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In February, wandering through Camden before a film at the opera house, I came across a laminated flyer proclaiming SAVE THE DAM FALLS. Curious, I snapped a photo. (There's nothing like a "save the..." campaign to pique people's interest — take The Cookie Jar in Cape Elizabeth.) 

This week, in the third installment in his series on Maine's dams, our environmental reporter Emmett Gartner has the details on Camden's fraught debate, along with lessons from several other dams across the state, including the towering Ripogenus Dam on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. 

Should the dams stay or should they go? The opinions are fierce on either side. But as the fisheries director for the Penobscot Nation told Emmett, sometimes you have to find middle ground: "We keep fish out of turbines. We set up a natural flow regime... Those are some real actionable things that we can do."

Speaking of action: Our health reporter Rose Lundy has a story this week about proposed staffing changes for assisted living and residential care facilities — and they are major, marking the first regulatory update of its kind in more than 15 years. The proposed rules come after an 18-month investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found dozens of violations at the state’s largest facilities.

Rose will continue to follow the story, and in a couple weeks, on December 5, she will also be launching a new newsletter: The Health Monitor, a biweekly look at the people and politics shaping health care in Maine. It will go out every other Thursday, and we'd love for you to sign up today. 

It's through support from readers like you that we're able to add this newsletter and publish our signature accountability reporting: on emergency preparedness, long-term care and more. If you're able to donate to our end-of-year appeal, we'd be very thankful. In doing so, you'll let us know you appreciate the watchdog role that Rose and Emmett and all our reporters have taken on, and you'll help us continue to hold power to account. 

With gratitude,

Stephanie

‘A massive undertaking’: 

Dissecting the latest decisions on Maine dams

In the past few years, the regulatory floodgates opened, releasing a deluge of legal filings and environmental impact studies drafted by the dam owners and their army of attorneys and contractors. Those living in the dams’ shadows have a brief window to sort through the bureaucratic debris and make their own recommendations about how the dams should be operated, or in some cases, removed.

Read this story by Emmett Gartner.

Maine proposes major staffing changes for assisted living and residential care facilities: The proposed regulations come after an 18-month investigation by The Maine Monitor and ProPublica found dozens of violations at the state’s largest facilities. Read this story by Rose Lundy.

Maine Recovery Council approves $13.9 million in projects: The projects, selected from more than 120 applications, include a methadone clinic in Aroostook County, a syringe service program in Hancock County, and recovery homes in Franklin County. Read this story by Emily Bader.

Maine outlines steps needed for climate resilience: A state commission spent six months investigating the aftermath of last winter’s flooding. Here are its policy recommendations. Read this story by Emmett Gartner.

Maine rarely sanctions residential care facilities even after severe abuse or neglect incidents

From 2020 to 2022, Maine’s state health department cited residential care facilities for dozens of resident rights violations and hundreds of other deficiencies. But it has imposed only one fine in response.

Read this November 2023 story by Rose Lundy. 

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.