Maine communities making plans to spend latest pandemic aid
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine municipalities and counties plan to spend American Rescue Plan Act funding on everything from bonuses for front-line workers to infrastructure projects.
The Portland Press Herald reports that allowed expenses include public health measures, hazard pay for public and private front-line workers,
business grants, affordable housing, child care and other costs resulting from revenue losses or budget shortfalls.
Maine’s 16 counties are receiving $261 million and the state’s six largest cities are getting $121.6 million directly from the U.S. Treasury.
The Mills administration received a 30-day extension to disburse another $119 million to 479 smaller communities.
Rural sewage plants hit by ransomware attacks in Maine
Officials say a pair of ransomware attacks on sewage treatment plants in rural communities in Maine show that small towns need to be just as vigilant as larger communities. Officials said Monday that the attacks occurred in April in Mount Desert and on the Fourth of July in Limestone. No money was paid and no customer data was compromised, so the impact was minimal. Limestone Water and Sewer District Superintendent Jim Leighton said the attack may have been a good thing because it put rural communities on notice that they need to ensure their computers are protected.
LOBSTER BOAT TRACKING
Lobster boat tracking coming to protect whales, fishery
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — America’s lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect vulnerable right whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory authority, said this month it is considering implementing the tracking requirements for lobster boats that have federal permits. The rules would also apply to boats that harvest Jonah crabs, which are the subject of another important New England fishery. Regulators say the tracking requirement would provide scientists with better data about the fishery.
MAINE HUNTING
Maine hunting seasons to start in 2 weeks with bear hunt
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s fall hunting seasons are set to begin in two weeks with the start of the bear hunt. Maine’s “big four” fall game animals are black bears, moose, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. The bear hunting season begins on Aug. 30 and runs to late November. The deer hunt comes next, with the expanded archery season starting on Sept. 11. The firearms season for deer takes place in November. The moose season runs from late September to late November. It’s legal to hunt turkeys from Sept. 20 to Nov. 6.
New England virus transmission up, renewing calls for masks
BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say all the counties in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts are the sites of high or substantial transmission of the coronavirus. The rise of transmission in the two states mirrors a regional and national trend. Some health authorities are recommending that even vaccinated people go back to wearing masks indoors in areas of high or substantial transmission. That includes almost all of New England. The CDC reported on Sunday that every county in the region was the site of high or substantial transmission except Orange County, Vermont, and Kennebec County, Maine.
AGRICULTURE GRANTS
Cheesemakers, aquaculturists, farmers to get grants in Maine
SYDNEY, Maine (AP) — A cheese guild in Sydney, an aquaculture center in Walpole and the Maine Farmland Trust are among the recipients of the state of Maine’s agricultural development grants this year. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said it is awarding about $250,000 in grants this year. Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal said the grants reflect “the innovative thinking and hard work being undertaken by producers that will ultimately strengthen our agricultural economy and provide continued access to high-quality Maine-grown and processed agricultural products.”
RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Rural infrastructure projects around Maine get boost
FRENCHVILLE, Maine (AP) — A federal-state partnership is giving a boost to economic development and infrastructure projects around Maine. The projects are mostly located in rural areas and they are receiving about $4.9 million through the Northern Border Regional Commission’s State Economic and Infrastructure Development Investment Program. The island town of Vinalhaven is receiving one of the largest grants, which is a $1 million award to improve infrastructure along Main Street to help dozens of businesses. Other projects are slated for Hermon, Pittsfield, Guilford and other communities.
WHITE SHARK SIGHTING
Maine deploys shark warning flags due to great white tracker
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (AP) — Maine’s plan to use shark warning flags this year came into play when a great white shark was spotted off Cape Elizabeth. The Portland Press Herald reported on Friday that the eight-foot juvenile shark named “Tuck” was detected by a tracking device off Crescent Beach State Park. The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands said this is the first year the shark warning flags are in use, and Friday was the first time the system was used at Crescent Beach. The warning was used as a response to the tracking signal and not any sightings of a shark.