Local Coronavirus COVID-19 Resource Center: Alerts, Closings, Cancellations
Decision on spring season rests with MPA
As our schools begin their third week of shutdowns, thoughts are turning to spring sports and what the season could look like.
So far, schools are slated to reopen April 27. Boothbay Region High School Athletic Director Allan Crocker said March 27, “I’m very hopeful that we’ll have a spring sports season of some kind. I imagine it will look very different than the season we planned on having in terms of the length of the preseason and the number of contests played.”
Athletes… Read more
March 28 update: Two recover from COVID-19 in Lincoln County; statewide 211 confirmed cases
AUGUSTA — The Maine CDC has updated its list, March 28, of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Maine. Today, there are 211 cases confirmed.
Thirty-six people in Maine have since recovered from COVID-19, while one person has passed.
By sex, 104 males tested positive in the state and 107 females tested positive.
Confirmed Cases: This number represents tests that come back positive from any approved lab.
Negative Tests: This number… Read more
BRES, BRHS teachers, admin plan parade March 30
Boothbay Region Elementary and High school teachers and administrators are planning a parade to reconnect with students and families from a distance March 30.
“We miss our students and families!” said the Thursday evening release. “Teachers and staff will drive through Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor in parade to wave and say hello. Be sure to come outside and wave back. Tell your friends!”
The routes and approximate times will be sent out by the CSD once they are finalized.… Read more
Boothbay Region YMCA receives funding for weekend meals
The Boothbay Region YMCA has received $10,000 in emergency funding from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation in order to continue providing weekend meals for area youth. Curb side pick up at YMCA parking lot is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for Saturday and Sunday.
This food program work is a collaborative effort between multiple organizations. For many years, our Y has participated in a food security collaborative to tackle the increasing rate of food insecurity faced by our… Read more
LMP Family Medicine in Wiscasset temporarily moves to Miles campus
In order to strengthen its response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) while continuing to provide care for patients with other health needs, LincolnHealth has temporarily relocated Lincoln Medical Partners Family Medicine in Wiscasset to the Watson Health Center in Damariscotta.
“This is a time where we must anticipate the growing needs related to COVID-19,’’ said James Donovan, pesident of LincolnHealth. “Having this team on the Miles campus creates another layer of resources we may need if… Read more
BRYMCA remains closed at least through April 8
Boothbay Region YMCA will remained closed at least through April 8. Executive Director Andy Hamblett made the announcement through a March 26 letter sent to the membership. During the closure, Y staff are providing limited day care service, extensively cleaning the facility, disinfecting equipment and completing maintenance work. The Healthy Living Staff is also working with Boothbay Region Television to provide exercise video classes. The Y-Arts director is staying in contact with students… Read more
Two weeks at home and students are missing school
Decades from now, today’s students will tell their children about the time they couldn’t go to school because a virus caused everything, including schools, to close. And most will say they missed being there.
With schools closed since Monday, March 16, the. Boothbay Register checked with a sampling of local teachers to see how distance learning is going.
Boothbay Region High School English teacher Mark Gorey said distance learning is “asynchronous,” meaning students are… Read more
Faith Blethen returns home after college basketball, academic year cut short
Faith Blethen’s first college basketball season ended two weeks earlier than her first academic year as a collegian. The 2019 Boothbay Region High School grad played this basketball season for George Washington University in the women’s Atlantic 10 conference. On March 17, the NCAA cancelled all remaining collegiate athletics for 2019-20. A few days later, colleges and universities across the nation cancelled the academic semester. So Blethen and thousands of other college students all… Read more
March 27 update: Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rise in Knox County, statewide
AUGUSTA — The Maine CDC has updated its list, March 27, of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Maine. Today, there are 168 cases confirmed.
Twenty-four people in Maine have since recovered from COVID-19, while one person has passed.
By sex, 82 males tested positive in the state and 86 females tested positive.
Confirmed Cases: This number represents tests that come back positive from any approved lab.
Negative Tests: This number… Read more
Maine records first death of individual who tested positive for COVID-19
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) today, March 27, reported the first death of an individual who had tested positive for the disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The individual was a man in his 80s from Cumberland County. Due to privacy laws, Maine CDC is limited in releasing further details.
