Old Town
The ND Paper mill started asking residents of surrounding communities to donate pizza and cereal boxes and other cardboard, to keep up with pandemic-driven demand and rising materials costs. The mill pulps cardboard and sells it back to packaging manufacturers.
Rangeley
Philanthropists Fritz and Susan Onion, of Wayne, donated $1.5 million toward a 100-unit workforce residence at Saddleback ski resort. A lack of affordable seasonal housing has contributed to labor shortages around Maine.
Orono
The University of Maine hired Temple native, Mt. Blue High School grad, and former UMaine pigskin standout Jordan Stevens as the new head coach of Black Bears football. Stevens was previously an assistant coach at Yale.
Machiasport
Most lost lobster buoys are never recovered. One, belonging to local fisherman Jeff Davis, was found more than 2,700 miles away, dashed against rocks along the coast of the Scottish Highlands.
South Portland
Through election by her fellow city councilors, Deqa Dhalac became mayor of South Portland. She’s believed to be the first Somali immigrant to serve as mayor of any American city.
Millinocket
With temps in the teens, nearly 1,100 runners completed either the town’s marathon or half marathon, a year after the races were canceled due to the pandemic. That’s well up from the 54 finishers in the inaugural races, in 2015.