3,500,000 to help construct a new fire and EMS station in Thomaston awaits consideration by the full Senate and House after being officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Notification of the Committee's approval came July 10, 2025. Should the new Thomaston Fire and EMS Facility be granted this money, the Town will still need to come up with matching funds for the total $7 million estimated cost.

WASHINGTON D.C. — Charles Jagger, an Islesboro native, has been awarded a summer internship in U.S. Senator Susan Collins' Washington office. Jagger is a graduate of Islesboro Central School. 

The orthopedics team at Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Joint Replacement, for their total hip and total knee replacement programs. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. 

Maine Coast Heritage Trust will host a free, hands-on Korean Natural Farming Workshop to teach farming techniques including making natural fertilizers and soil microbial inoculants. The workshop will be a two-part series held Wednesday, July 30, from 2 - 4 p.m., at Erickson Fields Preserve, 164 West St., in Rockport.   

CAMDEN—Summertime is for light snacking, and Allison Warren capitalized on the whole grazing trend by opening her first business, Camden Charcuterie, this past Memorial Day.

The sit-down restaurant at 56 Elm Street in Camden has a beer and wine license, but many customers prefer to purchase her custom boxes and boards for takeout.

Nick Pucello, a business and marine insurance producer at Allen Insurance and Financial, has successfully completed the Liberty Mutual Business Lines Producer Development Program – a rigorous 10-week course designed to sharpen technical knowledge, strengthen sales expertise and enhance the ability to navigate the complexities of today’s insurance marketplace.

Pucello joined Allen in January 2025 and has quickly demonstrated a strong commitment to professional development.

Loyal Biscuit Co. announces the recipients of its 2025 Fenway Fund grants. The Fenway Fund is a grant program that supports 501(c)(3) animal welfare organizations in Maine. This July, the fund awarded a total of $5,500 to four deserving organizations:

● Charley’s Strays: Awarded $1,502.41 to replace damaged and failing gates for the kennel's outside runs. New gates will keep the dogs, staff and volunteers safe when the dogs are in the outside runs, which allow crucial outdoor time for the dogs for mental well-being and socialization.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Susan Collins introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure U.S. troops are wearing high quality, safe and reliable footwear as part of their uniforms, according to a July 8 news release.

Maine District 2 Representative Jared Golden, a Marine Corps. combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, is an original sponsor of companion legislation in the House.

Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying, Inc., a firm with offices in Camden and Damariscotta, as well as Epping, New Hampshire, has formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), officially making its employees beneficial owners of the company.

Maine State Credit Union has announced leadership changes at its Rockland branch. Hillary Jackson has been selected to lead the growing eBranch in Farmingdale, and Jordan Lytton will be the new branch manager in Rockland. 

The City of Rockland will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, July 14, at 5:30 p.m., in Council Chambers at Rockland City Hall, located at 270 Pleasant Street in Rockland, to discuss an application being submitted to the State of Maine CDBG program for a Public Service Grant.

The purpose of the grant application is to expand services provided by the Rockland Police Department’s Youth Diversion Team and Youth Mentoring Program.

Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM) will host a Live Plant Identification workshop, July 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Coastal Rivers’ Denny Conservation and Education Center in Damariscotta.

In this indoor class, participants will learn how to identify a number of common native and invasive aquatic plants. This program will cover basic botany, plant structure, and life cycles of approximately 40 aquatic plants.

ROCKLAND – Up the road, the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad shuttles an average of 5,000 people to and from the Common Ground Fair in Unity over the course of three days, according to Finn Kelly. Kelly would like to see the same possibilities in the Rockland area for the Maine Lobster Festival and Atlantic Blues Festival.

The Rockland City Council invites all Rockland renters and landlords to an important public forum on rent stabilization. The forum will take place on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., at City Hall, 270 Pleasant Street. 

"This will mark the beginning of a vital community-wide discussion regarding rent stabilization within Rockland," said the City of Rockland, in a news release.

Deane Smith, of St. Albans, is the 2024 recipient of the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

This annual award honors the legacy of Wiggie Robinson, a consummate outdoorsman and a remarkable ambassador for the Maine outdoors. Each year, MDIFW recognizes a registered Maine Guide who embodies that same spirit—mastery of outdoor skills, lifelong dedication, and a passion for sharing the Maine wilderness with others.