Le Journal

University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire and University of Vermont Extension, will offer a 2026 Tri-State Dairy Exchange monthly webinar series beginning Wednesday, Jan. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The series continues on the last Wednesday of each month and is held live online. The 2026 theme “Advancing Dairy Systems Through Technology” will spotlight current research and practical applications of innovation in the dairy sector. The first quarter will focus on wearable animal health monitoring technology. During webinar sessions in January and February, representatives from businesses that serve Northern New England will discuss how wearable technologies can help farmers improve herd health, support reproduction, and optimize labor on the farm. In March Claira Seely, assistant professor of precision dairy management at the University of New Hampshire, will discuss how to interpret and apply data from wearable systems to support dairy cow health and productivity. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required on the program webpage. All sessions are recorded and posted to the NW Crops and Soils YouTube Channel. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Susan Brouillette at 802-656-7611 or susan.brouillette@uvm.edu.

Two men were arrested Thursday night during a raid at a LaGrange home. Richard Stacker, 53, and 56-year-old Ferdinand Nazario, both of New York and LaGrange, have been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, according to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies, along with a Maine State Police tactical team, executed a search warrant about 8 p.m. at a Town Road home as part of a firearms investigation. During the search, police seized multiple guns and suspected drugs, which have been taken to a laboratory for testing. The sheriff’s office isn’t releasing more details because the investigation is ongoing.

When Alfred Russo moved to the Bangor area from Boston two years ago, he thought it would be easy to find a new doctor. Then he started calling primary care providers last summer. “I’ll just never forget like the way my jaw hit the floor when they said how many thousands of people were in front of me,” Russo said, adding that some providers told him there were more than 1,000 people on the waitlist and it might take a year or two to get an appointment. “I’m not eager to be the person who just goes to the ER or urgent care as their primary care,” he said, but until he finds a provider that can take him, he hasn’t had any other options. Many primary care offices in Bangor have monthslong wait times, far exceeding the national average. A 2025 study found that the average new patient family medicine appointment wait time in the U.S. is just over 23 days. A new primary care office, the urgent care company ConvenientMD’s first in Bangor, opened its doors in August. It already has more than 2,500 patients and an approximately six-month wait for first-time appointments. “The demand for primary care in Bangor and across northern Maine is clear. We’ve seen it in how quickly the Bangor practice has grown in just a few months,” ConvenientMD spokesperson Jennifer Harris said. The difficult landscape for Greater Bangor residents trying to find primary care is symptomatic of a provider shortage in Maine and across the country. “That demand for care really sort of continues to grow, and the supply of providers hasn’t really kept up,” said Dr. Lisa Billings-Lindsey, medical director for primary care at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. This mismatch between supply and demand is especially challenging, Billings-Lindsey said, because primary care providers are an entry point to other health care. They’re often a patient’s first stop when they need help. Although Billings-Lindsey was unable to provide specific figures for primary care wait times at the health system’s offices, when a Bangor Daily News reporter called Northern Light Family Medicine and Residency office about getting a primary care doctor, an employee said the waitlist likely stretched until the end of summer 2026 — an approximately seven-month wait. Northern Light Internal Medicine is not currently accepting new patients, an employee told the reporter. When the reporter inquired with St. Joseph Hospital about getting on its primary care waitlist, an employee said it was about 1,800 people long. A spokesperson for the health care system did not respond to an email requesting confirmation. ConvenientMD is accepting new patients in Bangor with a wait time of about six months for a first visit, according to Harris. “There’s a lot of demand, and we want to be upfront about timing so we can bring on new patients at a pace that allows us to provide consistent, high-quality care,” she said. The practice’s three providers treat about 2,600 patients in total, Harris said, and a fourth provider is set to start next month. Penobscot Community Health Care has about 450 people on its waitlist for all locations, according to a statement from the organization. It has openings for new primary care patients in Belfast and is also accepting pediatric patients in Belfast, Bangor and Old Town. “Our patient intake specialist is contacting and scheduling patients every day,” PCHC said. Some patients may turn to smaller or more specialized clinics for their primary care as appointments remain difficult to come by. The Mabel Wadsworth Center, a reproductive health care provider in Bangor, is taking new primary care patients and scheduling out to April, according to Aspen Ruhlin, the center’s community engagement manager. Although Maine Family Planning, another reproductive health organization, was forced to close its primary care practices last year after the Trump administration barred it from receiving federal Medicaid funding, the Mabel Wadsworth Center is still providing primary care…

