EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE. EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE. Eastport was among the many communities celebrating America’s 250th birthday on the Fourth of July. Its Grand Independence Day Parade included a long stream of fire trucks and police cars ...
County manager fired by commissioners Washington County Commissioners have fired County Manager Renee Gray just as Washington County was tackling its latest financial crisis, an issue some say Gray worked hard to solve.
Concerns about Campobello bridge safety surface at meeting Over 50 people attended the June 24 preliminary public meeting on the FDR Memorial Bridge Improvement Project at the Campobello Island Consolidated School. The reason for the jointly held meeting by Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) and ...
Cooke to expand with acquisition of Mowi Canada East's fish farms The company that produces more than half of Atlantic Canada's farmed salmon is about to get significantly larger. On June 30 Cooke Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the salmon-farming operations of Mowi Canada East. Mowi, based in Norway ...
Data center application amended; petitioners seek ban on proposal The preliminary proposal for an underwater AI data center off Eastport has been amended, and a group of residents in the city have petitioned for local ordinances that would prohibit the data center.
Eastport's welcoming spirit shines through for Navy officers and crew The over 300 sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer that was in port during Eastport's Fourth of July celebration were embraced by the island city's warm and welcoming spirit, despite the heat and humidity that enveloped the area. The USS Lassen was at the breakwater from July 1 through 6.
2026 County manager fired by commissioners Washington County Commissioners have fired County Manager Renee Gray just as Washington County was tackling its latest financial crisis, an issue some say Gray worked hard to solve.
2026 Calais council struggling to reduce budget shortfall "It's just a perfect storm of things" is a common phrase during this year's City of Calais budget workshops. A combination of reduced state school subsidy payments, revenue sharing and property tax exemption reimbursements combined with the large increase in the Washington County tax payments...
2026 Select board acts to clean up debris from Lubec house fire At the June 17 Lubec Select Board meeting, board members took additional steps to remedy the house fire debris hazard at 63 Pleasant Street. They also heard about community playground issues and discussed the disposition of a tax-acquired property.
2026 Hangar lease issue may be settled as vision for airport debated While the dispute over the eviction notices sent to six owners of aircraft hangars at the Eastport Municipal Airport appears to be headed toward a resolution, the issue reflects a larger disagreement over differing visions for the airport's future.
2026 Board told of house fire debris hazards At their June 3 meeting, the Lubec Select Board held several votes to address the health hazard created by the fire‑burned house at 63 Pleasant Street after pleas that the board act promptly, nearly a year after the fire, to address what residents Anita Repp and husband called "an unregulated dump."
2026 Maine primary voters facing a packed ballot Maine voters will face a crowded field of candidates in some of the June primary contests on Tuesday, June 9, and voters in Washington County will decide three contested Republican races. Under Maine's new semi-open primary law, unenrolled voters...
2026 AI data center, airport hangars top lively city council meeting The May 13 meeting of the Eastport City Council was a lively and sometimes contentious affair, with a capacity crowd and an agenda featuring a couple of controversial topics – the proposed underwater AI data center and the eviction notices sent to airport hangar owners.
2026 Cooke to expand with acquisition of Mowi Canada East's fish farms The company that produces more than half of Atlantic Canada's farmed salmon is about to get significantly larger. On June 30 Cooke Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the salmon-farming operations of Mowi Canada East. Mowi, based in Norway ...
2026 Data center application amended; petitioners seek ban on proposal The preliminary proposal for an underwater AI data center off Eastport has been amended, and a group of residents in the city have petitioned for local ordinances that would prohibit the data center.
2026 MDOT awards Lubec Safe Harbor project bid for $25.7 million The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded the bid for the Lubec Safe Harbor breakwater project to the lowest of two bidders, Gordon Contracting Inc. of Sangerville, for $25.7 million.
2026 County housing summit outlines challenges, presents solutions A robust and useful housing stock in Washington County plays many important functions for the population's economic and cultural well-being. In the county, a network of factors is blocking the path to an increase in housing that meets all needs: an aging population ...
2026 Island lobster processing facility opens Benson Seafood celebrated the opening of their new lobster processing facility on Thoroughfare Road, Grand Manan, with an open house on Friday, May 15, drawing a big crowd for a ribbon‑cutting and tours.
2026 Calais set to pursue purchase of armory After a few years of rumors and waiting, the City of Calais was recently notified by the Maine Army National Guard that the state has decided to sell the Calais Armory.
2026 St. Stephen seniors' residence to close The board of trustees of the Maria F. Ganong Old Folks Home, better known as Lonicera Hall, plans to close the 91‑year‑old seniors' residence in St. Stephen. The board says in a written statement dated April 16 that "the organization will begin the process of winding down operations ...
2026 Concerns about Campobello bridge safety surface at meeting Over 50 people attended the June 24 preliminary public meeting on the FDR Memorial Bridge Improvement Project at the Campobello Island Consolidated School. The reason for the jointly held meeting by Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) and ...
