Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025

Quote of the Day

“He lived a very big life. He did a ton of traveling, a ton of writing, a ton of learning. And he met the people along the way, and there were all these crazy connections, and the connections just intertwined into this big sort of ball of his life.”

— Erin Grace Hufnagel on her father Doug Hufnagel, who in his later life was known by the moniker The Coffeeman.

Today’s Top Maine Stories

Hundreds gathered in downtown Bangor to ring in 2025. In a first for the city, the New Year’s Eve beach ball draped in lights dropped from the parking garage at Pickering Square.

A look back at the notable Mainers who died in 2024. The past year saw the loss of many beloved people, leaving holes that their communities won’t easily fill.

Here are eight Maine politicians to watch in 2025. The coming year may feel slower with no major elections on tap, but there are plenty of developments in store.

News from Around the State

• Stockton Springs fires town manager of 3 years

• Rockland’s minimum wage goes up 50 cents today

• Bangor thieves break into weed shop but leave with only CBD

• Wrong-way interstate driver dies in central Maine head-on crash

• Woman injured in Appleton fire

• Man dies following fire in Biddeford

• Icy conditions likely caused fiery fatal Route 1 crash

• How a midcoast city welcomes the new year with a giant fire

• Someone shot up another Maine apartment building

• What started Machias motel fire remains unknown

Maine in Pictures

These are just some of the notable Mainers who died in 2024. You can read about them and many others in our look back on those we lost. Clockwise, from top left: Orlando Frati, Linda Bean, Dave Mallett, Sami Manirath, Mack Gwinn Jr., and Linda Lavin. Credit: BDN Composite

From the Opinion Pages

Life in Maine

UMaine’s hockey is taking lessons from a recent loss into its series with defending NCAA champ Denver. The Black Bears have a short turnaround with Denver invading for a two-game series on Friday and Saturday nights.

The first meteor shower of 2025 is coming on Friday. Unlike other meteor showers that are named for the constellations from which they appear to originate in the night sky, the Quadrantids take their name from a constellation that doesn’t exist anymore.

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