Bangor, Maine News Update: February 28, 2019

The Maine Warden Service is warning snowmobile riders to be cautious of frozen waterways after a Berwick man died of a medical event after his sled broke through thin ice. Wardens say it’s always important to know how secure the ice is before venturing out. The death of James Reagan is the 8^th snowmobile related fatality this season.

The online auction for the Bangor Mall ended Wednesday morning, with a final bid of just under 15 million dollars. Since the bid did not meet the reserve price set by the seller, it’s not clear, at this point, whether it will be accepted. The real estate company says they can’t release the name of the top bidder.

Governor Janet Mills wants to change the purpose of a psychiatric center being built on the Dorothea Dix campus in Bangor. Former Governor LePage wanted the building to be used as a step-down center for certain patients as they made the transition from hospital care to release. But Mills says she wants it to serve a wider variety of patients, from those deemed incompetent to stand trial to inmates awaiting mental health care.

The Bangor Region YMCA has opened a new Teen Center, which will offer local teenagers a safe place to grow and learn, as well as interact with other teens. The center is located on Second Street in Bangor and will be open to kids 12 to 18 years old.

A graduate of Ellsworth High school, who’s also a competitive rock climber, is one of six people named by National Geographic as the magazines 2019 Adventurers of the Year. Maureen Beck doesn’t let the fact that she was born without the lower portion of her arm slow her down. She says she wants to show other people with different abilities that climbing is for everyone.