Today is Friday. Temperatures will be in the low 20s to mid-30s from north to south, with sunny skies statewide. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today. Twenty-four Mainers died and another 217 coronavirus cases were reported across the state on Thursday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The death toll statewide is now 701. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information. State tax revenues continued to beat grim projections from earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, with January figures exceeding expectations by 25 percent, according to a report from Maine’s budget office. Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a news conference, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Augusta, Maine. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP Maine could soon extend COVID-19 vaccinations to people aged 65 through 69 as the federal allocations continue to increase and a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson may be approved for emergency use this weekend. The snow-covered Brewer Riverwalk is pictured Feb. 25. Credit: Natalie Williams / BDN The new section will extend the trail to the south, beginning at Hardy Street by Mason’s Brewing Company and taking people around the trajectory of the Penobscot River to South Main Street. Construction on the project — the third phase of the Riverwalk — is slated to start in the spring of 2023. The Downeast Correctional Facility in Machiasport is pictured Feb. 18. Credit: Erin Rhoda / BDN The prison will house around 50 low-risk male inmates — fewer than the 140 or so that the former Downeast Correctional Facility used to house on site — and will restore a program that Washington County legislators and business leaders have said was a valuable asset to the area. Local farmer John Griffeth talks to Fort Fairfield town council about increased taxes and the impact on his family’s farm at the February meeting. Credit: Screenshot of live-streamed meeting A steady stream of residents and farmers expressed concerns during the regular February Town Council meeting about the impact of the recent town revaluation on their taxes that rose more than 25 percent for some. Patient Betty Fadrigon, right, speaks with Susan Cheff, medical director of the Helen Hunt Health Center, during a telehealth appointment on May 22 in Old Town. Credit: Natalie Williams / BDN The grant will be divided between the Aucocisco School in Cape Elizabeth, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, the Sanford School Department and the University of Maine System. The Comcast logo as seen from the Xfinity Store in Willow Grove, Pa. on Sept. 25, 2020. Several cable companies sued the state over the 2019 law, arguing that forcing a la carte options violated their First Amendment rights and would be costly to implement. A pile of dead lake trout sit on the ice at the southern end of Sebago Lake over the weekend. Kurt Christensen, who found them, is upset about the wasted fish, though the state is encouraging anglers to keep as many smaller lake trout as they want. Credit: Courtesy of Kurt Christensen One fact is crystal clear: When anglers act like this, and show such disregard for the species they’re targeting, they cast a cloud over all of us who enjoy spending a day on the water. EDITORIAL: Waste of fish on Sebago Lake so frustrating because it was so avoidable This deer appears to have nearly crept past a trail camera undetected. Only an antler and an ear show up. Credit: Courtesy of Doug Fisher We seem to have a photo of a deer that was trying very, very hard to avoid being photographed. Winter birding doesn’t have to be cold and hard. And you might see some harlequin ducks. Credit: Bob Duchesne / BDN Winter birding doesn’t have to be cold or hard. It can be as warm and easy as a drive around Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park. In other Maine news… 1 dead and 4 hospitalized after Camden house fire TD Bank system back up after widespread outages Portsmouth Naval Shipyard union official who stole more than $57,000 sentenced to probation Maine opens applications for broadband expansion bond money Maine to open massive $200M federal rent relief program next week Stephen King talks about crime, creativity and new novel Susan Collins calls on Biden administration to ease US-Canada border restrictions Maine’s top federal prosecutor is resigning | 