Old Town landfill / Maine moose hunt / Aroostook photographs

Today is Friday. Temperatures will be in the low 20s to low 40s from north to south, with a chance for light snow and cloudy across much of the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

The latest on the coronavirus in Maine

Three Mainers have died and another 1,555 COVID-19 cases have been reported across the state, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The statewide death toll now stands at 1,626. Check out our tracker for more information.

A record of 436 Mainers are hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state as of Thursday, according to the Maine CDC. That’s up from the previous record of 413, set Wednesday.

Southern Maine Community College in South Portland and Brunswick, the largest community college in Maine, will hold its first week of classes remotely beginning on Tuesday, with in-person instruction set to return on Jan. 24. Others are considering such a shift amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Janet Mills says businesses should encourage masks, but stops short of requiring them

Maine has not required mask wearing since last May even as infections have risen rapidly in recent months.

Husson’s basketball teams learned 7 hours into a road trip that players on board had COVID

One player on the men’s team tested positive, while the women’s team had two. 

Old Town landfill’s gassy emissions could fill local pipelines with help from Pennsylvania company

Casella Waste Systems currently uses a flare system that burns off the methane it collects from the decomposition of organic waste at the landfill.

2021 was one of the worst years for Maine moose hunters

Moose hunters had their third-lowest success rate in the 41-year history of Maine’s hunt.

A Maine group that helps prisoners rejoin society just got a major boost

The Maine Prisoner Reentry Network plays a key role in the state’s effort to curb the number of Mainers who eventually return to jail or prison.

New employee owners want to grow a Maine-based magazine for wooden boat enthusiasts

WoodenBoat has weathered the digital hurricane that has devastated other print publications, a fact attributed to its avid readers and timeless content.

Ellsworth fire department’s medical response call volume soars 4,500 percent

The huge jump in medical calls for the department is a result of the requirements of its license from the state to provide emergency medical services.

This photographer brings Aroostook County life to an audience around the world

Roaming bears, brawling moose and the Northern Lights are all glimpses of Aroostook County life Paul Cyr has brought to viewers across the globe.

In other Maine news …

Footage shows police K-9 attack that led to $325K settlement for York County doctor

Slain Alaska woman’s friend says she made eye contact with Auburn man the night of the killing

Mount View’s new athletic administrator is the youngest in the state

1 hospitalized after truck crashes off I-95 overpass in Howland

New York man arrested after alleged high speed chase in central Maine

Portland apartment owners named in lawsuit over deadly NY fire

Repairs to Rockland’s run down fish pier stalled by high project costs

Bangor hockey team beats Lewiston for 1st time in 6 years

Fireside storytelling is this Belfast arts group latest pandemic tonic

Rockland fire chief raises concerns over looming emergency personnel staffing crisis