by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

After months of officer vacancies, town manager Bill Kitchen and police chief Keith Mercier last week announced they’re close to a fully staffed Machias Police Department, for the first time in many years. In fact, said Kitchen, by the close of the year, every vacant position for the town could be filled.

“By the end of this year, this town for the first time...in many years could have every single open position filled,” said Kitchen. “Every single position.”