Bangor, Maine News Update: June 9, 2017

Governor Paul LePage says the federal government’s rejection of the drawdown of 51 million dollars in federal funding for Riverview Psychiatric Center represents a financial tsunami and that he will appeal. The state has been working to regain certification for the center but a federal judge ruled in 2015 that the state missed the appeal deadline.

Maine’s blueberry crop is being threatened by a fungus that produces zombie-like results. Mummy berry disease turns juicy blueberries into hard, shriveled-up, gray berries, which is bad news for one of the state’s leading agricultural industries. For more information on the disease, log onto the website for the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension.

Newburgh’s fire department is rebuilding after the majority of the department quit in one night in response to the town council’s refusal to rehire former Chief Glen Williamson. Ralph Shaw was named the new chief last month and he’s working hard to get the department back on its feet, hiring five firefighters. Since that town council meeting, departments from other communities have been covering Newburgh’s fire calls.

Brewer city officials and residents took a walk together yesterday, to view the community, and especially the river walk, in order to get a pedestrian’s view of possible issues. The Walk audit revealed a few problems, especially at intersections and crosswalks to get to the waterfront trails. Now, city officials will start working on how to make those improvements.

A Bucksport High school student got a big surprise at her high school graduation when her brother showed up. Eva York jumped up and ran from her classmates into the arms of her brother, United States Coast Guard IT3 Michael York, who’s stationed in Alaska and wasn’t expected to make it for her big night.

And a Freeport woman who just celebrated her one-hundred-and-eleventh birthday has a special wish before she dies....she wants to meet Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady. WGME-TV reports Dorris Farrar was born in 1906 in Bar Harbor, when Teddy Roosevelt was president. She’s written a letter to Brady, asking to meet him and calling herself his oldest fan. Find news and weather 24/7 at I95 rocks dot com

I’m Cindy Campbell. Find more news on demand anytime at Q1065 dot fm.