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The March thaw has arrived and with it, all of the signs of early spring in western Maine: road posting signs are going up, sap buckets are getting attached to maple trees, and there's mud — just so much mud.

In addition to mud season, March is also town meeting season, and you'll find plenty of examples in the links. You'll also find news about the impending closure of Inland Hospital in Waterville and some of its potential impacts; rural health care in general is facing a number of challenges.

So enjoy the warmer (if not drier) weather and have a safe and fun St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Feds recommend four Kennebec River dams continue operating with minor fish passage modifications 

The report has been criticized by groups that worry the dams will result in the collapse of endangered Atlantic salmon and sturgeon populations. 

Read this story by Emmett Gartner of The Maine Monitor

While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. 

The Maine State Police and Attorney General's Office have concluded their investigation into the deaths of two Farmington women in January 2024. | Daily Bulldog

Carrabassett Valley voters authorized selectmen to borrow up to $6 million to build a golf course at the annual town meeting. | Sun Journal

Northern Light Health has announced that it will close Inland Hospital in Waterville this spring. | Maine Public

Other hospitals, such as MaineGeneral Health in Augusta, are now weighing the impact. | WMTW

Cuts to Maine Medicaid payments kicked in Wednesday, after the state Senate voted to not pass a supplemental budget. That caps reimbursement payments that hospitals receive, a development that is expected to hit rural health care services particularly hard. | News Center Maine

ICYMI: More than a year after devastating storms, communities shift to resilience. Easing climate resiliency challenges is a priority for lawmakers this legislative session. | The Maine Monitor

Road postings are going up, so it is crunch time for loggers in western Maine. | Bethel Citizen

ICYMI: In interviews with more than a dozen child care providers across the state who accept children in foster care, many expressed frustration to The Maine Monitor over long delays in state reimbursements. | The Maine Monitor

Hebron voters will decide whether or not to hire a town administrator at its annual town meeting. | Advertiser Democrat

Maine schools are expected to buy less produce from local farms due to cuts in USDA reimbursements. | Bangor Daily News

ICYMI: Maine is getting a new energy code, and it’s a stretch | The Maine Monitor

RSU 9 voters will decide at a vote on March 24 whether to approve a grant-funded purchase of a former school on High Street. | Franklin Journal

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. If you have feedback or a tip that you want to send to Ben Hanstein directly email him at: benjamin@themainemonitor.org. 

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.

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