Based on a philosophy blog that he has been running for 18 years, USM philosophy professor Jason Read's new book "Unemployed Negativity" contemplates popular culture and what it says about us all.

After a year of negotiations, the finalized contract increases salaries and significantly restructured the pay scale.

The controversial pesticide and fertilizer ordinance saw changes based on feedback from the Town Council and community members.

The Open Space Planning Committee will inventory existing protected land and create a plan to ensure open space within North Yarmouth remains for future generations.

Thomas Bennett, who transformed the library by digitizing their catalog and expanding programming, has accepted a new role with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to focus on archaeology and historic preservation.

Biddeford watercolorist Mimi Gregoire Carpenter's new paintings of beach findings are on display at Portland's Roux and Cyr International Fine Art Gallery this month.

The mobile optometry clinic came to Portland Public Schools as school nurses found that students were not able to get the vision care they needed.

It was the first discussion about a statement recognizing the Wabanaki people and their connection to the land at a town level.

The removal of the dams — a project decades in the making — will restore aquatic habitat and allow for the movement of fish in the river.

The South Portland-based nonprofit partners with over 40 schools in Greater Portland in addition to grocers, food pantries and other organizations to supply children and families in need with nutritious food.

Equal Measure Arts will provide scholarships to emerging artists to access, learn and record music at Monaco Studios in Falmouth.

The fund, run through the Maine Community Foundation, distributed over $222,000 in grants for a wide range of community-focused projects in 2024.

With the help of volunteers and the expertise of Town 4 Trail Services, a sustainable trail design and construction company, Falmouth Land Trust has begun updating their trails with climate-resilient strategies.

Photographer Barbara Peacock's "American Bedroom" is on display at the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts. The project took seven years and intimately depicts people in their bedrooms in every state of the U.S.

Portland restaurants Bissell Brothers and Regards offered seven-course seafood menus for the traditionally Italian American celebration of Christmas Eve.

The new Metro Connect aims to service areas where the Route 7 bus will no longer stop as of Dec. 29.

The nearly $2.5 million three-year federal grant for the project will make it so Maine is no longer the sole state to not inventory any sexual assault kits.

The SAD 51 School Board will vote on the contract on Dec. 19, finalizing the agreement that has been negotiated since January.

Town Council authorized applying for a grant to help fund EV charging stations, pending approval from the town’s budget process.

At the Falmouth Town Council meeting on Dec. 9, the town presented the changes to a controversial pesticide and fertilizer ordinance based on community feedback and delayed its approval as small changes will still be made.

Print studios across the city open their doors Dec. 13-15 for the annual Portland Print Crawl, encouraging residents to support local printmakers with their holiday shopping and showcasing Portland's robust printmaking community.

The Yarmouth nonprofit recently repaired its bulkhead, giving harvesters and researchers access to the Cousins River.

The town of Yarmouth installed 13 new municipal signs around town in the second phase of its rebranding campaign that began in 2022 with a new logo.

At this monthly grassroots gathering, community members come together to repair a wide variety of broken objects and share their skills with both friends and strangers.

Facilitated by death educator Leona Oceania, Portland residents are coming together to speak frankly about the ins and outs of dying and death.

After raising $1.56 million over two years, the nonprofit bicycle and outdoor gear organization secured its location on Washington Avenue, allowing for an expansion of programs and continued accessibility.

Seven Yarmouth students received the Wellcome Prize for Student Historians for their research papers and films.

Katie Murphy was honored for her dedication to preserving town history in North Yarmouth.

Local holiday events in the Greater Portland region support local businesses and bring a sense of community cheer.

Bicycle groups came together for "Cranksgiving," a scavenger hunt to buy food across Portland to donate to the Westbrook Food Pantry.

Portland Public Schools Wabanaki Studies Coordinator Fiona Hopper and Indigenous Advisor Bridgid Neptune were honored with the Education for the Common Good Award for developing the new curriculum.

The nonprofit organization is looking to raise $1.5 million toward its new 16,000-square-foot building on Congress Street in Portland and to stock it for up to three years.

The Yarmouth Community Alliance for Racial Equity reached out to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to rename the waterfall to its earliest name, Pumgustuck. The name will soon appear on federal maps.

The project on Battery Steele was organized by Scout Malcolm Nelson for his Eagle Scout project.

The Portland-based nonprofit will take over running the low-barrier shelter in February 2025 as Penobscot Community Health Center can no longer afford it. It is the only privately operated low-barrier shelter in Maine north of Waterville.

Multimedia artist Lisa DiFranza facilitated the mural through an artist residency at the Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine that focused on the theme of belonging.

David Whitten was honored for his service at Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6859, 57 years after he was injured in combat.

The ballot measure to fund three infrastructure projects passed with 4,312 to 1,768 votes.

Local high schoolers are joining a trend of hardworking Gen Z teens.

Families gathered at Payson Park to toss and smash old pumpkins into the compost at the event hosted by Portland's sustainability office.

The project aimed to increase tree canopy cover in the neighborhood that had distinctly fewer trees than the rest of the city and improve environmental equality.

The measure passed, 2521 votes to 410 votes. 

The ballot measure to fund three infrastructure projects passed with 4312 votes to 1768 votes.

A community feedback session on Oct. 30 brought up concerns over golf courses' exemption from the restriction, as well as suggesting an exemption for crabgrass management.

The popular seasonal tours of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House are based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Haunted Houses," and focus on those who lived and died in the Portland landmark.

Last week, a panel of local, state and federal representatives answered questions from 75 ESOL students at Portland Adult Education.

The National Historic Landmark on Danforth Street is undergoing three restoration projects that will bring it closer to its original appearance in 1860.