QUOTE OF THE DAY
— Sebastien Valentino, a self-described hobo in Portland.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Experts fear a “worst case scenario” as more Maine police departments adopt artificial intelligence tools. The Cumberland and Somerset county sheriff’s offices, as well as Portland police, will start using AI to write reports in 2025.
These three comparisons are putting Maine’s housing crisis into perspective. A lack of housing inventory and sky-high property prices are harming Maine businesses and shutting many out of the housing market entirely.
The architect of Bangor’s famed “Coffee Pot” sandwich has died. Francis “Skip” Rist worked for 59 years at the shop on State Street, where he came up with the Queen City’s iconic sandwich.
After a year of growth, questions remain about future development of the former Loring Air Force Base. A recent push has helped to revitalize the area, with new businesses popping up in 2024.
A dentist has opened a much-needed children’s clinic in Presque Isle. Aroostook County has struggled with a shortage of dental practitioners, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Portland’s famous Christmas Eve shipwreck tale is worth repeating. Details are often omitted from the yearly telling, including rumors of insurance fraud and how the ship was probably filled to the brim with bird poop.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
- More than 25K Mainers to get Social Security boost after repeal of 2 provisions
- UMaine System board says it won’t divest financially from Israel
- Popular Bangor bar has been sold
- Caribou police chief makes the case for spacious new station
- Machias motel building destroyed in fire
- Acadia and locals chafe at state’s terms for repairing MDI road
- This Maine sea captain was trapped on a boat to France just before Christmas
- Conservationists want more fish to get over a midcoast dam
- This man is spending his holidays in Maine trying get back home
- 23-year-old woman shot in Portland
- 3 people and 2 dogs are safe after falling through York County pond
- State sells Biddeford, Sanford courthouses to be converted to housing
- How Cooper Flagg’s family tragedy — and triumph — made one particular charity effort personal
MAINE IN PICTURES
FROM THE OPINION PAGES
“Peace and love remain universal aspirations. But hope and salvation are the tangible message of this special day.”
LIFE IN MAINE
Maine still holds the world record for the tallest snowman. It’s a feat that hasn’t been officially surpassed, and with climate change affecting our annual snowfall, it may never be.
Fifty five years after founding a deer camp, V. Paul Reynolds is the only original member who still uses it. “A poet, whose name escapes me, likened these remote, sometimes tar-papered shacks, to ‘palaces in the popple,’” he writes.
How to tell if it’s too cold outside for your dog. They can’t talk, and they can’t tell you when their feet go numb or their ears are burning. So you have to be observant.
You can try these tricks to keep your chicken’s water from freezing this winter. Chickens can handle the cold quite well in a well-ventilated space, but it’s a hassle to deal with freezing water every few hours.
An old oak tree that marks two friends’ hunting spot was the site where Haleigh White scored a humongous buck this past year. This November, she harvested a 14-point, 226-pound buck.
