Friday, April 26, 2024

"He doesn't yodel much anymore. But I'm so happy he's made two big comebacks."

— Maine Country Music Hall of Fame member, drummer and longtime booking agent Bucky Mitchell, on singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Preston, who, at 46, has survived two brushes with death and is scheduled to become the hall of fame’s youngest inductee next month.

Today’s Top Maine Stories

Six months after the mass shooting at a Lewiston bowling alley and restaurant, about 200 people gathered to honor those killed, injured and changed by the tragedy. Hearings about the shooting continued in Augusta as Army reservists recalled the gunman’s months of paranoia before his rampage.

Bangor city councilors approved a set of regional guidelines for climate action. The plan includes 10 recommended changes or tactics communities can use to become more environmentally friendly.

A new $31 million Katahdin Woods and Waters visitor center will open this summer. The nearly completed National Park Service visitor center on Lookout Mountain shares the Wabanaki story of the land and people.

Police identified a body found near the Aroostook River as a missing Washburn man. Erik Foote was last seen on Jan. 30. Adding to the mystery, a former Washburn police officer was arrested for allegedly falsifying police records related to Foote’s disappearance.

The Maine Country Music Hall of Fame will induct its youngest member next month. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Preston, 46, survived a career that started early and two brushes with death to get there.

Maine in Pictures

Things to do this Weekend

This weekend, families can enjoy the annual visit to Bangor by the Anah Temple Shrine Circus, set for multiple shows Friday through Sunday at the Cross Insurance Center. On Saturday, Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden hosts its annual Spring Stewardship Day from 9 a.m. to noon to help get the facility and its trails ready for the season. On Sunday, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra performs at 3 p.m. at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono.

More News from Around the State

• Maine schools say they’re facing a ‘perfect storm’ of ballooning expenses

• 1 in 5 Mainers traveled to view the total solar eclipse

• Bangor is among the cities with the cleanest air

• Hermon-based TikTok dog Tatum Talks wins Webby Award

• Ice out earlier than usual on Long Lake in Aroostook County

• Katahdin Woods and Waters $31M visitor center to open this summer

• Maine artist Philip Barter, known for colorful landscapes, dies at 84

• Boothbay-area residents pass $30M bond for school repairs

• Famous Maine lighthouse to stay closed this summer for repairs

• He allegedly attacked a man with machete in Maine gravel pit

From the Opinion Pages

Life in Maine

The electric grid has failed, nuclear plant meltdowns have killed millions and survivors struggle to recall an episode of “The Simpsons.” The Penobscot Theatre Co.’s “Mr. Burns” starts there and charts a post-apocalyptic Simpsons-based future.

​​A martial arts spoof filmed in midcoast Maine is coming to the big screen. “Battle Legends: The Legend of the Battle Master” debuts in Belfast on Tuesday evening.

Bob Duchesne got a unique insight into the habits of Maine birds. He documents it here.

The newest cohort of Maine farmers isn’t counting on dairy as a cash crop. Instead, organic farmers are seeking a new way that offers some work-life balance.

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