Portland
Local Arabic translator Susan McMillan became a one-night Jeopardy! champion, taking home $35,600 after correctly identifying, in Final Jeopardy, national-parks advocate John Muir as the first person to claim that the Yosemite Valley area was formed by glacial erosion.
Boothbay
The Capt. Richard G. Spear launched from the Washburn & Doughty Shipyard. Named for the first employee of the Maine State Ferry Service, who passed away three years ago, at age 96, the new ferry will shuttle people and vehicles between Rockland and Vinalhaven.
Newcastle
Town residents Kelly and Kurt Stokes hid $20,000 somewhere in Maine, the prize in a treasure hunt they designed, “Dirigo Treasures Maine.” The couple says they wanted to motivate people to get out and appreciate the state’s natural beauty while searching for clues.
Pittston
Catherine Smith’s 1973 Cadillac Coupe de Ville was personally selected by George Clooney to appear in The Tender Bar, a film he’s directing, based on a memoir about growing up in 1970s Long Island. Smith bought the car in 1988, at age 16.
St. Agatha
During the spring melt, a group called Northern Maine Ice Busters reclaimed the world record for largest ice carousel, sawing a 27-acre ice disk on Long Lake, then setting it spinning using outboard motors and modified farm equipment.
Bar Harbor
For the first time, the park service instituted a seasonal fee for reservations to drive up Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain. The reservation system is meant to curb traffic and crowds, and the $6 fee helps pay for park maintenance, staffing, and the online reservation system.