Today is Monday. Temperatures will be in the high 50s to the low 60s with partly cloudy skies throughout the state. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today. Another 36 coronavirus cases were reported in Maine on Sunday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 595 active confirmed and “probable” cases in the state and the death toll remains at 142. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Sunday that she has tested negative for the coronavirus amid the national upheaval over President Donald Trump’s recent infection. President Donald Trump declared, “I get it,” in a video Sunday evening before briefly leaving the hospital to salute supporters from his motorcade in a move raising new questions about his understanding of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 209,000 Americans. Absentee voting is underway in Maine, and we’ve launched our Voter’s Guide for the 2020 Election. In it, you’ll be able to search by address to see which candidates will be on your ballot for the federal and state elections. We’ve been asking you all year about the subjects you care about, and we used those responses to ask pointed questions of the candidates. You’ll also find other key information, such as how to apply for and submit an absentee ballot, how to vote in-person early and how ranked-choice voting works. A woman makes a heart with her hands before Donald Trump Jr.’s speech outside Maine Military Supply in Holden on Sept. 23. Credit: Natalie Williams / BDN In Maine, the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign restarted in-person events in June and they have been canvassing face to face nationally for months. Former Democratic nominee Joe Biden has held only small events and his campaign recently announced it would start in-person canvassing in key states, citing caution about the virus. In Maine, health officials have not tied outbreaks to political events of any kind. Kim and Mark Hopper own Bangor Sandwich Co., a new downtown Bangor eatery. Credit: Emily Burnham / BDN Bangor Sandwich Co., a new downtown Bangor eatery opening later this month, will serve up Detroit-style pizza — a crispy, chewy pan pizza that owners Kim and Mark Hopper started making at home a few years ago to universal acclaim from their family. Anne Boucher, special education teacher at Brewer Community School, reads a book from behind a plexiglass divider to one of her students Friday morning. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN As a radically different school year gets underway, requirements that teachers keep their distance from students, and that students keep their distance from each other, can pose a challenge with special education, which often requires teachers and students to be in closer contact with each other so students can get the individual attention they need. An exceptionally high tide in the Damariscotta River in February 2008 flooded the town’s riverside parking lot and the bottom floors of some of buildings on the south side of Main Street. Credit: Courtesy of the town of Damariscotta The problem is not unique to Damariscotta as rising sea levels caused by climate change are affecting towns all along the Maine coast, from York to Washington counties. Many of them are assessing how they might adapt to the changing conditions. But Damariscotta, with more than $4 million committed to making improvements, is further along than most. “We need to do something to protect our downtown buildings,” said Matt Lutkus, Damariscotta’s town manager. When exceptionally high tides occur, and when storm surge flows up the tidal river from the Gulf of Maine, roughly 15 miles downstream, he said, “the water comes up through the storm drains.” Jonathan Jaques, who owns the Hansom House, the “most absurd bar in the world,” looks up at the sculpture he created in the great room of his Dennysville bar. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN Dennysville is a long way from the Hamptons, the wealthy Long Island, New York, enclave known for its summer residents — high-profile celebrities, Wall Street financiers and politicians. That’s precisely why, in 2002, Southampton native Jonathan Jaques and his wife relocated from there to the Washington County village, population 342. And it’s there where they have opened Hansom House. If you’re new to building campfires, they can sometimes be a challenge to light and maintain. Credit: Stock image | Pexels If you’re new to building campfires, they can sometimes be a challenge to light and maintain. Plus, there are certain laws you should know about what you can burn and where. And if not built correctly and in the right place, campfires can easily cause forest fires. So before you strike a match, here are a few things you should know about building a campfire in Maine. In other Maine news… Maine sales tax receipts for July may foreshadow slowing economy Man killed by Amtrak train in Old Orchard Beach Winthrop mobile home park death considered suspicious Hunter takes 2 birds with one shot |