“This is a sad day for the State of Maine. I know I join countless people in extending my condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones… Read more
Healthy Kids provides support to parents, professionals online
Healthy Kids knows this is a hard time for everyone. In order to be helpful, the following are available online. Healthy Kids Facebook page, @healthykidsmaine, is posting activities for children of all ages daily. Any parent wishing to get some parenting support can call the office and/or ask to take a parenting class through Zoom. Contact Mindy at 563-1818 or email mcorrell@tidewater.net for information.
Healthy Kids will also be posting… Read more
Governor launches online resource outlining ways Mainers can help Mainers amid COVID-19
AUGUSTA — In response to the extraordinary generosity of Maine people, businesses, and organizations looking to help during these challenging times, Governor Janet Mills launched a new online resource, coronavirus.maine.gov/mainehelps, to outline ways in which Maine people can support efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The kindness and generosity of Maine… Read more
After adjournment due to COVID-19, lawmakers feel pressure to decide on more than 450 bills
More than 450 pieces of legislation are in limbo, including measures to reform Maine’s criminal justice system, following the sudden adjournment of the Legislature last week because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Some of the criminal justice bills address how juveniles are punished and rehabilitated, whether steps can be taken to reduce the use of cash bail and whether some violations now considered crimes should be reduced to civil offenses.
“The unfortunate… Read more
Popham Beach among State Parks closed due to overcrowding
Effective Friday, March 27, at 12:01 a.m., the following Midcoast and Southern Maine coastal State Parks and beaches are closed until April 8: Reid State Park, Popham Beach State Park, Fort Popham, Fort Baldwin, Kettle Cove State Park, Two Lights State Park, Crescent Beach State Park, Scarborough Beach State Park, Ferry Beach State Park, and Mackworth Island.
The closure could be extended depending on the spread of the potentially deadly virus, according to the Department of… Read more
Gov. Mills extends state income tax filing, payment deadline to July 15
AUGUSTA — Governor Janet Mills and Commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services Commissioner Kirsten Figueroa announced today, March 26, the State will extend the deadline for Maine income tax payments from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020, according to a news release.
The change aligns with the Federal government’s recent extension of the Federal tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020.
“It is my hope that moving back this deadline will help provide a… Read more
March 26 update: 155 confirmed statewide COVID-19 cases; one in Knox County, two in Waldo County, five in Lincoln County
AUGUSTA — The Maine CDC has updated its list, March 26, of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Maine. Today, there are 155 cases confirmed and 3,394 tests have returned as negative.
Sixteen people in Maine have since recovered from COVID-19.
By sex, 76 males tested positive in the state and 79 females tested positive.
Confirmed Cases: This number represents tests that come back positive from any approved lab.
Negative Tests: This… Read more
How to safely spend time outside
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department and Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry know that during these stressful times, everyone wants to get outside and recharge. One challenge we all face right now is how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly during this civil state of emergency.
Here are a few reminders on how you can get some fresh air while being smart, staying safe, and sticking close to home.
Go where they aren’t (AKA how to avoid… Read more
Lincoln County request for personal protective equipment
The Lincoln County EMA Emergency Operations Center issued a request March 26 for new, unused Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to assist our front line Emergency Medical, Fire Department and Law Enforcement first responders, health care providers and health care facilities responding to COVID-19. Needed supplies include: N95 masks (NIOSH approved equivalent or similar), surgical protective masks, nitrile gloves, eye protection, face shields, disposable protective gowns or suits, disposable… Read more
Seasonal water delay a concern for board
Boothbay Harbor selectmen held off choosing to join Southport and Boothbay March 23 in pursuing a delay in the seasonal water turn-on date. The Boothbay Harbor board deferred a decision until a special meeting March 30. The issue was brought forth earlier in the day in an emergency meeting of the Boothbay selectmen in which Southport Select Board Chair Gerry Gamage proposed delaying… Read more
Making it home from Mexico
For Nikki and Jimmy MacDonald of Boothbay Harbor, life in Oaxaca, Mexico, was the beginning of a new adventure. “We’d been there for about two months and planned to stay indefinitely,” said Nikki MacDonald.
The MacDonalds teach English as a foreign language online. “We loved Oaxaca, we were enjoying learning Spanish, the people were great,” MacDonald said.
But when the coronavirus began to impact the U.S., everything changed.
