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Now we're in the sweet part of the summer: the August wind-down, when there's a hint of crispness in the air to go along with our blue skies and warm sun. It's the perfect time to be in the woods, or maybe visit one of the little rivers or lakes that make western Maine so beautiful.

In the town of Phillips, there's a special reason to enjoy Toothaker Pond this summer. That's because the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has proposed to remove the pond from its nuisance algae bloom list — a big change for a body of water that was the former home of the Berlin Mill, a fish hatchery and was likened to pea soup by locals.

The improvement didn't happen overnight. A group of concerned residents formed an association in 2007, fundraised and tried a series of different fixes. There's more details in the links, but the pond's recovery is a testament to a lot of local people working hard for many years.

It has to make enjoying the crystal-clear water that much nicer.

Law enforcement officers can now get a warrant to take someone into protective custody 

A Maine Monitor analysis finds the number of weapons restriction orders statewide has jumped from an average of two to 32 per month since the Lewiston shootings.

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. 

ICYMI: Lewiston will soon have a public defender's office with a plan to hire six attorneys. How difficult will it be to staff the office? | The Maine Monitor

ICYMI: A federal grant is expected to allow Maine to add thousands of heat pumps in low-income homes and train HVAC technicians to install and maintain them. | The Maine Monitor

The state panel reviewing the mass shooting carried out by an Army reservist in Lewiston last year found that law enforcement and the military missed opportunities to intervene prior to the incident. | Associated Press

RSU 10 will form a committee to look at student violence after the teachers union filed a grievance saying dozens of staffers have been injured. | Rumford Falls Times 

Mexico, Rumford not on same page when it comes to police coverage | WGME

Toothaker Pond in Phillips has been declared free of algae blooms, following years of clean up work by a local association. | Daily Bulldog

The Spinning Mill in Skowhegan, a project that began in 2022 to transform an old mill into apartments, a hotel and a commercial space, is back on track after last year's historic flooding of the Kennebec. | Morning Sentinel

The town of Paris has hired the former police chief of Oxford to run its department. | Advertiser Democrat

Voters in Andover approved a $3 million loan to pay for damage sustained to roads and bridges in 2023, while waiting for federal FEMA funds. | Rumford Falls Times

Elevated levels of copper have been detected in West Paris water lines; the town remains under a boil order issued in April. | Advertiser Democrat

Approximately 100 United Ambulance Service workers are were joined by Teamsters from Local 340 this week, as they negotiate for an initial contract. | Sun Journal

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.