Morning update: What you need to know in Maine today

TODAY’S TOP MAINE STORIES

Maine has been paying for kids to go to out-of-state treatment facilities where an investigation found abuse. The finding comes from a two-year federal inquiry into residential programs operated by the country’s largest for-profit providers of behavioral health care for youth.

Bangor’s school superintendent said ‘lack of trust’ was a factor in his retirement. James Tager, who steps down at the end of the month, said he was pushed by a handful of administrators.

Bangor State Fair organizers want to “restore it to its former glory.” After being hit hard by the pandemic, the fair has slowly bounced back. Organizers are expecting about 25,000 people to attend this year.

A judge will decide if a lawsuit alleging Hermon schools discriminated against a church can continue. Pines Church says the school department barred it from leasing an auditorium because of its conservative beliefs.

When a Maine veteran’s body was abandoned at a funeral home, strangers came to help. Gerry Brooks had been deemed abandoned in the care of Direct Cremation of Maine in Belfast after his May 18 death.

MAINE IN PICTURES

Jerome Quirion of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, wades back to shore after venturing into the chilly Atlantic Ocean with his 18-month-old daughter, Amelie, while vacationing, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The heat wave that has been hitting much of the United States is now moving into the Northeast. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE 

Ellsworth narrows police chief search to 3 candidates

Maine CDC expands warnings about PFAS in fish

See which Maine towns have PFAS restrictions on eating fish

Harness racing canceled in Bangor because of the heat wave

3 people accused of stealing puppy from parked car in Ellsworth

A 19-year-old Mainer is missing

Death of man found on Lincolnville beach ruled a suicide

Subject of multi-agency Bangor manhunt allegedly tried stealing $35 in trading cards

Kayaker rescued after breaking leg while paddling on Maine river

Mainer dies after becoming trapped under tractor

Man who drowned in Maine river while fishing with son on Father’s Day has been identified

Brunswick man accused of child sexual exploitation

Massachusetts emergency text alerts mistakenly sent to Mainers 

Massachusetts man allegedly threw bag of fentanyl from car while fleeing from Maine police

Navy destroyer to visit Eastport during July 4 celebration

UMaine issues warning about a black bear sighting on bike paths 

Residents of impassable Grand Isle road fed up with lack of maintenance

Portland businesses want to rein in the city’s emergency minimum wage

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

As temperatures soar into the 90s across most of the state this week, we want to know: how do you heat proof your house during the summer? Have you done anything in particular to keep your home cool even as the sun blazes outside? Click through to respond to our story, or send us an email with your name and hometown and how you’ve managed to keep your house comfortable during the heat of summer.

FROM THE OPINION PAGES  

“Since even partial evidence of aliens might scare the public too much, there is an overriding incentive to keep matters under wraps.”

Opinion: Uncertainty around UFOs demands more information and transparency

LIFE IN MAINE

With more than 300 entrants, organizers of the inaugural Bangor marathon say they’re in it ‘for the long haul.’

Heat waves are not good for cold-water fish species. Like a person trying to breathe in high humidity, a cold water fish swimming in really warm surface water will struggle to get enough oxygen.

Stand-up paddleboarding is a graceful way to travel on water and a great way to strengthen your entire body. If you want to get started, here are a few things to consider.