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It’s hard for me to believe but Monitor Local is now just over six months old, and we’ve just emerged from our inaugural Career Lab in partnership with Journalism New England.

Both of our lab fellows are now covering local news in Washington County. We’re planning to launch a second lab in September to train people who are interested in covering local news in their communities. I can tell you from experience that covering local news is exceptionally important and rewarding work, so if that sounds like something you’d like to explore, please reach out and let me know. Like all of our interns, fellows are paid for their time.

Since Monitor Local’s launch in November, we’ve reported on talks of a potential police department merger between Jay and Wilton, introduced Norway’s new town manager, and reported on Waterville’s discussions to study the effectiveness of its paramedicine program and what that could mean for other towns in western Maine. We’ve covered countless planning, county commission, school and select board meetings.

We’ve kept it all free to read, but we need the support of our readers to keep going. Journalism New England, which provided the seed grant that allowed us to launch Monitor Local, is matching all gifts to support Monitor Local reporting up to $8,000. 

This match officially starts on Monday, but we wanted to open it up early for our Western Local readers. Starting today, any gift by a Western Local subscriber will be doubled.

If you start a recurring monthly donation, Journalism New England will match your full year of monthly donations.

Thank you for reading. It’s a privilege to report in the interests of western Maine readers like you. 

Please share this newsletter with family members and friends. They can sign up on our website to have it delivered to their own inbox each Saturday.

Kingfield Planning Board delays review of Bowdoin College campsite proposal: Town’s new attorney needs time to review application after last year’s budget cuts eliminated legal funding. Read this story by Ashton F. LeCraw

Kingfield residents express opposition to Bowdoin College campsite project, seek moratorium: Many said they support the concept but believe Kingfield is the wrong location. Read this story by Ashton F. LeCraw

Proposed Head of Falls project would add 63 units, major investment to downtown Waterville: City seeks federal funding for $32 million mixed‑use development that includes housing and new commercial space. Read this story by Charley DiAdamo

RSU 73 board elects new leaders, sets town assessments: New Chair Holly Morris says she will push for stronger communication and cooperation on divided panel. Read this story by Bob Neal

Farmington Select Board awards $2.65 million contract to launch Main Street improvement project: Utility pole relocation at Hippach Field is one of the project’s first major steps. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Jay OKs final trash collection funds, holds line on sewer rates: Overflow crowd pushes special town meeting to Town Office parking lot. Read this story by Bob Neal

Farmington voters approve fire truck, bridge project at town meeting: Residents rejected a proposal to cut in half permitting fees for marijuana cultivation. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Maine Library Commission moves to update patron behavior policy, library standards: Debate sharpens over how much training should be required of library directors. Read this story by Judith Meyer

Maine is stuck in ranked-choice voting limbo. That’s not likely to change soon: Nearly a decade after Maine became the first state to approve the use of ranked-choice voting for statewide elections, it has yet to fully implement the system. Read this story by Matt Junker

New England grid operator forecasts modest growth in electricity demand over next 10 years: Many people are switching to technologies that run on electricity rather than fossil fuels, reversing a past trend of falling electricity use. Read this story by Delger Erdenesanaa

Pastors and political leaders are ‘praying for Maine’: Increased outreach by a Christian lobbying group, along with a men’s Bible study and an expanded prayer caucus at the State House, showcase conservative Christianity’s growing visibility in Augusta. Read this story by Sean Scott

Read our full archive of Graham Platner’s deleted Reddit comments: The collection spans more than a decade and provides a rare glimpse into the thinking of a candidate at a time when he betrayed no political ambitions. Read this story by Josh Keefe

Oxford County municipal elections and annual town meetings, May 16: Greenwood

The following stories are from other newsrooms. While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind a paywall, some newsrooms we link to below may. Paywalled stories are followed by a ($). We encourage you to consider supporting local Maine newsrooms.

A Maine Game Warden died as the result of a plane crash in Avon on Tuesday while helping fishery officials stock waterways. It is the 17th death of a wildlife officer in the state’s history  | WGME 

People in a homeless shelter in Skowhegan are being relocated, after the town issued a cease-and-desist order relating to the building not having a sprinkler system | WMTW

The state’s business leaders released a report this week on impediments to Maine’s economic growth, including a need for 25,000 people to enter the workforce to keep pace with retirements | Maine Public

Voters in Newry set aside $300,000 for hazard mitigation along the Sunday River Road, in hopes of securing grant funding | Bethel Citizen ($)

Maine’s Supreme Court ruled that people in guardianships and conservatorships have a right to effective legal counsel | Maine Public

A Fairfield hemp seed company says it may have to shut down in the fall due to a federal bill passed last year | WABI

Research shows preapproved housing plans boost construction, but Maine’s program was left unfunded | Spectrum News Maine

Maine's city and town websites are essential, new rules aim to make them accessible to all | WGME

A recent poll shows rural voters in Maine are pessimistic about the economy and reconsidering the role of government in helping those in need | Public News Service

Dixfield is proposing a nearly $3 million budget for the next fiscal year, an increase of 2.7 percent | Rumford Falls Times ($)

In-person absentee voting has begun for the June primary | Daily Bulldog

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judy Meyer directly via email:  judy@themainemonitor.org. 

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.

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