News in Review, April 5 – April 9, 2021
News in Review features some of the most recent local and state stories, articles and posts.
If you missed an article or want to read it again, we have put it together for you to see.
Some of the posts we all look at involve local issues in northern Maine, and in particular in the County and western New Brunswick.
News of the Week gives you a chance to see the headlines if that’s all you have time for in your busy life. If you like to get an idea of what’s going on in the world, it’s a great resource.
We also give you a chance to dig deeper into the stories that affect us all. You can click and link to articles on our sites to get the details.
We have pictures (when available) to tell the story even more. Oftentimes, you’ll see Facebook and Twitter embedded in the post to give you links and follow ups.
We know how important it is to our readers to get the news on a timely basis. It’s also a great advantage to be able to go back and see what you missed or get some additional info on an article you barely had time to read.
TREASURE HUNT: A Maine couple has hidden $20,000 somewhere in the state and they’re inviting treasure seekers to come and get it.
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine couple has hidden $20,000 somewhere in the state and they’re inviting treasure seekers to come and get it.
The creators of the treasure hunt and the company behind the hunt, Dirigo Treasures LLC, are Kurt and Kelly Stokes of Newcastle.
The Lincoln County News reports that the couple spent three years exploring and photographing locations around the state before creating an elaborate hide-and-seek game. They say the idea was to get people outside to explore the state, which just celebrated its bicentennial.
LOCAL NEWS: Northern Light AR Gould Hospital has a new treatment option available for certain cancer patients called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).
Northern Light AR Gould Hospital is proud to announce a new treatment option available for certain cancer patients. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an advanced, high-tech treatment option to add to the hospital’s arsenal against cancer.
AR Gould Hospital already provides the most comprehensive cancer care north of Bangor, and those services expanded when the hospital provided an SBRT treatment to its first patient last month on March 4. Receiving that treatment was Jerry Boulier of Fort Fairfield.
“It was great to have this treatment closer to home,” said Boulier, who underwent the same type of therapy in Bangor two years ago. “When I traveled to Bangor, I stayed with my son who took me to appointments. While it was great seeing him, I prefer being able to be home, especially during the winter months. I can deal with it better when I am able to go home after a treatment.”
SBRT is a cancer treatment that delivers extremely precise, very intense doses of radiation to cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. This happens by focusing multiple weak beams from different directions into an intense, cancer-killing dose, much like a magnifying glass focuses the rays of the sun. This treatment has shown dramatically better outcomes and fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy. READ THE FULL STORY.
MAINE NEWS: LifeFlight of Maine recently secured over 6000 donations during a fundraiser that has allowed them to purchase two helicopters to replace two that have been in service since 2004.
LifeFlight Maine is a helicopter medical transport company in the state of Maine. They are a nonprofit company that provide a wonderful service to the state of Maine considering how remote many of our locations are.
The company was started here in Maine in 1998, and since that time has air lifted and transported more than 30,000 patients. They assisted and transported over 2,200 patients last year alone according to an article by Mainebiz.
The LifeFlight of Maine service flies out of three bases, Sanford, Lewiston, and Bangor to serv e the needs of Maine. READ THE FULL STORY.
More can Attend Weddings, Parties in Maine Next Month
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine is set to relax attendance restrictions for private events such as weddings and private parties next month.
Indoor events have been limited to 50% of permitted occupancy or 50 people, whichever is greater, since late March.
The Maine Department of Economic & Community Development said earlier this week that the restrictions will rise to 75% of permitted occupancy or 50 people, whichever is greater, on May 24. The restrictions on outdoor events will rise from 75% to 100% of permitted occupancy on May 24.
The restrictions are designed to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the state, state officials said. “Group social gatherings such as weddings, celebrations, and similar private events with invited attendees bring people from multiple communities into close contact with each other and have the potential to increase COVID-19 transmission,” the economic development department said in a statement.
“The primary tools to control the spread of COVID-19 are to reduce exposure to respiratory droplets through physical distancing and masks, increase hand hygiene, and avoid shared items and common touch surfaces.”