Morning update: What you need to know in Maine today

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“This is the week of the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, longest night of the year. That’s kind of a very visible and tangible reminder [that] it’s getting colder, it’s getting darker longer, and the issue of homelessness and the need hasn’t subsided.”

— Tyler Morrison, an administrator at Bangor’s Hope House, speaking during a vigil Wednesday for people who have died as a result of being homeless.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

A Japanese restaurant in Bangor has been cited for 1,700 labor violations. According to the state, the violations at Green Tree Restaurant were related to payment of wages, earned paid leave, minimum wages and employment of minors.

Dozens gathered in Bangor to remember homeless residents who have died. This year’s vigil comes as the city is preparing to close Bangor’s largest homeless encampment.

Brewer is looking to make its busiest road safer. The city is considering a number of changes to South Main Street, the most noticeable would be the addition of a 12-foot, shared-use path separated from motor vehicle traffic.

Janet Mills’ family home in Farmington is for sale. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom home, now owned by the governor’s brother, includes a wrap-around porch, a grand staircase and a four-bay carport.

Here’s why RFK Jr. can’t stop Maine communities from adding fluoride to their water. “Recommend” is the key word when considering how Kennedy and Donald Trump could affect Maine.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after hitting a three-point shot Tuesday during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against George Mason in Durham, North Carolina. Credit: / AP Credit: Ben McKeown / AP

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

For the last weekend before Christmas, is there anything more seasonally appropriate than “The Nutcracker”? Robinson Ballet and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra will present multiple performances of the beloved ballet Saturday and Sunday at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. At sundown Saturday, there’s a winter solstice celebration at Sears Island in Searsport, including candle luminaries, singing and food trucks. For those last minute shopping needs, there’s the Merry Makers Market at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, featuring more than 100 vendors in the ballroom from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday. And for a holiday treat, all weekend the Penobscot Theatre continues its production of “A Christmas Carol” in Bangor, and the Grand Theatre presents “A Christmas Story: The Musical” in Ellsworth.

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Pine Tree Inn on Cleveland Street in Bangor is seen in this March 16, 2023, file photo. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN

“These and other efforts show that there is still much work to be done to address the shortage of housing, especially affordable housing, in Bangor and throughout Maine, and that many innovative approaches need to be tried.”

Editorial: Bangor’s ‘year of housing’ should be an annual commitment

LIFE IN MAINE

Here are a few tips on how you can make a nontraditional holiday wreath. It won’t look out of place if you leave the wreath up after everything else for the holiday has been put away.

This century-old Down East tradition delivers Christmas cheer wrapped in red string. During the holiday season, the Sunbeam has visited islands and coastal communities throughout Maine.

A Dover-Foxcroft man got an 8-point buck. Doug Kane II, 23, has been hunting since he was 10 years old and shot his 13th buck during Thanksgiving week.

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