Bangor, Maine News Update: October 19, 2020

The Maine CDC reports 29 new cases of COVID-19 and 33 more people who have recovered. Officials are investigating an outbreak at the Brooks Pentecostal Church and its affiliated Lighthouse Christian Academy school where a total of 17 cases of the virus have been identified.

A Maine man is facing at least two felony charges after allegedly firing a gun in a New Hampshire shopping center parking lot on Saturday afternoon. The stores went into lockdown mode until Gordon Falt of Northeast Harbor was arrested. Falt is a convicted felon who police say had multiple stolen firearms and ammunition when taken into custody in Lee, New Hampshire.

Police in Rumford arrested seven people on Thursday, who were allegedly trying to enter the country illegally. The arrests of residents of Portugal and Brazil took place during two different traffic stops. All of the people were taken into federal custody.

The Maine Department of Education has placed all 16 counties in the green, in its pandemic color code system. The green code means all schools have been given the go-ahead for full-time, in-person instruction, with no need for remote learning. The code is a recommendation, meaning each school district will decide on its own learning model.

Hancock County residents are encouraged to gather all their expired and unwanted medications for National Drug Take-Back day on Saturday. Members of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Ellsworth Police, and Healthy Acadia will host a drug-take back event on Saturday at the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. Similar events will be held at police departments in Bar Harbor, Bucksport, Mt. Desert, and Southwest Harbor. In Penobscot County, the drug take-back event will be held in the Union Street Hannaford parking lot on Friday and Saturday, as well as a shredding event for personal documents.

Bangor Historical Society is inviting residents to take a tour of the dark side of the city’s history in guided tours this month. The historic walking tours through Mt. Hope Cemetery will cover the most famous and infamous people buried there and will be conducted in small groups this year, to allow for social distancing.