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Good morning. It’s Sunday, June 9.

According to the latest data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, one in every 10 Mainers over the age of 12 struggled with substance use in the past year. 

While deaths declined in Maine in 2023, more than 600 people still lost their lives to a drug overdose. More than a quarter of them were women. None of these numbers, of course, capture the sprawling network of children, parents, spouses, siblings and friends whose lives have been affected by a loved one struggling with substance use.

Substance use has also hit pregnant women in Maine particularly hard. Nearly 10 percent of women enrolled in MaineCare (the state’s Medicaid program) who gave birth in 2017 and 2018 had a clinically documented opioid use disorder when they gave birth, according to a KFF survey — far higher than than the national average, which was 2.7 percent. 

This week, Emily Bader profiled three women who are in recovery from substance use disorder and are current or former residents of Safe Harbor, one of just two certified recovery homes in the state that allow mothers to bring their children.

“We just couldn’t see how separating children from their moms was going to really help anybody. So we just felt committed to that from day one,” said Penny Guisinger, the recovery program director for Healthy Acadia, which runs day-to-day operations at the home.

It’s a delicate balance, supporting the recovery of mothers while ensuring everyone’s safety. But Guisinger, who is in sustained recovery herself, thinks it’s worth it.

“I cannot imagine succeeding in recovery if I had to put my kids somewhere other than with me. If I’d had to enter a program I would have left it far too early to get back to where my kids are,” she said.

This is a tough subject, but there is a lot of hope in these stories. I hope you’ll take the time to read them.

— Kate

A place for women in recovery, and their kids: Safe Harbor in Machias is one of just two certified recovery homes in the state that allows women to remain there with their children.

Read this story by Emily Bader.

Commission board grows in response to changing Franklin County: Proponents say the increase from three to five commissioners will better represent residents in northern Franklin County. Read this story by Ben Hanstein.

Maine households are worst offenders on food waste, according to DEP study: Every year, we waste the equivalent of more than 9,000 fully loaded semi-trailer trucks. Read this story by Kate Cough.

Three takeaways from The Monitor’s investigation into elopements: Maine’s health department rarely issues sanctions when residents wander away from their care facilities, a joint Maine Monitor and ProPublica investigation found. Read this story by Rose Lundy.

Maine Monitor welcomes interns, new board member: The additions will help the organization advance its mission of providing free in-depth, investigative reporting. Read this story.

Can a farm generate solar power and blueberries at once?

An experiment in Rockport in growing blueberries under specialized solar panels yielded disappointing results, with production of blueberries under the panels at just 9 percent compared to bushes planted in rows between panels.

But researchers hope their findings will guide future projects as they look for ways that solar and farming can coexist.

Read this story by Emmett Gartner. 

Know of a story that we should be digging into? Send it to our newsroom. 

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization. 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.