Governor Janet Mills will deliver Maine's State of the State Address in person, next month, instead of the virtual speech she gave in 2021.

Throughout the pandemic, Governor Mills has talked about life getting back to normal, with restaurants reopening, relaxation of the mask mandates, and other changes that would make us feel like the pandemic might be slowing down. And, in some ways, life is a little more 'normal' than it has been for the past 18 months. Kids are in school and many shuttered businesses have reopened.

Next month, Mills will take governing a little closer to its pre-pandemic routine by delivering the State of the State Address in person. On Thursday, February 10th, Governor Mills will visit the House Chamber to deliver her address to a Joint Convention of the State Legislature, beginning at 7:00 p.m. This is a departure from last year when she gave the address virtually, in the interest of keeping everyone distanced and safe.

The Governor said, in a media release this week, that it's been the strength of Maine residents that has enabled the state to make progress against the challenges of the pandemic.

Of course, there is no doubt that there are still significant challenges in front of us, from the rising costs of everyday goods because of the pandemic to long-standing issues like our workforce shortage made worse by it. But for the first time in a long time, we are tackling these issues head-on to ensure that as we emerge from this pandemic, we emerge a stronger state, with a more vibrant economy that provides good-paying jobs that Maine people can raise a family on in every corner of the state.

Governor Mills was invited to deliver her address by the Legislature's Presiding officers, Senate President Troy Jackson, and Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau.

The Top 20 Maine News Stories of 2021 You Clicked on the Most

There were some surprises on this list of the top 20 news stories you clicked on in 2021.

15 Ways to Avoid Falling Victim to Crimes of Opportunity

Protecting your valuables is often a matter of being aware of potential risks. These tips could help save you from what police call crimes of opportunity.

More From