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Midcoast Villager · Thomaston, ME

Nearby: Thomaston, ME

Ida Crie's Legacy

When the Shore Village (Rockland) broke away from Thomaston along with South Thomaston in 1848, a new world was on the horizon with the dawning of early photography in the 1840s.

Midcoast Villager · Searsmont, ME

Nearby: Searsmont, ME

Talk of the Towns for Nov. 12

In town news this week, Joyce and Mickey Sirota write that Sarah Thompkins, who was seriously injured in the Robbins Lumber mill fire and explosion in Searsmont in May, may be coming home in the next month. First responder Lily…

White River Valley Herald · Randolph, ME

Nearby: Randolph, ME

Is Turnover a Sign of Success?

The former Wit & Grit and Oak & Iron buildings sit empty with their signs still hanging on Merchants Row. (Herald / Wilder Grimes) On October 19, the owners of Oak & Iron announced they’d be leaving their Merchants Row location to move to White River Junction. “A heartfelt thank you to Randolph, the surrounding communities and all of our wonderful guests for supporting us and making the past two years memorable,” owners Nate Aldrich and Katie Hanscom wrote in a post on Facebook. The pair explained the move came with the decision to be closer to their hometown and family. Hoping for a quick turnover, Aldrich and Hanscom expect to reopen in their new location sometime this month. Opening in April of 2025 and closing about one and a half years later, the boutique steakhouse is the third restaurant to leave Randolph this year, following Chef’s Market and Wit and Grit. Prior to Oak & Iron’s opening, Tacocat Cantina filled the space from November of 2020, until closing in 2024.

The Student Life · Waterville, ME

Nearby: Waterville, ME

5C community gather to watch and reflect on midterm elections

Students across the Claremont Colleges gathered on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to follow the results of the 2026 midterm elections at multiple watch parties. Students reflected on the importance of creating spaces for political debate and shared their experiences with voting. The next day, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, Claremont McKenna College government professors Jack Pitney and Andrew Sinclair hosted a post-election debrief at the CMC Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum where they analyzed the results in which Democrats took control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Sinclair said the significance of this election “shapes the way we understand other elections from the past.” Ahead of election night, students from battleground states voiced concerns about the various candidates running. Students across the Claremont Colleges gathered on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to follow the results of the 2026 midterm elections at multiple watch parties.

Molalla Pioneer / Herald Pioneer · Brunswick, ME

Nearby: Brunswick, ME

SALUTE TO VETERANS | A Marine career that spanned the globe

(CANBY) — Spending 22 years serving in the U.S. Marine Corps takes one all over the world, and into all sorts of interesting situations. When Canby’s Alex Bello left the Corps in 1999, he knew two things: first, he wanted to get some schooling; second, he wanted to build things for people. And that’s what he’s been doing since. “I was tired of destruction. I wanted to build things, to build community, and that got me into construction,” Bello, age 68, explained. “The combat engineers piqued my interest in getting into construction. I just knew I didn’t want to go into law enforcement or a federal agency, which a lot of peers had done.” Bello’s Marine Corps journey actually began when he was about 14 years old. His brother-in-law took him to the July 4th parade in California, and the Marines were there with a color guard. “He had been in the Marines and our conversation sort of ended with him telling me that I should join,” said Bello.