Good morning, Bangor.

Staff at The County won four first-place awards at the Maine Press Association Better Newspaper Contest held Oct.

17 in South Portland — earning accolades for investigative reports, spot news, photography and business coverage — as the awards honor excellence across Maine's newspapers.

Volunteers built 300 window inserts at the Keith Anderson Community House in Orono to reduce drafts and save energy this winter — the nonprofit estimates each may cut fuel use by 8.5 gallons yearly and is inviting volunteers for next year's build.

Renovations are underway at 105 Main Street in downtown to turn a historic Adams Block into The Fireheart Tavern—a book bar featuring specialty coffee, cocktails and a curated book selection that will host community book clubs and meetings, with its opening expected in December pending renovation progress.

Burgers & Bad Decisions, a new burger restaurant, is set to open early November at 68 Main St to fill a downtown food gap.

The venue offers breakfast, burgers, arcade games for families & special discounts for first responders.

According to the Maine Department of Labor, the unemployment rate stayed at 3.3% in September, marking a record 57-month run below 4%.

Nonfarm wage and salary jobs increased by 1,700, mostly in the leisure & hospitality sector.

Gretchen Livingston of Cony High was named Maine’s 2027 Teacher of the Year at a Tuesday morning assembly in the school auditorium, where Maine Department of Education officials and Augusta school district staff presented the award.

Livingston said she looks forward to sharing new ideas with students statewide.

The Substance Affected Youth Program brought high & middle school planning boards together for a behind-the-scenes tour at Maine Savings Amphitheater to learn event logistics for the upcoming Penquis Youth Summits scheduled for May.

In Machiasport, filmmaker Todd Anders Johnson is producing a documentary about a local dispute over moving a road inland by 35 feet along a thousand feet of shoreline, a 500,000 dollars resiliency project facing homeowner opposition.

The town is finalizing construction plans + residents have challenged the eminent domain notice.

Bangor recorded 30 fatal overdoses from January through August, nearly as many as last year's 35 deaths, even as Maine saw statewide declines.

Doug Dunbar of Penobscot County Cares said local prevention efforts must increase to address the city's 70% higher per capita rate—signaling a need for expanded treatment.