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Since Monitor Local started last November, I’ve seen the impact of consistent civic reporting in the counties we cover. Readers tell us they are learning about their communities, more people are going to their town meetings, and local governments are more transparent.
We’re working toward a future where information about Downeast isn’t spread by word of mouth, but through careful, factual reporting that is free to read.
If that’s a future you believe in, please consider making a donation to our summer fundraising drive. So far we’ve raised $42,758 toward our goal of $70,000. Every gift, at every size, gets us closer to our goal and helps us keep delivering the factual, unbiased information the people working and living Downeast rely on. |
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This week we have two stories out of Eastport, both concerning the proposed underwater data center and a citizen-initiated effort for a temporary moratorium on the project. We tell you where that moratorium stands and why the same citizens are also petitioning to recall all city councilors.
Our story from Thursday’s Washington County Commission meeting reveals new details about chronic financial mismanagement from 2019 through 2023, and what the county is doing to stem further debt.
All of the stories published by Monitor Local are written by community reporters, and we’re eager to train more people to cover local civic news in their hometowns.
We are ready to start a new training session, in partnership with Journalism New England, in September. For more information about the program and application process, click here. The deadline to apply for our next Career Lab is Aug. 21. It’s free and requires no travel, and you get paid for your time.
If you’re interested in freelance work but aren’t interested in this training opportunity, please reach out to me at judy@themainemonitor.org. I’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy the weekend, and 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.
Thank you for your support.
Judy |
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Eastport Council unanimously adopts moratorium on DeepGreen underwater data center proposal: In response to a letter of deficiency from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the developer has reduced the size and scope of the project. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih |
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Analysis finds Eastport ordinance requiring voter approval of large data projects ‘unlawful’: City’s attorneys say the measure conflicts with the charter and recommend the council reject it. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih |
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It is getting tougher and tougher to fill public works positions in some pockets of Maine: Officials cite long shifts, on‑call demands, tight budgets and mandatory drug testing for commercial driver’s licenses as major barriers to hiring. Read this story by Colin Hickey |
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Washington County Commission accepts 2023 audit, blasts prior administration for poor oversight: Audits from 2019 to 2023 show $3.4 million in losses and repeated failures to fix systemic problems. Read this story by Judith Meyer |
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Washington County seeks dismissal of most counts in Renée Gray’s lawsuit: The former county manager is fighting her termination as officials say she skipped required notice steps and misrepresented how her firing unfolded. Read this story by Judith Meyer |
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Lubec voters back major spending plan, pass key ordinances at annual town meeting: The budget, which includes $25,000 for the Paula Tinker Memorial Junior Fire Department, is a 5 percent increase over current spending. Read this story by Ethan Bien |
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Shellfish warden urges Lubec residents to report illegal clam harvesting: Unlicensed digging on closed flats — including nighttime poaching and a red tide violation — has prompted a call for community reporting. Read this story by Ethan Bien |
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Maine colleges are spending more and more on legal fees and lobbying: Bowdoin College’s legal fees nearly tripled last year. It’s not the only Maine school that saw a jump. Read this story by Megan Blonigen |
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UMaine is on the hook for the financial shortfalls of a hotel on campus: Now the public university plans to put students in the hotel to offset costs, but it will pay more than $1 million in rent each year to do so. Read this story by Kristian Moravec and Megan Blonigen |
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Maine homelessness service providers grapple with changing federal guidance: A federal judge once again blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul federal homelessness aid, pausing a round of grant applications due later this month. Read this story by Sean Scott |
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The race to save Maine’s seagrass meadows: Eelgrass is declining along Maine’s coast. As scientists try to understand why, they’re also preparing to restore these crucial marine habitats. Read this story by Delger Erdenesanaa |
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Maine to explore the role of AI in rural health care: The state needs “a new approach to delivering rural health care,” officials said in a proposal for federal funding. Read this story by Emily Bader |
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Washington County municipal elections and annual town meetings, August 17: Jonesboro and Pembroke |
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The following stories are from other newsrooms. While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind a paywall, some newsrooms we link to below may. Paywalled stories are followed by a ($). We encourage you to consider supporting local Maine newsrooms. |
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ICE officers in Maine have been issued body cameras | Maine Public
New federal rules for Medicaid recipients make exceptions for pregnant and postpartum women, but Maine may not be set up to identify them | Public News Service
Calais struggles to avoid tax rate increase | Quoddy Tides
Despite President Trump’s executive order, Governor Mills said that Maine’s MMR vaccination guidance will not change | Maine Public
E-bikes are becoming more popular, which is leading to public safety issues in communities across the state | Spectrum News Maine
'Farmers' Almanac' predicts 'complicated patterns' for the Northeast this winter | Maine Public | Maine Public
Group calls for more renewable energy to secure U.S., ME power grid | Public News Service | Public News Service
Woodland Pulp employees asked for safety monitors for decades. It took 2 deaths to get them | Portland Press Herald ($)
How Addison’s Dell Emerson helped change Maine's wild blueberry industry | Bangor Daily News ($) |
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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 Judith 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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