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Hello from western Maine, where the nights are getting chillier, the last of the garden vegetables are coming in, and the trees are beginning to don their fall colors.

That's expected to happen earlier and in more of a patchwork fashion this year, in part due to the mini-drought we've been experiencing (some rain this weekend would help) and in part due to the spread of fungi, diseases and other threats among different types of Maine trees.

It's a good reminder to enjoy the show while we can — nothing lasts forever.

In the links today we have towns seeking to add housing, school districts losing administrators and an effort to train the next generation of loggers. Something to read while we admire the leaves.

One final note: The Monitor would like to hear directly from those who have experienced opioid addiction in older age, their families and professionals working to help. Learn more in this post from senior public health reporter Rose Lundy.

How does Maine’s forest carbon credit market work?

As carbon credits gain traction, efforts are underway to help small family forest landowners participate.

Read this story by Julia Tilton of The Maine Monitor

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

A straw poll conducted in the Oxford Hills resulted in overwhelming support to construct a new middle school. | Advertiser Democrat

An earlier, more muted fall foliage season is anticipated, due to the dry conditions and other factors. | WGME

The superintendent of the Readfield-area school district has resigned effective immediately. He had previously faced calls to step down by those angered by the termination of a middle school principal earlier this year. | Kennebec Journal

Officials across Maine are beginning to experiment with AI despite few policies to guide them amid questions about accuracy, bias and privacy. | The Maine Monitor & Bangor Daily News

Education programs are seeking to help create the next generation of timber harvesters and haulers, as Maine loses roughly 200 loggers a year. | Maine Public

The Nov. 4 vote in Farmington will take place in the now-vacant former home of a Family Dollar, as the roof of the town's community center is being renovated. | Franklin Journal

As teachers and students increasingly turn to AI, some school districts in Maine are working to codify guidelines for ethical use. | The Maine Monitor

A member of the RSU 73 school board has resigned. | Livermore Falls Advertiser

Central Maine Power is adding technology to its lines that can more efficiently reroute power after an outage. | Maine Public

The planning board in Rumford unanimously supported a housing project that will bring 37 homes and two apartment buildings in the Rumford Center village. | Rumford Falls Advertiser

On land and at sea, Maine’s chaplains are tackling climate anxiety. | The Maine Monitor

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. If you have feedback or a tip that you want to send to Ben Hanstein directly email him at: benjamin@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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