Morning update: What you need to know in Maine today

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Maine lobstermen see Donald Trump’s second term as a “big bright spot” for the industry. At the forefront of lobstermen’s concerns is the development of offshore wind projects, which could be curtailed under the next administration. 

Susan Collins is in for another four-year balancing act on Donald Trump. Maine’s top Republican has already encountered the first hurdles of the next administration, after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated as the nation’s top public health official. Collins said Friday that it is “premature” to take a position on his nomination. 

We want to know how you think the Trump administration will affect your life in Maine. Whether positive or negative, your responses may be used to inform our reporting. 

A ranked-choice count confirmed on Friday that Rep. Jared Golden will return to the House of Representatives over challenger Austin Theriault. Golden got 50.35 percent of votes to 49.65 percent for Theriault, a first-term legislator and former NASCAR driver from Fort Kent who has asked for a recount.

A growing number of Maine farmers are joining a movement to protect organic growing. The farmers joining the Real Organic movement feel as though the USDA guidelines for organic farming don’t fully honor the intent of the “organic” food label. 

Maine cities are beginning to transform decaying retail space into housing. Redevelopment in shopping areas is a trend that has taken off in recent years amid changing consumer habits and a deepening housing crisis. 

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

• Maine’s oldest seafood canning operation is closing
• CDC warns of E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots 
• Police find dead person in Bangor hospital parking garage
• Firefighters stop blaze at Searsmont sawmill
• Lewiston bar that was site of mass shooting reopens as warming center
• Storms have erased more than 100 feet of Maine’s coastal dunes
• State gives Orrington trash incinerator $250K as facility rebounds from fire
• Nursing workforce growing in Maine, but 2,800 more needed by 2030
• Maine State Police seek information on Charleston cemetery vandalism
• Fire breaks out at former controversial Maine school for troubled teens
• A northern Maine town is promoting its most unique feature to attract businesses
• Blame the ducks for your bird identification problems in the fall
• Man faces attempted murder and arson charges after Maine rampage
• 3 deputies who shot Maine man during confrontation have been identified
• Ellsworth might pay for access road to its preferred courthouse site
• Maine supreme court rules Kittery marijuana lawsuit can proceed
• UMaine System selects new buyer for shuttered Belfast facility
• A midcoast sea captain’s church fair chowder recipe has been famous for decades
• Threat in girls bathroom prompted 2 Maine schools to close
• Man accused of killing toddler in Maine pleads not guilty
• Holiday tree will be installed in Portland’s Monument Square this week
• These 5 recruits have signed with UMaine women’s basketball
• Ace Flagg, 2 other recruits sign with UMaine men’s basketball
• After being spit on the first time, a Maine Vietnam vet is finally welcomed home
• Harvard women’s basketball team hammers UMaine
• Old Orchard Beach whips Stearns/Schenck to win 8-man crown
• BU scores late to tie UMaine hockey then wins shootout
• UMaine football team comes up short in loss to Elon
• Hermon outduels Medomak Valley to capture C North football title
• Falmouth, Kennebunk cruise to Class B football regional final wins
• Foxcroft Academy beats Winslow to win Class D North football title
• Cooper Flagg and Duke rout Wofford 86-35 in bounceback game after loss
• Wisconsin ousts UMaine women’s soccer team from NCAA tournament
• Portland overpowers Bangor to win Class A North football title

MAINE IN PICTURES

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

“Regardless of who we as adults vote for, there should be ground rules established in how we engage our youth and explain why a certain candidate is preferred over another.”

Opinion: Parents must be mindful of what they say about the election around their children

LIFE IN MAINE

This 90-year-old deer hunter is an inspiration. The Master Maine Guide and retired teacher, guidance counselor and insurance agent is still teaching people about the hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation he loves.

Sometimes you end your hunt soggy, cold and swaddled in disappointment, as another hunter goes home with his trophy. That’s what happened to Chris Sargent, who heard the telltale crack of a rifle after a long day of hunting nothing. 

The ultimate pumpkin pie requires two essential steps. One of them is to make your own homemade spice blend, rather than relying on a premade batch at the store.

Here’s how to compost in cold weather. When it gets cold, especially the kind of cold we get up here in Maine, it is more difficult to compost — but not impossible. 

Ethics in the outdoors means doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. “I found most sportsmen and sportswomen are good people who do their best to adhere to fish and wildlife laws and rules,” Outdoors columnist Chris Sargent writes.

This is what it took for Aislinn Sarnacki to pass the Registered Maine Guide test. The challenge isn’t for the faint of heart, but opens up doors to a career in the Maine woods. 

It’s time to be planning for Thanksgiving, whether you’re hosting or just bringing a dish along. These tips can help you plan, and stay inside, your holiday meal budget.