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Last week the Lobster Zone A Council met and drafted a proposal intended to make fishing safer and more productive for small-scale lobstermen working in the waters of Englishman Bay.

Our story this week explains the proposal, which expands the fishing area for lobstermen using buoyed lines and expands the maximum number of traps per line from four to five. The proposal will need to be finalized by the council, go through the rulemaking process, be approved by the Department of Marine Resources and voted on by Zone A license holders before it becomes reality. We’ll continue monitoring the process as it moves along.

We also have a story this week about a tersely-worded letter from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to DeepGreen Western Passage outlining four deficiencies in the company’s preliminary permit application for a controversial underwater artificial intelligence data center in the Bay of Fundy’s Western Passage, north of Kendall Head. DeepGreen has 45 days to respond to the agency’s request for additional technical details for the project. 

These stories, and all of the stories published for Monitor Local, are written by community reporters who want to inform their neighbors about the business of government and how that impacts all of us. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, but you don’t have any journalism experience, I hope you’ll look into our Career Lab program through Journalism New England. We’re starting another cohort in September!

The program is free to attend, and we pay you a learning stipend for your time, plus payment for articles published by Monitor Local. It requires about 10 hours per week, including online classes as well as time spent attending and writing about public meetings in your area. The deadline to apply is Aug. 21. You can find more information and apply here. 

If you’re interested in freelance work but not 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. 

FERC finds DeepGreen’s preliminary permit application deficient: Regulators give the developer 45 days to supply technical details and clarify tribal notifications for its proposed underwater data center near Eastport. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih

Lobstermen propose enlarging fishing area in the waters of Englishman Bay for small-scale operators: The proposal aims to make fishing safer and more productive for lobstermen who set buoyed lines by pushing heavy trawls farther offshore. Read this story by Jessica Brockington

Math scores stall in Franklin, Oxford, Somerset and Washington counties: Statewide assessment results show 1 in 2 students miss mathematics benchmarks. English language arts results are stronger but similarly stagnant. Read this story by Makayla Morello

Washington County 2027 budget planning is underway: Commissioners voted Wednesday to stop surveying municipalities for property growth data because so few towns respond to requests for that information. Read this story by Judith Meyer

How two rural Maine jails are rethinking addiction treatment: Monthly shots to treat addiction are promising, but costly. Read this story by Emily Bader

Her addiction started after a C-section. Her recovery began in jail: “If they can help you while you are in jail to get yourself set up for when you come out, that is the best thing that they can do for you.” Read this story by Emily Bader

The cost of treating addiction in Maine’s jails: The state’s 15 county jails spent an estimated $12.6 million on addiction and mental health treatment last year, often through a mix of grants and other temporary funding streams. Read this story by Emily Bader

Overdose rates soar after incarceration. How some jails are trying to improve the odds: Opioid-related overdose is the leading cause of death among recently incarcerated people. But not all jails have the resources for robust re-entry planning. Read this story by Emily Bader

Maine Democrats were headed toward a crowded Senate convention. Now it’s poised to be a Troy Jackson coronation: Some Democrats have raised questions about whether the party’s approach has been as transparent and inclusive as promised. Read this story by Matt Junker

NOAA report finds Gulf of Maine warming slowed for now, but ecosystem remains unstable: Although the climate is changing, scientists say fishermen can find a path forward. Read this story by Delger Erdenesanaa

Maine state trooper was suspended for punching handcuffed woman in the face: The Maine State Police sustained an excessive force complaint for the first time in a decade three months after a Maine Monitor/Bangor Daily News investigation called its practices into question. Read this story by Josh Keefe of The Maine Monitor and Callie Ferguson of the Bangor Daily News

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 new report found that the average Maine renter needs to work more than two minimum wage jobs to afford a two-bedroom apartment | Maine Public

Qualifying residents will begin receiving $300 “affordability” checks later this month | Maine Public

Dennysville church fire ruled as arson | Quoddy Tides

University of Maine receives $20M federal investment to grow forest products industry | WABI

Investigation into gas release finds Woodland mill negligent | Quoddy Tides

ICE is increasingly targeting younger immigrants, following the removal of special protections at the federal level | Public News Service 

Doctors are asking the public to consider donating blood, amid a national shortage | Maine Public

Maine is one of two dozen states suing the federal government over new restrictions on FEMA grant funding | WGME 

Ceremony honors lost fishermen | Quoddy Tides

Juniper Ridge expansion opponents argue state again failed to consider environmental justice | Spectrum News Maine

Advocacy group launches database of products made with 'forever chemicals' | Maine Public

Support sought for last blueberry rake maker | Quoddy Tides

Endangered right whales could wait almost a decade for new US protections | Spectrum News Maine

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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