By Paul Sylvain 

Cooke Aquaculture USA of Maine Public Affairs Director Steve Hedlund met briefly with the Machiasport selectboard on Sept. 30, to discuss channels of communication between Cooke and town officials and to open the door to Cooke playing a role in supporting community projects in Machiasport. 

“I appreciate the opportunity to address the selectboard,” began Hedlund, noting that he and selectperson Sarah Dedmon had recently met to discuss several issues. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H announced the launch of virtual field trips, an innovative way for youth learners to explore Maine’s thriving aquaculture industry. These immersive online experiences bring aquaculture to life, offering participants the chance to step inside cutting-edge facilities and learn directly from industry experts. Through the power of virtual reality and accessible browser-based tools, these trips highlight the processes behind sustainable aquaculture—no travel required.

In their continuing effort to recognize the hard-working people of the Down East Community Hospital and its affiliates, the Down East Community Hospital Auxiliary would like to honor the team that makes up the Otolaryngology (ENT) Department to thank them for all they do.

By Will Tuell

Depending on who you ask, Maine schools are either the best in the nation or the worst, which may indicate the truth lies somewhere in between. At least that’s the conclusion WalletHub, a personal finance company based in Miami presented in their latest findings on education in America. Maine, the study shows, ranks 16th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

By Paul Sylvain

As the saying goes, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And for some residents at the Machias annual town meeting on Sept. 25, it was -- especially after reports of the town’s generous budget proposal surfaced last week. 

By Will Tuell

For the third week in a row, Downeasters struggled to cope with the loss of a beloved community member as news of the passing of Dr. John Gaddis, a lifelong resident of East Machias who practiced family medicine for decades on the banks of the river he grew up on, swept through the greater Machias area.  Known for his folksy Downeast manner and a willingness to treat a wide range of aches and ills, Gaddis was, for many Washington County residents over the span of four-plus decades, the only physician they ever saw.  

By Will Tuell

Janice Bronson and Colleen Brown – the two candidates who vied for a seat on Whiting’s Board of Selectmen – will not soon forget the razor-thin margin that separated them. Bronson, a 23-year veteran of the town’s selectboard, secured 29 votes while Brown, a relative newcomer to local politics, picked up 27 votes on Sept. 23 in one of the closest local races in recent history. 

By Jayna Smith

A recent social media post generated widespread discussion in Calais and surrounding towns, following claims that Governor Janet Mills contacted Calais Mayor Artie Mingo regarding the relocation of asylum seekers to the city.  The post alleged that Governor Mills informed the mayor she would be sending two busloads of asylum seekers to Calais, and that Mayor Mingo responded by stating two buses would be waiting to send them back to Augusta.

By Paul Sylvain

What, for several months, appeared more like a big hole containing only the 40-by-90-foot concrete foundation for the future two-story Washington County Safety Building, began taking shape above ground last week with the addition of the building’s outer walls.

It has been a slow grind since the project’s official groundbreaking ceremony on June 13, at the Court Street site, across from the current Washington County Sheriff’s Office. 

Edwards Replaces Porcher as Vice Chair

By Paul Sylvain

Probably the last thing the five-member Machias selectboard wanted to do after slogging through a hefty 55-article town meeting warrant on Sept. 25 was to reconvene to conduct routine housekeeping chores at the Telebusiness Center town office. But meet, they did, at 8:55 p.m.