View in browser   |   Forward

As we enjoy whatever remains of our Halloween sugar rush this weekend, we look ahead to some warm weather, late autumn foliage and a nice, peaceful week of ... oh right, there's an election or something Tuesday. You know, the one that's on TV all the time.

The Maine Monitor has a collection of election resources and coverage here; your local newspaper may have additional information; and, of course, there's the Secretary of State website here, if you want the ultimate authority.

I am tracking a few western Maine stories in the links below, but I'd advise pacing yourself. No matter what happens Tuesday, it's going to be a newsy week. 

Nursing homes grapple with uncertainty over MaineCare reimbursement rates

While developing the new reimbursement system, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, the state studied the relationship between nursing home geography and operational costs to determine if rates should account for location. The Department of Health and Human Services found that rural nursing homes had higher costs than urban facilities, but super rural nursing homes had lower costs. Based on these findings, the department decided not to take location into account when determining reimbursements. 

Ben Hawkins, with the Maine Health Care Association, said the findings were surprising. “Rural facilities often encounter higher operational costs related to staffing, transportation, and resource availability,” he said. “Beyond looking at select data, anyone who knows Maine understands that the economy varies considerably between Kittery and Fort Kent and everywhere in between.”

Read this story by Rose Lundy of The Maine Monitor.

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

A Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputy has been placed on administrative leave after he reportedly shot and killed a man on Salem Road. | Daily Bulldog

Oxford County Jail will reopen in mid-December, having transformed to a holding cell facility in March while awaiting HVAC upgrades. | Advertiser Democrat

Central Maine Power and Maine Emergency Management Agency held a coordination meeting this week to organize the upcoming winter season. Last year's storms caused outages that were similar in scope to the Ice Storm of '98. | WGME

The Livermore Falls board has approved a $2.1 million bond resolution for its wastewater treatment plant. | Livermore Falls Advertiser

Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School is benefiting from a program designed to get chronically absent students back into the classroom. | Maine Public

Farmington's town manager explained the reasons for an increase in the town's mil rate. | Daily Bulldog

An incentive program aimed at getting whole-house heat pump systems into homes appears to be gaining traction. | Maine Public

Illegal marijuana grow house operations are increasingly transitioning from black to grey markets, in a bid to duck scrutiny. | Morning Sentinel

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 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.