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QUOTE OF THE DAY
— David Jones, a Falmouth real estate agent and Republican candidate for Maine governor. While crime rates in Maine are in decline and FBI data have long placed the state among the safest in the nation, President Donald Trump’s sweeping takeover of policing in Washington, D.C., has put a focus on crime that has carried over into Maine’s 2026 governor’s race.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Maine is safe, but crime is still a flashpoint in 2026 politics. Trump’s takeover of law enforcement in Washington has entered its second week despite the city’s crime rate being at a 30-year low. In Maine, one gubernatorial candidate has vowed to rid the state of “organized crime” and illicit drug operations.
The company the state blamed for a statewide emergency alert refutes claims its technology didn’t work. Crisis24 said it reviewed its technology and found no issues with it despite Maine emergency officials’ insistence that it failed.
Bangor is suing two homeowners for allegedly not registering properties as vacant. The move comes after the city doubled the permit fee for its vacant buildings ordinance in 2023 in an effort to reduce the number of unused buildings.
BangorHousing is planning renovations to its affordable properties. That comes as the agency also works to open new apartments for seniors and a supportive housing facility for homeless people.
Ellsworth wants to revamp its waterfront business spaces. The Union River Center for Innovation was created to support startups in 2015, but city officials are concerned the space is outdated.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
- Jared Golden supports releasing Epstein files because Trump stoked Americans’ interest
- Parts of Maine got frost Monday night
- An invasive tick has been found in Maine for the 1st time
- Anthem is partnering with for-profit primary care provider in Bangor
- A growing Houlton Baptist church breaks ground on new building
- Court lessens sex crimes ruling for former Maine Jehovah’s Witness elder
- A legacy Presque Isle lumber yard will be auctioned in September
- Ellsworth council chair will not seek reelection
- Midcoast group raises funds to buy property for middle-class housing
- Belfast’s waterfront may soon offer more to people in wheelchairs
- Man accused of killing Waldoboro woman has lengthy criminal history
- A Maine police officer got a call from a scammer pretending to be him
- ‘Outlander’ star attends Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival
- ICE detains driver who struck woman in Lewiston
- 14-year-old Maine boy accused of arson
- Woman hit and killed by car in New Gloucester was brewery co-owner
- Great white shark spotted near Maine beach
- One of Maine’s best high school basketball players is heading out of state
- How a legendary Celtics era inspired Cooper and Ace Flagg’s family
MAINE IN PICTURES
FROM THE OPINION PAGES
“Students in these programs often develop a deeper understanding of academic concepts because they are applying them in context, not just memorizing them for a test.”
Opinion: Project-based learning works. It should be expanded in Maine.
LIFE IN MAINE
Here’s how lobster roll prices around the state changed from May to August.
A chainsaw artist is carving a statue of Poseidon outside a Searsport motel.
With sandy beaches and a mountain backdrop, this Hancock County pond is a paddler’s paradise.
