Meat shortages across the country caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led more consumers buying locally raised beef, pork, and poultry, and that’s good news for Maine farms.
The shortage…
Work
‘there has been a crush of demand for the farm products’
Friends and cyclists combine the bikes and coffee business model on Main Street
BELFAST—Opening a new business is stressful enough without it being smack in the middle of a pandemic.
But, CG Bikes owner Chris Gardner and business associate, Nathaniel Baer, are taking…
returned items will be quarantined for 72 hours; Wi-fi available in parking lot
Rockland Public Library has submitted the following statement:
As retail shops, restaurants, and services begin to open back up, we are being asked when the Library will do the…
‘MLA will correct errors in allegations that right whales are harmed by entanglement in U.S. gear’
Thousands of Maine’s family-owned lobstering businesses are at risk of extinction due to a recent federal court ruling citing a violation of the Endangered Species Act by the National Marine…
Waldo Theatre, Inc., in Waldoboro, is one of 16 Maine projects awarded a The 1772 Foundation historic preservation grant for 2020. The Waldo Theatre will receive $2,000 out of a total $100,000…
qualified to participate in the state contest
WALDO COUNTY — For many Maine 4-H members, the first months of each new year are dedicated to preparing their 4-H public speaking presentations. March and April will see them getting up and…
ROCKLAND — When, and even if, Rockland turns Downtown Main Street into a pedestrian mall during the month of June, Jersey barriers will be set up at Park Street and Glovers Passage (just south of…
The Belfast Co-op’s Board of Directors thanks Doug Johnson, its general manager, “for his extraordinary leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The board said that Johnson has responded…
Mid-Coast Optical, on the corner of Maverick Street and Route 17 in Rockland, has re-opened its storefront, following the pandemic closure.
Mid-Coast Optical is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m…
Retail shops in 12 of Maine’s 16 counties can reopen for business beginning Monday, May 11 so long as they follow a set of guidelines (appearing below).
Under the newly released plan by…
SOUTH THOMASTON—A new food truck opened May 8 to complement Waterman’s Beach Brewery, and fans of the old Waterman’s Beach Lobster, will be thrilled to know that the new venue has some unique…
AUGUSTA — Governor Janet Mills announced May 8 a rural reopening plan aimed at reopening certain additional businesses in rural Maine over the course of the next two weeks with added health and…
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is now offering free online farm coaching, help with stress management and communication, and problem-solving on the farm and within families.
…
U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced May 7 Maine lobstermen, fishermen, and other Mainers working in the seafood supply chain…
serving immediate needs while building resiliency, interconnectivity, and investment in the food system
Waldo County Bounty launches this week. WCB is a community fundraising and resource-sharing campaign designed to improve food security for all people in Waldo County during the COVID-19 crisis and…
Governor Janet Mills announced May 6 she is convening an Economic Recovery Committee charged with developing recommendations to mitigate the damage to Maine’s economy caused by the ongoing COVID-…
MDOL’s website overloaded over the weekend as filers attempt to open claims
In Maine, self-employed workers have been waiting nearly six weeks for financial help through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and are the last group to receive any financial assistance…
Pandemic forces organizers to take a different route to celebrate rural life
UNITY — One of Maine’s favorite agricultural events, the Common Ground Fair, will be going virtual this September.
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners…
‘Meet me on Main Street’
ROCKLAND – Outdoor seating flowing into the street, art displays along the center line, musicians, children’s activities, neighborly socialization at a distance, and for many, a creative lure…
One surveys members, another offers alternative plan
The Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce is asking its business members to take a survey about Gov. Janet Mills’ plan to phase the opening of…
Since the emergence of COVID-19, most vacation travel has come to a halt, with countless cancellations of flights, cruises, lodging, and other travel related arrangements. Most would-be travelers…
As Maine enters Stage 1 of the Governor’s Restarting Maine’s Economy Plan today, Governor Janet Mills delivered a statement May 1 during Maine CDC’s daily briefing.
The full…
Updated with more closings and openings
This list was created in March, 2020 when Gov. Mills’ Executive Orders prohibited dine-in service, which prompted eating and drinking establishments to either close or come up with more creative…
More than 100 years ago, Maine Potato Week campaign began, urging locals to eat potatoes and ration wheat
The humble Maine potato, like most agriculture products, is undergoing its own crisis within a pandemic.