After years of requests from Deer Isle and Stonington to start the process of replacing the 89-year-old bridge that connects their island to the mainland, the state is beginning early steps to determine what could be next for the structure. Still, a Maine Department of Transportation spokesperson said Friday that the department has “no plan” to replace it and it’s too early to discuss any possibilities. The span carrying Route 15 over Eggemoggin Reach opened in 1939, replacing ferry service, and is the only road off the island. A mainland connection is crucial for island residents, who rely on it for access to services, jobs, supplies, workers, tourism dollars and sales outlets for its major lobster industry. Meanwhile, an inspection report of the bridge’s condition conducted last spring showed no critical problems. A replacement would be a major undertaking – possibly the most expensive highway and bridge project in Maine’s history, the department estimated in 2024 – and tens of millions have been spent on repairing the existing one, which the state plans to keep in service as long as is feasible. It can stay in service for a minimum of 20-25 years with ongoing maintenance and repairs, the department wrote in bid documents last summer. But the department is set to start a feasibility study in the coming months that will include early planning for a “future comprehensive bridge project.” Even though the structure is not in danger of failure, it’s still a challenge for use by modern vehicles, according to Deer Isle Town Manager Jim Fisher. “The bridge really doesn’t perform now, and I think that’s something I have to point out,” he said recently. The bridge is narrow and challenging for the town’s snowplows, which bang against its sides if a large vehicle comes in the other lane. He’s worried about what would happen if an accident on the bridge damaged it. Fisher and others have also raised concerns about apparent corrosion and broken cable wires. It’s also questionable where a replacement could be located, he said – a process that could take years. If the bridge had to be closed, it would cause big problems for islanders, officials have said. They’ve run emergency simulations in recent years trying to prepare. “The project has at least formally started now, so we’re glad to see that,” Fisher said. Meanwhile, the bridge is subject to regular inspections. A report from last spring’s inspection found three issues on the bridge needing immediate repair and one missing sign on the road approaching it. But no “critical” problems were found. Drainage troughs and downspouts below the finger joints on two piers were “fully clogged” with asphalt debris, leading to water spilling onto tower struts below them, the report said. Finger joints are interlocking plates on a road that allows it to expand and contract due to weather conditions. Cable ties also appeared loose at several points and allowed up to five eighths of an inch of movement between the cable and its tie, according to the report. During the inspection, cable tie bolts were tightened but the cables continued to move. Bolts connecting two of the cable ties to the bands were also loose. Third, an encasement at one of the bridge’s piers was displaced from its stem with missing or dislodged bolts. Finally, a weight posting sign on the Sedgwick side was missing. These items are “being addressed,” a spokesperson said last week. Some new broken wires were recorded in the bridge’s cables, but not listed as a critical finding. The bridge remains a “major focus and priority” for the state, the department wrote in bid documents for the feasibility study. It’s starting to look at options now in order to speed up funding, permitting and replacement when necessary, it wrote.

Lennon McAfee took the court for Foxcroft Academy on Thursday night sporting a black eye — a parting gift from a collision in his team’s game the night before against Hermon High School. But neither that shiner nor the fatigue of back-to-back games could slow the senior forward down. That might be because McAfee has been dealing with much larger obstacles his whole life. And rather than impede his growth as a basketball player, they have helped forge him into a force to be reckoned with in Maine’s Class C North region. While many high school players have a dominant hand that they use more than the other, McAfee has an arm that he can’t really use much at all. He suffered what’s known as a brachial plexus injury at birth, and despite several surgeries, has been left with about 15% usage in his right arm. “I was past due, and what they had to do — instead of breaking the collarbone, they ripped on my shoulder and it caused me to have my shoulder come out of place,” he explained about those birth complications. That means he has to do almost everything on the court with his left hand. For some, it might be a disadvantage. For McAfee, it’s fuel. “I think I definitely feel like I have a chip on my shoulder,” McAfee said. “Obviously I know some of my limitations, but I’m not going to let that just stop what I feel like I’m able to do and able to contribute to the team.” And boy does he contribute. McAfee is averaging more 18 points while hauling down around six rebounds and adding roughly three steals per game for the Ponies, who he has helped lead to a 10-2 record so far this season. Foxcroft Academy’s Lennon McAfee strips the ball from Central’s Carter Sheaff in a game at Central High School on Thursday. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN “He really is the heart and soul of our team and of our program,” said Foxcroft coach Charles Beale. “The amount of time that he’s spent and how much passion and effort that he gives, it’s pretty remarkable.” That passion and effort was evident right from the get-go on Thursday against Central High School of Corinth. McAfee set the tone early for the ponies by knocking down a couple of three-pointers, causing havoc on the defensive end and turning several turnovers into easy layups. He had 10 points in that first quarter and a game-high 22 at the end of the night. And he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter as Foxcroft sailed to its 10th win of the season to stay unbeaten in Class C play up to that point. Its only two losses as of Friday were at the hands of Class B Hermon. “In my opinion, Lennon is the most complete player in Class C in the state,” Beale said. “He rebounds it at a high rate. I think he’s leading Class C in steals. He’s shooting from beyond the arc at 50%. His field goal percentage is close to 60%.” Beale said that McAfee’s condition doesn’t make it easy to play basketball, but while other young players might be deterred by the cards he has been dealt, McAfee has embraced the hard path in front of him with a relentless work ethic. Foxcroft Academy’s Lennon McAfee takes a shot in a game against Central High School on Thursday. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN “He’s had this disability his whole life. He really can’t use his left arm for much more than like a support,” Beale explained. “He can’t dribble with it. He can’t, you know, lift it up. He can’t catch with it, so we can only pass it to him really 50% of his body. Most of the time he’s literally playing with one arm. It’s pretty amazing to see.” What’s even more amazing doesn’t just succeed mostly with his left arm, he does so with opponents knowing that he favors his left. Beale said he can’t help but laugh when he hears opponents and their fans thinking they can swarm McAfee on his left — something that is easier said than done, according to the coach. “One of my favorite things when we play basketball is, people from the crowd and other coaches just say like, ‘Take away the left, he can only go left.’ Kyle Corrigan, the…