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Good morning. It's Saturday, June 8.

Franklin County will elect four new commissioners in November, as part of a board expansion approved by voters in 2021. Beyond a chance to choose new leaders, the election is emblematic of a rural county that has seen rapid change over the past few years.

More people moving to the northern part of the county has driven economic growth but has also created new issues that the commissioners will need to address: how to provide housing, deliver emergency services, maintain roads, and engage in sensible economic development.

County government is a complex and oftentimes poorly understood subject in Maine, but is also an incredibly important topic. Maine is a home rule state, and county commissioners are responsible for an enormous range of responsibilities, including dispensing millions of dollars in federal money. This piece represents a sort of snapshot of a county and a government in flux; I hope folks will find it helpful.

You can read the full story here. 

Don’t forget that the state primary is next week, on Tuesday, June 11. You can look up your polling place and view a sample ballot here. See you all at the polls!

A place for women in recovery, and their kids: About 15 years ago, Caroline (not her real name) was studying to be a nurse when she broke her ankle. She started taking prescription painkillers, and soon developed an addiction.

Now she's in recovery and lives at Safe Harbor, which opened in August 2020 in Machias. It's a home for women in recovery from substance use disorder: a place where they can live full-time and get help arranging appropriate treatment services. And they can bring their children with them.

Read this story by Emily Bader of The Maine Monitor.

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

Maine needs more workers to keep pace with economic growth, Governor Janet Mills told business and community leaders recently, as the state looks at associated issues such as housing, childcare, education, immigration policy and highspeed Internet access. | Portland Press Herald

All of Baxter State Park's trails are now open to the public, after damage associated with winter storms resulted in delays. | WMTW

Marijuana grow house raids leave residents confused in Norridgewock. | Bangor Daily News

FBI director says Chinese organized crime gangs are connected to Maine marijuana grow houses. | Bangor Daily News

Several ponds polluted with forever chemicals are routinely stocked with brook trout by the state, which also issues do-not-eat orders for the ponds. | Portland Press Herald

A federal lawsuit has been filed against Somerset County and officials associated with that county's jail, in relation to a Dexter man that died after being exposed to a drug following his incarceration in 2023. | Morning Sentinel

The economic value of Maine’s lakes to the state economy has more than doubled in 25 years, according to a University of Maine study being released in June, and is now roughly $14.1 billion. | Bangor Daily News

More than 2,700 acres have been added to Maine's Public Reserve for $3.8 million, with the acquired parcels connecting previously-protected tracts within the High Peaks region. | Rangeley Highlander

In Phillips, wardens located two lost children—ages 2 and 3 years old—roughly a mile and a half from their home. | Daily Bulldog

A driver died when his vehicle left the roadway and crashed into the living room of a home in Norway. No one was home when the crash occurred; a passenger in the vehicle was transported to the hospital. | WMTW

Rumford voters approved a plan to accept its local elementary school building once a new school is constructed in neighboring Mexico, with an eye toward creating space for child-care. | Rumford Falls Times

Kingfield residents elected a new selectman and approved a $2.08 million budget at their annual town meeting. | Daily Bulldog

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.