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Good morning:
Voting in the primary is long over, but we’re still waiting for some key races to be called under Maine’s ranked choice voting process. You can keep track of where it all stands on our election results page.
On the local elections front, we saw a father and son unseat incumbents in Wilton, and Jay and Wilton voters reject a police merger in nonbinding referendums. We’ve got those stories and more. And big news over in Skowhegan, where voters approved a cannabis moratorium and major development changes.
As we also turn our eyes to the general, everyone is watching the race between Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Graham Platner. Thanks to Maine Monitor reporter Josh Keefe, who spent days looking over Federal Election Commission filings, you can see who’s throwing money into the mix. It turns out nearly 100 billionaires and their spouses have donated to support Collins’ reelection. Read their names here. Platner? He’s pulling in many smaller-dollar donations, with a significant chunk from Maine.
It’s a bit far afield, but if you’re curious about what ever happened to the plan to put up wind turbines in Aroostook County, reporter Delger Erdenesanaa has an update. Maine, which is working with four other New England states, is set to soon select winning projects for renewable energy development up north.
Have a great weekend,
-Kate |
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Jay, Wilton voters reject police merger in nonbinding referendums: Wilton’s vote reversed an April straw poll, while Jay’s broke from its Select Board’s preferred option. Read this story by Bob Neal |
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Fairfield Town Council backs changes to ATV ordinance, hires two police officers: Councilors set speed limit at 35 mph after weighing safety and enforcement concerns. Read this story by Makayla Morello |
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Riders urge Wilton Board of Selectpersons to open roads to ATVs; others urge restrictions: Town begins drafting its first ordinance to regulate off‑road vehicle use. Read this story by Bob Neal |
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Skowhegan voters approve new shelter rules, cannabis moratorium and major development changes: Decisions at annual town meeting tighten oversight of shelters, address concerns about public camping, pause cannabis expansion and refresh long‑term plan. Read this story by Makayla Morello |
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RSU 9 reviews cellphone ban, staffing shortages and student behavioral needs: The superintendent says younger elementary grades face the district’s most severe needs. Read this story by Ben Hanstein |
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Jay takes next steps on rent control ordinance for mobile homes; Police Department seeks new Tasers: Town faces an Aug. 24 deadline to finish the ordinance for the Nov. 3 ballot. Read this story by Bob Neal |
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First responders, teacher honored for saving man’s life in Farmington: The Select Board also accepted an $88,552 bid for two 2026 police SUVs and reviewed the department’s staffing. Read this story by Ben Hanstein |
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Father and son unseat incumbents in Wilton elections: Voters opted for change, electing Nathan Hiltz to the Board of Selectpersons and his father, Douglas Hiltz, to the RSU 9 board of directors. Read this story by Bob Neal |
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Nearly 100 billionaires and their spouses have donated to reelect Susan Collins: The level of billionaire funding shows how the race, which could decide control of the U.S. Senate, has drawn interest and funding from some of the wealthiest people in the world. Read this story by Josh Keefe |
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Maine school budgets had a rare good night during Tuesday’s elections: Last summer, a series of taxpayer revolts led several districts to hold repeated budget votes, with some lacking a budget until November. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Maine Monitor and Bangor Daily News |
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‘Different this time’: Wind farms and transmission lines poised to come to northern Maine: Maine, working with 4 other New England states, is set to select winning projects soon in its latest effort to bring renewable energy development to Aroostook County. Read this story by Delger Erdenesanaa |
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Franklin County municipal elections and annual town meetings, June 20: Phillips |
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Oxford County municipal elections and annual town meetings, June 15-20: Norway, Paris, Sumner |
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The following stories are from other newsrooms. While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind a paywall, some newsrooms we link to below may. Paywalled stories are followed by a ($). We encourage you to consider supporting local Maine newsrooms. |
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A plan to build a data center at the former site of the Androscoggin paper mill is now on hold, after one of the companies partnering on the venture pulled out | Sun Journal ($)
A judge upheld the decision by the Secretary of State to disallow a referendum on transgender athletes, agreeing that petition circulators failed to follow Maine’s laws on collecting signatures | Maine Public
Three races will be decided by the ranked choice voting process, after candidates for the 2nd District Democratic primary and both gubernatorial primaries failed to crack 50 percent. The state hopes to have results by June 19 | Maine Public
Investigators are continuing to probe the cause of the plane crash that killed a Maine Game Warden in Avon last month | Spectrum News Maine
Maine has seen one of the sharpest declines in academic performance in the country since 2019, according to a new report | Public News Service
Harrison voted to consider withdrawing from MSAD 17 in Norway after learning that its local elementary school could be closed | Advertiser Democrat ($)
Oxford County Sheriff’s Office is warning about a scam in which callers tell residents that they’ve missed a summons for jury duty | WGME
The planning board in Waterville has approved a nearly 160,000 square foot Amazon distribution center for construction. The project will also require approval from the board in nearby Sidney | Spectrum News Maine
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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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