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QUOTE OF THE DAY
— Ryan Lounder of Ellsworth, who started his first business with the help of a $1,400 COVID-19 stimulus check when he was 21 and is now opening his third hobby and gaming shop in downtown Houlton.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Maine’s top federal prosecutor was fired by the Trump administration. Darcie McElwee, a Caribou native, had served as U.S. attorney for Maine since 2021.
Toxic BPA is more common in Maine groceries than you think. More than a decade after Maine restricted its use, the chemical is still widespread and doesn’t always have to be disclosed.
New details emerged about a proposed 80-bed rehab hospital in Bangor. If built, it would fill a gap in the region’s rehabilitation services and add another hospital to Encompass Health’s portfolio of more than 160 facilities in 37 states and Puerto Rico.
A Hermon food pantry lost its planned new location after a debacle with town. An old lease was never completed, and on Thursday the Town Council voted to block the nonprofit from building on the land it was planning to occupy.
A historic inn in one of Maine’s priciest towns is for sale. The sweeping 10-bedroom property is just a half-mile from downtown. Running it as an inn is optional.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
- See where the most snow fell in Maine over the weekend
- Maine bar doesn’t discipline former Bangor judge for unwelcome advances against colleagues
- Maine’s childhood vaccination rates have benefited from the elimination of nonmedical exemptions
- Mainers still struggle to get care despite increase in mental health providers
- Health planner who left big impact in Bangor and Bucksport dies at 76
- Pedestrian dies after SUV hit him on Kenduskeag Avenue
- 16th person in Penobscot County tests positive for HIV
- Earthquake hits near Millinocket
- Dover-Foxcroft stares down massive tax hike to maintain ailing dam
- Camden committee recommends removing downtown dam
- Venomous snake found in bananas at New Hampshire Market Basket
- Cooper Flagg says he wants to stay at Duke another year
- Cooper Flagg has 17 points and 14 rebounds as No. 3 Duke beats Virginia 80-62
- Analysis: Scoring outburst proves crucial for UMaine men’s hockey against UNH
MAINE IN PICTURES

Follow our full coverage of the high school basketball tournament by visiting our tourney page.
FROM THE OPINION PAGES

“A legitimate audit for fraud, waste, and abuse would employ accountants and auditors with proven track records and security clearances.”
LIFE IN MAINE
A young gaming entrepreneur is branching out to Aroostook County. Ryan Lounder started his first business with the help of a $1,400 COVID-19 stimulus check when he was 21.
The voice of Maine sportsmen turns 50 this year. “SAM is our watchdog in Augusta, always there, always vigilant and always offering testimony that is not only compelling, but also well researched and representative of the views of its membership,” V. Paul Reynolds writes.






