Today is Thursday. Temperatures will be in the low 80s to mid-60s from north to south, with sunny skies throughout the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today. Two Mainers died and another 202 coronavirus cases were reported across the state on Wednesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The statewide death now stands at 807. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information. Maine plans to phase out COVID-19 safety checklists starting at the end of this week and instead rely on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, state officials said Wednesday. For Maine performance venues that had already planned outdoor events or lower capacity shows, many have already made the decision to keep those limits in place, and continue with outdoor shows. In this April 28, 2020, file photo, Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a news conference in Augusta. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP The new vaccination program is free of charge. Northern Light Walk-In Care on Union Street in Bangor. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN While many have appointments, the site has also seen numerous walk-ins since it opened on May 11. In this April 8, 2020, file photo, bicyclists wear pandemic masks while riding in Portland. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP The mask mandate is ending as many adults still aren’t fully vaccinated and young children aren’t eligible to receive any COVID-19 vaccines. Abraham Durani loads a plate with fried chicken at his restaurant, Tasty Fried Chicken, in Portland on Wednesday. Durani said wholesale chicken prices have gone up dramatically and he doesn’t want to pass the bill on to his customers. Credit: Troy R. Bennett / BDN Abraham Durani cleared a lot of hurdles to open his fried chicken joint during a pandemic. You’ll have to forgive him if he didn’t see a national chicken shortage coming. In this April 20, 2021, file photo, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, arrives for a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / AP “The House bill should be modified to follow the 9/11 Commission’s non-partisan, independent investigation as closely as possible and also should be staffed by experienced personnel chosen by both the Chairman and Vice Chairman,” the Maine senator said in a statement. Anglers fishing in Maine’s freshwaters need to be aware of the state’s mercury contamination fish consumption advisories. Credit: Nick Sambides / BDN While Maine’s lakes, rivers and streams are home to great fishing, they are also contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic mercury. Maine Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, looks through papers at his desk in the State House in Augusta in this August 2019 file photo. Credit: Troy R. Bennett / BDN The bipartisan bill from Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, would protect Mainers’ rights to collect food as long as they do not trespass or steal from another or abuse public lands or natural resources. The 800-square-foot hello hello books in Rockland pictured in 2019. It’s almost as an aside when hello hello books owner Lacy Simons mentions in conversation that this year marks 10 years of owning the tiny bookshop that’s tucked in the back of a cafe in downtown Rockland. It seems like a surreal time to be celebrating an anniversary In other Maine news … Minot native pleads not guilty to charges related to Jan. 6 siege Greene man’s truck went airborne and crashed while he was distracted counting cashed paycheck Maine man accused of 1986 slaying of Connecticut girl pleads not guilty to federal child porn charge Kittens found living inside public works facility in Portland Maine delegation raises concerns about reported cuts to Navy destroyer construction Genealogy experts are trying to identify a woman found dead in Portland in 2015 Janet Mills wants $35M in workforce training at community colleges | 