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Greetings from Downeast, where we’re all a little bleary-eyed from too much online Black Friday shopping and still a bit sluggish still from too much Thanksgiving turkey — or perhaps venison.

Judging by the shots ricocheting through the woods around us, plenty of hunters bagged their own game for holiday tables. After today – the last day of firearms season for deer – it will be a little quieter, and the small herd of doe lounging in our unofficial dooryard sanctuary will disappear again into the trees. But they shouldn’t get too comfortable. Muzzleloader bullets and arrows will still be flying.

Hunters aren’t the only ones scurrying to beat deadlines. The Washington County budget deadline is also looming. The fiscal year ends December 31, and after months of hearings, revised draft budgets, and much handwringing, the county budget committee narrowly voted last week to approve an unprecedented nearly 23 percent hike for next year. The hit could have been much worse, based on earlier drafts.

Much to the relief of many residents, cuts to the county’s already meager sheriff patrols were avoided. County commissioners are expected to give their blessing by voting to adopt the budget in December — just in the nick of time.

Maritime officials fear ‘catastrophic’ outcome if mariner shortage worsens

A number of factors, including the pandemic, have left the U.S. with a marked shortage of merchant mariners, who largely work on commercial ships that at times transport weaponry and supplies to the U.S. military, provide disaster relief and support international trade.

Many mariners have postponed retirement so the true magnitude of the situation has yet to be felt.

Read this story by Jacqueline Weaver 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: DOT announces plan for “longer-term temporary bridge” in Machias | The Maine Monitor

ICYMI: ‘A massive undertaking’: Dissecting the latest decisions on Maine dams. | The Maine Monitor

School staff in the towns of Deer Isle, Stonington, Sedgwick and Brooklin have largely voted they have no confidence in the district's superintendent. | Bangor Daily News

The Deer Isle-Stonington school board voted unanimously to suspend its superintendent until further notice. | Bangor Daily News

A recount of Bar Harbor’s cruise ship ordinance upheld the original vote. | Bar Harbor Story

More than 840,000 voters cast ballots in this November's election, which Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said was the most in state history. | Sun Journal

ICYMI: Maine proposes major staffing changes for assisted living and residential care facilities. | The Maine Monitor

Bucksport Mill LLC has posted answers to questions posed during a Nov. 14 public hearing about its application to be released from ownership of dams on Toddy Pond, Alamoosook Lake and Silver Lake. | The Ellsworth American

While many Maine cranberry bogs had a good harvest this year, growers are grappling with the holiday rush. | Portland Press Herald

Authorities have positively identified human remains found in St. Andrews as those of a former Lubec man who was reported missing in July after going out on a paddleboard near West Quoddy Head. | Bangor Daily News

Maine sues energy companies, saying they failed to warn about climate change. | Portland Press Herald

Water quality in the High Street area near Myrick Street has been found to have had levels of total trihalomethanes exceeding the allowable limit since the start of 2024. | Ellsworth American

Ten months after unprecedented storms extensively damaged coastal waterfronts, the tiny village of Corea in Gouldsboro is planning for future resilience. | The Ellsworth American

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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.