Bangor, Maine News Update: April 28, 2021

A 19-year-old North Little Rock man is sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting an Airman from Maine who tried to stop him from robbing a gas station in 2019. Senior Airman Shawn McKeough Jr grew up in Westbrook, before joining the Air Force, and had planned to settle down in Little Rock. Drequan Robinson will not be eligible for parole until he's nearly 60 years old.

The public is invited to receive a COVID-19 vaccination today, between 1 and 5pm at the University of Maine in Orono, with no appointment necessary to take part in the clinic at the Wells Conference Center. Participants will have a choice between the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the two-shot Moderna vaccine. The Maine CDC reports 5 additional deaths and 425 new cases of COVID-19 statewide.

ND Paper in Old Town is now using a new process for recycling pulp, that will keep bulk corrugated products out of landfill. When the process if fully operational, it will create 20 new job positions. WVII-TV reports this is the first time the process has been used, but the company plans to add it to other facilities around the country.

Maine’s mask mandate in outdoor settings has been removed, so that residents are now not required to wear face coverings when outside. However, Governor Mills encourages people to be smart, and continue to wear masks where physical distancing is not possible. In addition, all states are now exempt from Maine’s COVID-19 travel restrictions, with testing or quarantine no longer required.

Yard sale and craft show enthusiasts will flock to the Downeast Sunrise Trail in Hancock County this Saturday, for an all-day event to benefit the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life of Hancock County. Donations for the sale are still being solicited and there’s still time to rent a vendor table for the sale at 3 Wyman Road in Hancock from 9 to 3 on Saturday.

An online auction that starts on Saturday will benefit homeless, stray, abandoned, and feral cats in Maine. The Forgotten Felines of Maine auction runs May 1^st to the 8^th, with a variety of items up for bid, including many with a cat theme.