According to a April 18, 2020…
The Maine Department of Labor is asking self-employed individuals seeking to file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance follow a filing schedule to help reduce internet traffic to the site when…
Brian Leonard, of Camden, is hoping his inflatable dinghy will be returned Marine Park at Rockport Harbor so that he can get ready for boating season.
Last fall, he was undergoing daily…
Maine Experiencing Home Gardening Boom during Coronavirus Lockdown
UNION—Sarah Hewitt, and her business partner, Graham Raymond, owners of the Victory Hemp LLC, are like all farmers struggling under the Covid-19 crisis, these days. Earlier this month, the USDA…
In order to open whether May 1 or in a later phase, Maine businesses must commit to complying with the requirements of these checklists by filling out a…
Since March 15, DOL has paid over $200 million in benefits to eligible Mainers
AUGUSTA – Last week, approximately 7,400 new individuals filed for unemployment benefits. This is the lowest number of initial claims in the last six weeks, but the level remains historically…
‘role models in putting patients first; their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need’
ROCKPORT — Pen Bay Medial Center has been awarded an A rating in the Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospital’s achievements in providing safer…
‘THEY JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE AREN’T VISITING OR PETTING THEM’
CAMDEN/ROCKPORT/ROCKLAND – Shop animals do not receive regular paychecks, although many may consider them staff and members of the business community. They are usually at their offices daily and…
ROCKLAND — It is with great sadness that Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors has cancelled its 2020 Maine Boat & Home Show in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the magazine, in an April 29…
transitioning to Independent nonprofit status
The Board of Directors of Coastal Senior College, one of 17 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, voted unanimously April 20 to transition to independent status from the University…
AUGUSTA — Governor Janet Mills presented her Administration’s plan to gradually and safely restart Maine’s economy April 28.
The plan, which comes as the State appears to be successfully…
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Labor will begin accepting applications for the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Friday, May 1 at 8 a.m.
People whose claim does not require…
BELFAST — Registration is open for two new online professional development programs through the University of Maine Hutchinson Center.
The…
reduction in employee injuries also benefits the taxpayers
The Waldo County Commissioners has been awarded a Safety Enhancement Grant by the Maine Municipal Association Workers Compensation Fund in the amount of $1,368.02.
The Ed MacDonald Safety…
Opportunity Knox is a ‘pay now, redeem later” system to keep economy afloat
Taking a grassroots approach to solving economic shortfalls during Covid-19’s lockdown in April, Midcoast’s community—and those who love Maine from afar—have come together to pledge financial…
The Maine Farmland Trust and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association introduced new Maine Farm Emergency Grants to assist farmers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. A recent survey…
AUGUSTA — Governor Janet Mills outlined April 23 her vision for a gradual and safe reopening of Maine’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing four principles that will guide the State’s…
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Labor will be rolling out a program for self-employed individuals in the near future, according to an April 22 news release from the Department of Marine…
INVESTing $13,000 IN the COMMUNITY
In a bipartisan effort to support Maine farmers during the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree…
TENANTS HARBOR — With his camera, Steve Cartwright, of Tenants Harbor, chronicled the recovery of a lobster boat April 16 that had sunk earlier this spring.
The wooden boat had foundered…
Spend the last of winter, early spring painting lines in purple segments
PENOBSCOT BAY — Purple spray paint has been a hot commodity along the coast of Maine this past late winter and early spring, as lobstermen buy out their local stores for a specific task: painting…
Knox County Homeless Coalition, MCH/Meals on Wheels
Camden Rotary Club has submitted the following statement:
The Camden Rotary Club has deployed an emergency task force to help nonprofit…
apply for a one-time $500 payment to landlords
Waldo Community Action Partners has provided the following information:
Governor Mills and MaineHousing have entrusted the ten…
West Bay Rotary will match donations
West Bay Rotary has teamed up with United Midcoast Charities to support local nonprofits so they can serve the ever-growing demand for their services during the COVID-19 crisis.
In…
Calling all farm and woodland owners:
Farm and woodland owners and operators in five Maine counties may be eligible to receive a free invasive plant survey and management plan, prepared by a natural resource professional from the…
Funds for Food, Shelter, Basic Needs
United Midcoast Charities (UMC) has announced its first round of grant recipients to receive awards from its new Rapid Response Fund (RRF), which the organization created …
