Bangor, Maine News Update: August 24, 2021

Bangor Police are investigating a potential hate crime after the vehicle of a Pakistani-American was spray-painted over the weekend. Officers were called to Bolling Drive, where they saw graffiti on the victim’s car, and summonsed two 15-year-old girls for criminal mischief. Bangor’s criminal investigation unit is now working to determine whether it constitutes as a hate crime.  

The Brewer and Hermon School Departments have changed their COVID policy for the coming school year. Now, students in both districts will be required to wear masks whenever they’re inside school buildings. Brewer Superintendent Gregg Palmer said, in a letter to parents, that the masks will allow as many students as possible to stay in class. 

Governor Janet Mills has appointed a long-time housing advocate and attorney as a Senior Advisor to help with the need for affordable housing units. Greg Payne has led the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition for 15 years. He will now work to meet the demand for more than 20 thousand affordable housing units statewide.  

Penobscot County Jail officials have filed a plan with the Maine Department of Corrections to address the current overcrowding issues. According to the AP, the jail had 212 in-house inmates and 24 boarded out to another facility during a recent inspection. Capacity at the jail is 157 inmates.  

Once again, this year, Treworgy Orchard in Levant is competing for a chance to be named USA’s Best Corn Maze. This year’s maze is in honor of the E.B. White book ‘Charlotte’s Web,’ and features Wilbur the pig, Templeton the rat, and Charlotte the spider. Residents can vote for Treworgy in the USA Today contest  on the Treworgy Orchards website.  

Hancock County residents can safely dispose of household hazardous waste this Saturday morning, as the city of Ellsworth partners with the Hancock County Planning Commission. Permits will be required to dispose of things like paint, pesticides and herbicides, battery acids, and more, and can be obtained at the residents’ town office. Find more information on the Facebook page for the Hancock County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day.