By Will Tuell

Not even a dreary, drizzly, mid-May morning could dampen the spirits of the 70 University of Maine Machias students receiving diplomas on Saturday. Friends, family, professors, and community members packed into the Reynolds Center gym for the 10 a.m. right of passage. Yet remarks by Class of 2025 Valedictorian Emma Soctomah and Passamaquoddy Tribal historian Dwayne Tomah, the ceremony’s keynote speaker, gave the proceedings a distinctly Passamaquoddy feel. 

By Paul Sylvain 

A pair of bills designed to reduce response times and fight crime in rural areas has made their way through the Legislature in recent weeks. On May 1, LD 477, sponsored by Madison Rep. Jack Ducharme, a Republican, cleared an early procedural vote on the House floor by a 117-26 margin. That same day, a similar proposal exclusive to Washington County, LD 461, sponsored by Calais Republican Sen. Marianne Moore and the local legislative delegation, cleared the Senate on a voice vote.

By Nancy Beal

The national discussion of transgender rights under Title IX that began in the Maine state house, when a Republican legislator posted pictures of a transgender student competing on a girls track team, and exploded in the White House when Governor Mills told President Trump “see you in court” after he chastised Maine’s transgender student policy, has come full circle back to Maine.

By Paul Sylvain

On March 26, a handful of Machias voters enacted separate 180-day moratoriums on solar and wind farm applications to give town officials time to draft regulatory ordinances addressing both. Seven weeks later, and with both moratoriums set to expire on Sept. 22, work has yet to begin on either.

by Nancy Beal

On May 8, Sheriff Barry Curtis and Deputy Director Joshua Rolfe, along with Washington County Regional Communications Operational Supervisor Lieutenant Dennis Perry and Sergeant Michael Congelosi, attended the 27th Annual Maine NENA (National Emergency Number Association) awards ceremony in Portland. Perry was nominated and chosen for the 2024 Director/Operations Manager of the Year. 

A new study from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) and Darling Marine Center is helping to refine best practices for growing Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus), a species of increasing interest to Maine’s aquaculture sector.

Healthy Acadia, in collaboration with Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology Culinary Arts (CWCIT) students located at Machias Memorial High School, will host a drive-thru luncheon on Friday, May 16, with proceeds to benefit Down East Teen Leadership Camp (DETLC).

Wellington “Billy” Noyes, born on April 2, 1936, passed away on April 25, 2025, at the age of 89. Billy was a devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Wanda Dodge Noyes. His children, Nancy Emery, Lisa Noyes, Nathan Noyes, and Leigh Noyes, along with his son-in-law, Douglas Emery, and daughter-in-law, Danielle Noyes.

By Paul Sylvain

Over the past three centuries, the waters of the Machias River between the falls and the dike have served as a backdrop for numerous events. English sailor-turned-pirate Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy is said to have used Machias as a safe haven to repair his ship. Legend has it that Black Sam buried a never-found treasure somewhere in the woods of Machiasport.