Today is Tuesday. Temperatures will be in the mid to high 50s with rain expected statewide. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today. Another 33 coronavirus cases were reported in Maine on Monday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 611 active confirmed and “probable” cases in the state and the death toll remains at 143. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information. Bates College has sent home an undisclosed number of students for violating the school’s pandemic restrictions. Student offenses included repeatedly missing COVID-19 tests, ignoring face mask and social distancing requirements and bringing outsiders into dorms. Puritan Medical Products announced Monday that its plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Pittsfield where it will produce flocked swabs used in COVID-19 testing. The facility will join another Puritan swab production facility in Pittsfield (shown here) that opened in July. Credit: Charles Eichacker / BDN The Piscataquis County company that’s one of the world’s two largest makers of COVID-19 testing swabs said Monday that it’s opening a second Pittsfield factory with $51.2 million in federal pandemic relief funds. Renovation of the latest plant began last month, and it will open by Jan. 1, according to the contractor doing that work, Cianbro. It is expected to employ another 200 workers and produce 50 million swabs per month. Amanda Demusz, wildlife biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, measures the spread of antlers on a moose at the tagging station at Gateway Variety in Ashland on opening day of the 2020 Maine moose hunt. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN This year’s moose seasons are bucking traditional wisdom, according to the state’s moose biologist, who said he was a bit surprised that 81 percent of hunters in the first six-day season, which was staged two weeks ago, filled their tags during a hot week of hunting. A security guard looks out the window of the State House during a quiet afternoon in Augusta in this May 6, 2020 file photo. Credit: Natalie Williams / BDN The coronavirus-induced economic slowdown will dominate Maine politics next year as the state faces a projected $1.4 billion revenue shortfall over three budget years. Lawmakers will immediately have to sign off on $130 million in proposed curtailments by Gov. Janet Mills to partially plug a $528 million shortfall in the budget year ending next June. Martin Novom is an undecided voter. Credit: Natalie Williams / BDN Martin Novom of Clifton describes himself as being “seriously torn” on whether to vote for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins or House Speaker Sara Gideon. It is not about the competence of the two frontrunners, who he believes will do a “fine job” for Maine. He likes “the candidate with heart” and evaluates them based on their interest in the common good. To understand how voters are feeling, we spoke to four Mainers from much different backgrounds who told us they are still making up their minds in both federal and state races. The 2019 corn maze at Treworgy Family Orchards. Credit: Gabor Degre / BDN As with everything in 2020, Halloween looks a lot different from any other year in recent memory. Though some marquee events have been canceled, others remain, and some new stuff has cropped up as well. Here’s a list of some of the spooky events in eastern Maine that you and your family can enjoy this month. In other Maine news… More retailers may be affected by tampered pizza dough, police warn Fewer than 100 voters received wrong ballots in Brewer mixup FBI’s ‘Public Enemy No. 1’ was gunned down in Bangor 83 years ago | 