Bangor, Maine News Update: August 12, 2020

The Maine CDC reports 6 new cases of COVID-19 statewide and 23 more people who have recovered. Another person diagnosed with the virus has died, a woman in her 90’s from York County. Dr. Nirav Shah says despite the single digit increases in recent weeks, Mainers need to continue social distancing and wearing face coverings to prevent the numbers from going back up.

Bangor Police are warning residents about a scam that nearly bilked a local man out of some money after he was contacted by someone claiming to be from the department. The caller said there was an outstanding warrant for the victim’s arrest that could be cleared if he wired some money to a specific address. Police say this is not something they would ever do, despite the fact that the caller ID was rigged to read Bangor PD.

The Ellsworth school board voted Tuesday to approve a hybrid or remote-only learning model for students, when they being school, and families can expect to be contacted soon for a determination about whether students will return part-time or continue with distance learning. Also approved was a plan to paint rainbow crosswalks at Ellsworth High School and Middle School, to celebrate pride and promote positive change.

U-Maine has announced some of the details of its COVID-19 testing plan. Students will be tested when they first return to campus, and will most likely test them again in another 7 to 10 days. The schools in the U-Maine system will also conduct tests when its deemed necessary and test wastewater for any signs of the virus.

Customers of Versant Power will see a temporary decrease in their bills, starting next month. Company officials say distribution rates will be lowered for four months, starting on September 1st, which they say is a direct benefit of ENMAX’s purchase of the company. The average customer’s bill should decrease by about 8 dollars a month.

Westmarket Square in Bangor will soon be filled with gratitude flags, as part of a project started by a teacher who wanted to connect with her students through remote learning. The flags are made of a material that will capture images of items set on them when placed in the sun. Find more information on the Facebook page for downtown Bangor.