“We’d been keeping an eye on things,” said… Read more
Boothbay transfer station closing Wednesdays starting April 1
Effective as of April 1, the Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District’s transfer station in Boothbay will be closed on Wednesdays so that we can stay in compliance with the CDC recommendations for the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect our employees.
We are changing staffing levels in hopes that we will not have to close if one of our employees comes down with COVID-19. Closing Wednesdays is temporary to get us through the pandemic. We will go back to normal hours as soon as we feel it… Read more
Maine bankers take action to help feed families
WESTBROOK, ME – With the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing in place, many Mainers find themselves out of work or working remotely with children home due to school closings. Many of Maine’s school children depend on school meals for their nutrition and in this current crisis may be forced to go hungry. To support families in need, the Maine Bankers Association has rallied 34Maine banks – listed below – to raise $61,000 in a matter of hours to support food pantries throughout the state… Read more
UPDATE: Bouchers welcome daughter home to Edgecomb from Vietnam
UPDATE: Deb Boucher said via email Monday, her daughter arrived back in Maine Saturday night. “She is at the (friend’s) house where she is isolating. She is fine, healthy and in good spirits although a bit tired as you would expect.”
Original post: The distance between Edgecomb, Maine and Hanoi, Vietnam is 7,933 miles. The long trip is further complicated by current travel restrictions due to the coronavirus. But a former Edgecomb resident is returning home from Vietnam Saturday with… Read more
Sec. Dunlap: CDLs, registrations extended during emergency; Real ID enforcement delayed
AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap is updating all Maine residents with the latest developments surrounding BMV transactions during the emergency closure period.
Sec. Dunlap closed all BMV offices Tuesday, March 17 to aid in preventing the spread of COVID-19 among staff and the public, and the closure will remain in effect until further notice.
- The Maine Legislature, in its… Read more
Update on Maine unemployment insurance during COVID-19 pandemic
AUGUSTA – A significant number of individuals are filing unemployment insurance (UI) claims and reaching out to the Maine Department of Labor with questions as Mainers lose work due to COVID-19.
“The Maine Department of Labor is working as quickly as it can to process the unprecedented number of unemployment claims,” said Commissioner Laura Fortman, in a March 24 news release. “The unemployment insurance program provides a critical economic lifeline and is experiencing extremely… Read more
Newcastle woman sculpts socially distanced snowmen
Nicole St. Cyr of Newcastle is taking social distancing seriously. She thinks it should also apply to snowmen. March 24, after the overnight snowstorm, she got busy building a line of snowmen on her lawn being careful to make sure they were at least six feet apart.
“The snowmen can’t be together,” said St. Cyr, who lives with her family on Academy Hill Road.
She even made one on the roof of her van to show how some snowmen are exercising extreme caution. St. Cyr had to work… Read more
Seeing: Social distancing
The Boothbay Register is resurrecting its “Seeing:” photo gallery series and is welcoming photo submissions from the housebound all along the peninsula. These times of self-isolation and social distancing are necessary, but can be overwhelming for most of us. We’re hoping that connecting through photography will diminish some of that stress and help us come together. Please send submissions to: news@boothbayregister.
Maine Health Care Association launches intergenerational online effort to reach long term care residents
The Maine Health Care Association has launched an intergenerational program designed to reach nursing home and assisted living residents with messages of encouragement, love, and support during these unprecedented times.
Currently, federal and state guidelines are restricting visits to nursing homes and assisted living communities to protect vulnerable residents from illness and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We recognize the… Read more
Gov. Janet Mills orders further steps to protect public health, issues new order effective March 25
Under the authority granted to her during a State of Civil Emergency, Governor Janet Mills today issued an Executive Order mandating that all non-essential businesses and operations in Maine close their physical locations that are public facing, meaning those that allow customer, vendor or other in-person contact. The Order also closes non-essential business sites that require more than ten workers to convene in a space where physical distancing is not possible. Non-essential businesses and… Read more
Ports Pizzeria teams up with Food for Thought program
Ports Pizzeria made enough meals to feed 31 families from Southport to Edgecomb March 23. It received food donations from the recently closed Thistle Inn and Restaurant and Brady’s Restaurant through Boothbay Region Community Resource Council. The families were served through BRCRC’s Food for Thought program.
Ports Pizzeria manager Jeff Teel credited… Read more