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3+ hour, 45+ min ago (835+ words) (13th in a series) Kody Ward competed in the District 11 Class 3A tournament for the third year in a row last February and again improved his record from the previous season. Bangor teammate Carter Smith made it to states last season for the second time in a row. Both seniors, however, saw their seasons end in similar fashion. "Last year was kind of a repeat of my sophomore year," Smith said. "It made it through districts and regionals, made it to states and didn't really do anything from there. I didn't work hard enough for the end of the year and wasn't prepared for Hershey. I got what was coming to me." Smith and Ward don't want another rinse and repeat for their final high school season. They also don't want to have the Slaters struggle through another dual-meet campaign without finding…...

4+ hour, 4+ min ago (277+ words) Today, Joe Lawlor and Hannah Kaufman report on five Cumberland County HIV cases not appearing to be linked. We also have stories on the death this week of a Penobscot tribal elder who fought on D-Day, and on Maine's Somali-Americans reacting to rhetoric from President Donald Trump with both fear and resilience. The five HIV cases detected in Cumberland County so far this year do not appear to be connected, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The cases follow 30 recorded in Bangor since 2023. Read more. Charles Shay, a Penobscot tribal elder who fought on D-Day, has died at age 101. He grew up on Indian Island, near Old Town, and was an Army medic during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. Read more. "Cold case playing cards are one of many tools that may assist investigators…...

7+ hour, 26+ min ago (619+ words) Maine's congressional delegation could play a role in investigating a deadly, Trump administration-ordered attack on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean. U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent, is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, while Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, is a member of the House version of the committee. Both Republican and Democratic leaders of the committees have said they will be looking into the Sept. 2 attack. "There are a lot of factual questions that we need to determine," King said in an interview Wednesday. "The law is very clear. If what happened is as it has been described " that there was a second strike specifically to kill people that were in the water " that's a war crime." King was referencing a Washington Post report that raised questions about whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth specifically ordered the execution…...

10+ hour, 33+ min ago (206+ words) Maine is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address an HIV outbreak in the northern part of the state. Over the past two years, health officials have reported 31 new HIV cases in Penobscot County. The outbreak has primarily affected people experiencing homelessness who inject drugs. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Scripps News Reports: The Cure for HIV According to local reports, a six-person CDC team has traveled to Maine to help officials determine how the virus is spreading so they can develop protocols to support those infected and slow transmission. State officials say Maine has already expanded access to HIV testing among people at higher risk. The state is also providing medication, safe-sex supplies and other harm-reduction services. RELATED STORY | HIV prevention fight pushes forward amid federal cuts Maine is working to reduce stigma as well,…...

14+ hour, 5+ min ago (222+ words) After a delayed start to winter heating aid due to the federal government shutdown, funding is now available to help Maine households buy fuel for the upcoming winter season. The program typically opens on Nov. 1 but was delayed until Dec. 3." MaineHousing, which oversees the state's Energy Crisis Intervention Program,"said it has received $26.5 million in federal funds for Maine's share of"the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The agency is urging those in need to apply. Eligible households can receive a one-time heating benefit of up to $500 if they face an emergency, such as having no heat or heating fuel, a fuel supply of less than seven days, or"less than a quarter tank of heating oil or"propane. "MaineHousing is pleased it can now make available these critical crisis intervention funds that, last winter, helped more than 7,000 households with…...

17+ hour, 25+ min ago (751+ words) The Trump administration is once again threatening to reduce federal food assistance funding to some left-leaning states " including Maine " as part of the latest salvo in a monthslong fight over access to personal data on food stamp recipients. The dispute could cost Maine more than $13 million. And some state officials, including Gov. Janet Mills, have accused the Trump administration of harming hungry Americans for political purposes. As part of their data request, USDA officials have said they are looking to ensure SNAP benefits are not flowing to immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status. But at least one member of Maine's congressional delegation, Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, is calling on the state to comply with the data demands as legal proceedings play out. "Regarding these administrative funds, I expect any efforts to withhold them to be held up in court,…...

18+ hour, 12+ min ago (180+ words) A section U.S. Route 2 in Rumford at the top of Falls Hill was shut down for most of the night Tuesday while crews worked to extinguish a fire in one of the garages at Adley's Auto Sales & Service. RUMFORD, Maine (WMTW) - A section of U.S. Route 2 in Rumford at the top of Falls Hill was shut down for most of the night Tuesday while crews worked to extinguish a fire in one of the garages at Adley's Auto Sales & Service. The Mexico Fire Department said no one was hurt and that Adley's was still open Wednesday, operating out of their primary building next to the one that burned. The business wrote about the fire on Facebook. "Buildings and equipment can be replaced and the memories and stories that building holds will never be forgotten. Thank you to all responding fire agencies for…...

19+ hour, 2+ min ago (826+ words) BINGHAM " Kristin Hermanson has spent many nights on the gymnasium floor at Upper Kennebec Valley High School. This time, however, was different. A 2006 Valley graduate, Hermanson played basketball for longtime coach Gordon Hartwell. Now the head coach at Bangor, she returned to Valley on Wednesday to see a new scoreboard, the program's first Gold Ball in the trophy case " and, of course, to face her old mentor. "I have so many amazing memories here," Hermanson said. "To be here and coach against my old coach (Gordon Hartwell), who I absolutely love and respect, and be able to have a game like this, it was a lot of fun. It's great to see Valley doing great things." It was the perfect occasion to bring together Class A Bangor (enrollment 1,069) and Class S Valley (enrollment 63), teams with little in common besides Hermanson....

22+ hour, 54+ min ago (383+ words) Julianna Allen, Mt. Ararat senior forward: A Varsity Maine All-State selection, the 6-foot-1 Allen was a dominant presence for the Class A champs at both ends of the court with her length, footwork and comfort in handling the ball with both hands. She averaged 15.3 points per game in the postseason and was named the A South tournament MVP." Ella Briand, Richmond junior guard: Briand is quick off the dribble, can attack from either side of the hoop and is a skilled passer and defender. First-year coach Patrick Cunningham will rely on the point guard to be the Bobcats" floor general. Reese Darling, Morse senior guard: Darling, a high-volume 3-point shooter, returns as the Shipbuilders" top scorer (10.7 ppg). Morse looks to build on last winter"s 7-11 record, its best since 2021-22." Abby Giroux, Freeport junior guard: An all-WMC honorable mention, Giroux will…...

1+ day, 1+ hour ago (214+ words) Maine State Police are distributing decks of playing cards featuring unsolved homicides to nearly 1,000 residents in state correctional facilities in an effort to generate new leads. Detective Corporal Mike Chavez says prisoners are in a position to have knowledge about those cases and playing cards can elicit memories. "You're talking about a population in the state of Maine that doesn't have general access on a regular basis to social media, news, newspapers on a regular basis," Chavez said. "So these cards will hopefully be a fresh reminder of those cases." Chavez says investigators are hopeful that the strategy will work here. "How we would consider closing a case in Maine is if we have arrested somebody and brought them through the criminal justice process," he said. "Or if we have enough information and evidence against the person that we would…...