Bangor, Maine News Update: March 5, 2019

A pilot and four of the 28 passengers suffered minor injuries on Monday when a United Express jet on a flight from New Jersey slid off a runway at Presque Isle’s regional airport. The pilot had aborted a previous landing attempt and requested that the landing lights be turned on, due to low visibility in yesterday’s snowstorm.

The state of Maine is opening a temporary call center in Wilton, to help enroll low-income residents in Medicaid expansion. A job fair is being held Thursday at the Barclay facility in Wilton, which is closing its call center at the end of the month, putting 200 people out of work.

State Officials are considering renewing a program that would grant work permits for 14-and-15-year-old teens. The Youth Employment and Steps to Success program would help employers partially cover wages for the teens, and help fill out their summer tourism industry positions.

Maine lawmakers are considering replacing the state’s current flag with one that dates back to 1901. The current flag shows the state seal on a field of blue, whereas the vintage flag contains a blue star and green pine tree on a field of yellow. A local flag company has shipped nearly a thousand flags with the old design since 2017.

Governor Janet Mills will be tapping a maple tree on the lawn of the Blaine House today, to kick off the state’s maple season. The tapping of the Blaine House tree precedes Maine Maple Sunday, which is coming up on the 24^th. That’s the day maple producers around the state welcome the public to show how maple syrup gets from the tree to the pancakes.