Bangor housing crunch / Caribou marijuana / Portland’s ‘ghost gun’

Today is Tuesday. Temperatures will be in the high teens to low 40s from north to south, with a chance snow, rain and a wintry mix throughout the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

The latest on the coronavirus in Maine

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will update the latest COVID-19 cases by 9:30 a.m. Check out our tracker for more information.

Maine’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen nearly 50 percent from their pandemic high set a little over a month ago. That fall in hospitalizations mirrors a trend across the nation, which public health experts hope previews more falls to come.

Aroostook County family is home after newborn daughter’s 3-month battle with COVID-19

Before they could begin to bond as a family, baby Caroline was airlifted to a Bangor hospital where she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Bangor is looking to boarding homes to ease housing crunch

Bangor wants to make it easier for residents to use large, historic homes as boarding houses where people can rent rooms long term.

Caribou bucks its neighbors to ban marijuana shops

That will apply to recreational and medical marijuana shops.

Farm bill takes aim at ‘draconian’ hemp regulations in Maine

Hemp growers said current regulations unfairly lump them in with the growers producing mind-altering cannabis.

Federal judge halts Maine law that aimed to keep foreign workers from hauling logs

U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock sided with the forest products council, a logging company and driver, saying the law was unconstitutional.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to be a cop 12 years ago. Now he’s a key Holden officer.

In addition to his patrol duties, Eduardo Benjamin has successfully applied for nearly $100,000 in grants for the small department. And he still teaches jiu-jitsu.

Penobscot County deputy sheriff remembered for his infectious laugh and genuine concern

“I’m sitting here looking at his office right now and it is just a black hole without him in it,” Hermon Fire Chief Frank Roma said Monday.

Portland police delete post on homemade ‘ghost gun’ encounter after backlash

Several commenters criticized it during the short time it was up, saying that it lacked context and could be interpreted as an attack on homemade guns.

Long-hidden photos show the lives of Portland kids from a summer 50 years ago

Dave Higgins is looking back through his own photos from that summer, sharing them online to great acclaim and wondering what will become of his archive when he is gone.

New documentary from Maine filmmakers explores humans’ relationship with the pig

Pigs as food, prohibited or not, are only one part of the story.

In other Maine news …

Amazing moments from Day 3 of the Maine high school basketball tournament

71-year-old man rescued after his UTV plunges into Sebago Lake

17 people charged with bringing drugs from Mass. to distribute in Penobscot and Aroostook counties

Barge that’s been underwater off Lamoine since capsizing poses no environmental threat

Anna Connors leads Bangor to Class A girls indoor track state championship

Nokomis’ Flagg twins receive basketball scholarship offers from UMaine

Wisdom rallies with 3-point barrage to beat Bangor Christian in D North quarterfinals