by Nancy Beal

One hundred thirty-eight Jonesporters collected, completed and returned a survey on a proposed aerospace project that a committee charged with writing an ordinance on the subject asked its citizens to take part in. The survey was prompted by a proposal put forth by bluShift Aerospace, a small Brunswick company, to erect a rocket launch site on the town’s Water Island. The island is located at the ocean entrance to Eastern Bay next to Mistake Island where Moosepeak Lighthouse is located.

by Jayna Smith

Beachcombing can yield neat and interesting items of all kinds, but for one man about 3,300 miles away, his beach find originated from the great State of Maine.

Back in August, Sigbjørn Eide, who resides in the Nordic country of Norway in Northern Europe, was working his first day as a beach cleaner.  On the beach, he discovered a hard hat with markings indicating it belonged to the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT).

by Jonathan Reisman

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose- Kris Kristofferson

Freedom, oh Freedom…that’s just some people talking- Glenn Frey, Desperado

Freedom is Slavery- George Orwell, 1984

A group of local teens made their voices heard at the national level earlier this month. Eight high school students from Washington County were chosen to present at the 2022 CADCA National Leadership Forum, a four-day workshop that connects a nationwide network of youth leaders and allies from across the U.S. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Heavy rains on top of snow and frozen ground last month led to two sewage overflow events in Machias, then to clam flat closures in Machiasport, and finally, to financial hardship for some Machiasport clammers and the dealers who buy from them. 

“Right now where clam digging is my full-time job, the closures are a big deal because they affect some of the best clamming we have in Machiasport,” said Alex Finlay. “This closure has cost us a bunch of days, and forced me to work other flats that are covered in ice and snow.”

by Nancy Beal

Jonesporters will gather in the high school gymnasium for their annual town meeting next week (3 p.m., Monday, March 14) and the person at the podium will not be the customary Billy Milliken. Because the selectman and realtor has an interest in one of the items to be discussed and voted upon—the launching of nanorockets from one of the town’s outer islands that he owns—Milliken has indicated by Zoom from his vacation spot in Florida that he will not serve as moderator.

Pat’s Pizza in Machias wants to help stop underage drinking. If you’ve recently stopped into Pat's Pizza for lunch or dinner, you may have noticed a sticker on your pizza box emblazoned with, “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most,” and wondered what it was all about. For the second year in a row, the restaurant is partnering with Healthy Acadia to help curb underage drinking in our communities.

by Jonathan Reisman

President Brandon’s State of the Union address left me in a state of discontent and anger, which is probably appropriate since that is what 14 months of Brandon has done to the nation as a whole.

by Hazel Stark

Editor's note: The following was announced this hour by Governor Janet Mills. 

Governor Janet Mills announced today that she will dedicate $3.5 million in her forthcoming change package to keep the Maine Veterans Homes in Caribou and Machias open. The Governor will propose $1.75 million in General Fund money, which will leverage $1.75 million in additional Federal funding, for a total of $3.5 million.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Washington County Jail is almost full. 

Of 42 available beds, 38 are occupied, and nearly a quarter of its inmates — eight men and one woman — are charged with murder, setting a grim new record for the region.

“We passed the old record three murders ago,” said Washington County Jail Administrator Rich Rolfe. “This is an unusual and inordinate amount of murder cases.”

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Andon Wood hasn’t played basketball since tearing his ACL in July 2021. Even so, the high school senior has been recruited to play basketball for Thomas College in Waterville, and last week he signed on the dotted line. 

College scouts aren’t the only ones impressed with Andon’s abilities, both on and off the court. Washington Academy basketball coach David Peppin took over the East Machias school’s varsity team this year and said Wood was indispensable, even from the bench.

Milbridge Medical Center is a small multi-faceted Rural Health Center that serves the people of Down East Maine in a friendly hometown manner. You know the people who work there, they are your neighbors and friends. But if you don’t know them when you go there, you soon will because the staff creates a friendly and inviting environment. Having over 80 years of combined experience, the staff of Milbridge Medical Center blends the newest technology with a friendly environment.

by Hazel Stark

April 26, 1940 – February 24, 2022

A resident of East Machias, Maine, Dave Warren passed away suddenly at the age of 81 on Thursday, February 24.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

For those hunting for a place to live in Machias, some relief is on the horizon. King Construction Services has broken ground on an eight-unit apartment building located at 63 Court Street. 

Justin King, CEO of King Construction, said he hopes to have the Court Street property completed later this year, and that it is only the first of many apartments his company plans to build.

“We have plans to develop between 50 and 100 apartments in the area over the next five years,” said King.

by Jonathan Reisman

Vladimir Putin is turning Ukrainian cities into rubble, threatening nuclear war, and pushing some 2 million refugees into Poland and beyond. Race baiters Joy Reid and Nicole Hannah Jones said Americans only cared because Ukrainians are white. The Russians seem likely to complete a land locking maneuver along the Black Sea, which will turn Ukraine into the European equivalent of Bolivia, but without the mineral wealth.

Sixty years ago on March 16, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 (FTLF 739) was on a secret mission sanctioned by President Kennedy, to fly to Vietnam. This secret Vietnam reconnaissance mission went missing and no trace of the plane or its passengers have ever been found. Onboard were 93 United States Army soldiers and 11 civilian crewmembers. 

by Nancy Beal

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Worcester family has unveiled plans to fly the world’s largest American flag atop the world’s tallest flagpole at the center of a 2,500-acre park to be located in the town of Columbia Falls. Details about the project were publicly announced at a press conference held Tuesday at the Augusta Civic Center.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

At a special town meeting to be held Tuesday, March 29, Machias voters will be asked to weigh in on the cost of restoration and repairs to the gymnasium roof at Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School.

The need to repair and restore the roof has been on the town’s radar for several years, at least. Most of the roof is well over 30 years old, says A.O.S. 96 Superintendent Scott Porter. 

by Jonathan Reisman

Over the last year, frequent communications from University of Maine System leaders Chancellor Malloy and UM/UMM President Ferrini-Mundy endorsed “equity” and “social justice” without ever actually defining those terms. Since the vast majority of the academic community is left of center and those who are not are well advised to keep their mouths shut, it is unlikely that the President and Chancellor heard any dissenting or differing (as in diverse) points of view.

Most Pembroke Historical Society programs have been about the late 18th through early 20th centuries, with such topics as the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Women's Suffrage Movement, but on Thursday evening, April 21st, on ZOOM, PHS will travel much further back for some "Really, Really Old History" with a presentation on archaeology at Pembroke sites of settlement by Indigenous Peoples, including Reversing Falls.

Lauren Beal of Beals, a senior at Jonesport-Beals High School, has been selected to receive the 2022 Principal's Award, Principal Michael Kelley announced today.  The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals' Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior's academic achievement and citizenship.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Soon the weather will be warm enough — and the ground will be dry enough —  to practice softball outside. But for the Machias middle and high school softball teams, the conditions at Southside Feld have never been optimal, no matter the weather.