2026 Lubec to pioneer response plan for commercial fishing emergencies Liz Michaud is on a quest to save lives, the lives of commercial fisherman at sea. Born and raised in Calais and Lubec, she has deep familial roots in the Downeast commercial fishing community.
2026 Child labor complaint roils lobster industry way of life John Drouin, a lobsterman in Cutler, put his first few wooden traps out from a skiff with his stepfather as a 13‑year‑old in the spring of 1979. A month later, Drouin was setting traps on his own, like other young teenagers in his small Downeast town. As an adult, he took all five children...
2026 Peroxide leak occurs at Woodland Pulp mill Following a toxic gas exposure incident in January, which caused the deaths of two workers, the Woodland Pulp mill experienced another accident on Saturday, March 7. The January 27 exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas occurred when the mill was shutting down operations because of the high price...
2026 Tide kills periwinkle picker; another hurt One man was killed and a second was hospitalized when they were caught by the tide while picking periwinkles off Grand Manan's Castalia Marsh on February 19. Sanjaya Gurung, 39, died, while his companion is recovering. The men were employed by Benson Lobster; both were from Nepal.
2026 Second mill worker dies from gas exposure A second worker at the Woodland Pulp mill has died following exposure to a toxic gas on January 27. Allen Hornberger, 26, had been hospitalized in critical condition for nearly three weeks before succumbing on February 17. Hornberger, who lived in Lee ...
2026 Worker dies after exposure to gas at Woodland Pulp mill A student intern working at the Woodland Pulp mill has died and another worker was critically injured following exposure to a toxic gas at the mill's bleach plant on Tuesday, January 27, when the mill was in the process of shutting operations down because of a large spike in natural gas prices.
2025 Tribe's solar project raises questions about net energy billing The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is conducting an investigation into whether a rooftop solar project by the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township qualifies for the state's net energy billing program. The PUC held an initial case conference on the matter on March 11...
2025 St. Stephen apartment building boarded up; 30 people evicted Life might settle down for residents and business owners on lower Marks Street, St. Stephen, these days, but about 30 former neighbours now need new places to live. Police showed up at 18 Marks St. on Friday morning, March 7, with a judge's order...
2025 Local legislators, residents urge support for rural patrol funding Washington County legislators and residents offered strong support for increasing rural patrol services in the county during a recent legislative hearing, pointing to the drug crisis, the county's having the second highest violent crime rate in the state in 2020 and elderly people now being...
2025 Concerns assessed about cruise ships’ possible discharges With approximately 55,000 cruise ship passengers expected in Eastport in 2025 -- up from 7,000 the previous year -- concerns are being raised related to discharges from the ships and how they may impact the sensitive marine ecosystems of Passamaquoddy and Cobscook bays.
2025 Lubec school board weighs budget cuts The prospect of further tax increases dominated the February 10 meeting of the Lubec school board, despite a limited turnout. Snowed out of the customary first Thursday meeting date, the rescheduled date attracted a crowd of eight participants plus four members of the board.
2025 EMNH adjusting to nursing home reimbursement rate changes Eastport Memorial Nursing Home (EMNH), one of only three nursing homes in Washington County, is contending with statewide changes to how nursing homes are reimbursed. The challenging new reimbursement rate will require cost saving measures for the facility, which employs between 55 and 60 people.
2025 Two Addison fishermen perish on way home A search for two Addison fishermen off the coast of Trescott and Cutler was suspended the evening of Sunday, January 19, after rescue crews combed over 950 square miles of ocean and coastline.
2026 Officials in county support bill to revise school funding formula Legislation proposing changes in the state's school funding formula received strong support from Washington County officials and residents, along with school representatives from throughout the state, during a hearing by the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on March 9.
2026 SCRTC teacher wins national recognition The journey that brought Lauren Remington, an early childhood educator at St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais, to Washington, D.C., to receive the Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence at the Salute to Excellence in Education Gala was not a short or easy one.
2025 Robbinston school board passes budget, retains school choice At its July 10 meeting the Robbinston School Committee unanimously approved a budget that maintains school choice, is $131,002 higher than the previous school year and calls for a 62% hike in the amount raised by local taxation.
2025 Robbinston weighs cost of school choice The June 13 meeting of the Robbinston School Committee saw a review of two prospective budgets, only one of which maintains school choice for Robbinston students.
2025 Local family sets up foundation for youth Youth in Washington County will have the opportunity to engage in more outdoor activities with the establishment of the Jeffrey A. Stanhope Foundation in memory of the late Perry resident.
2025 Collaboration brings musicians to local schools “Where words fail, music speaks," wrote Hans Christian Andersen of music's ability to facilitate communication – and yet there are key places where music literacy is lacking, including in Washington County elementary schools.
2025 Staff cuts feared as Lubec board eyes budget with 16% local share hike Emotions surfaced during the budget workshop hosted on March 6 by the Lubec school board, during which the budget proposal calling for a nearly 16% hike in the local share was discussed.