Bangor Daily News

The USDA failed to follow its own guidance for a rural mortgage program, taking years to foreclose on delinquent loans. As a result, 55 Maine borrowers racked up, on average, $110,000 in additional debt before the agency moved to take the homes.

Esther Keiderling, 28, died from blunt force injuries, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner said. The cause of death for her father, Tim Keiderling, 58, is pending further studies.

While Romanians were involved in less than 1 percent of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection encounters across the whole nation last year, they have made up a growing share of encounters by the Houlton Sector, which covers the Maine section of the northern border.

Because public housing authority rules forbid tenants from returning to subsidized units after an eviction, many end up homeless.

Maine has tried to send fewer teenagers to prison, emphasizing rehabilitation programs instead. But the rural north of the state shows the effort has played out unevenly.

The state of Maine is behind on its goal of offering universal access to public pre-K programs by the 2026-2027 school year. According to a story on Wednesday by Bangor Daily News reporter Sawyer Loftus, only about 43% of public school districts are offering universal pre-K.

The health issues associated with mold include respiratory problems that can develop rapidly.

Despite the death last year of the city’s long-secret Valentine, Kevin Fahrman, who organized the annual effort to paper downtown storefronts and buildings with red hearts every Feb. 14, it happened again.

Even as fewer teens are being prosecuted, the state is not providing enough intervention, rehabilitation and other help.

The University of Southern Maine is giving a small nod to the fact that it sits on unceded Wabanaki land, funding a wall-sized mural created by Maine Mi’kmaq artist and alumna Marissa Joly.