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Do you have questions about what is happening in your town government? Are you interested in reporting but do not have formal journalism training? You could be a great candidate for our new community reporting fellowship, focused on western and Downeast Maine.
The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting is joining Journalism New England’s Career Lab to recruit and train community journalists. The three‑month local journalism program will provide hands‑on training for aspiring community reporting fellows to contribute to The Maine Monitor’s Monitor Local coverage of government deliberations in western and Downeast Maine.
This training program will teach participants the foundations of journalism and give them opportunities to work directly with an editor on reporting, interviewing, writing and story revisions.
Fellows will cover town council meetings, school budget debates, zoning conversations, tax deliberations and more. Their work may be published by Monitor Local and Journalism New England during the training period, with the potential for continued paid contributions to Monitor Local, distributed each Saturday in the Downeast Monitor and Western Maine Monitor newsletters.
This is a great opportunity for those who want to become more involved in their communities and help inform their neighbors about issues that matter to them. More information about the program, along with a link to apply, is available here.
For inspiration, please read the head-scratcher about a bogus press release distributed earlier this week announcing that Maine’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife had revised its classification of pike from an invasive fish to a protected species.
Some anglers recognized the post as outright fishy from the start, but others were aghast that IF&W could be so cavalier as to reclassify this aggressive species and endanger Maine’s native salmon and trout populations.
Current regulations allow anglers to kill pike when caught. Nothing has changed. Pike remain an invasive species.
And please read our story this week about the decision by Regional School Unit 73 officials to move forward now with two major projects at Spruce Mountain Primary School to avoid higher construction costs later. The projects, which could cost as much as $1.6 million, include replacing the school’s heating system and reroofing the buildings.
We hope you are enjoying this newsletter and encourage you to share it with family members and friends. They can sign up on our website to have their own delivered each Saturday. |
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For RSU 73, it is pay now or pay more later: School officials say delaying two major projects at Spruce Mountain Primary School would only raise costs, so work is to begin this year. Read this story by Bob Neal |
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Maine Library Commission drops proposed agreement, continues work on new standards: Commissioners to consider new standards through a rulemaking process that could take most of 2026. Meantime, the proposed requirements for paid directors and minimum hours do not apply. Read this story by Judith Meyer |
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Bogus document on pike regulations highlights ‘hot button’ fishing issue: A fake press release announced the classification of pike had changed from an invasive fish to a protected species. That is not true. Read this story by Jon Bolduc |
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While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. |
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It’s cold, but take care if you’re planning on hiking across frozen ponds or lakes. | Franklin Journal
Carrabassett Valley’s longtime fire chief is retiring after nearly 50 years of service. | Rangeley Highlander
The state’s first baby box has been installed at the Rumford Fire Department. | Rumford Falls Times
Federal tax breaks associated with energy efficiency have come to an end, and state programs are stepping into the gap. | Maine Public
Clinton police to tone down humor, satire on social media. | Morning Sentinel
A former employee of Kennebec County is suing, alleging the since-departed emergency management agency director stalked her and that other employees retaliated against her after she brought her concerns to the county. | Kennebec Journal
Forest products industry, farmland protection and drinking water are among the issues being taken up by the Maine Legislature this year. | The Maine Monitor
Rumford has approved some overnight parking in the downtown area. | Rumford Falls Times
Maine is now tracking how much housing is being built in the state. | Bangor Daily News
Meet Skowhegan hospital’s new CEO. | Morning Sentinel |
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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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