Editor’s note: The following is the first of two articles highlighting some of the top stories from 2024. This article highlights events from January to June. The second installment will be published Jan. 1.
January:
A state commission called on the federal government to help members of the National Guard exposed to toxic chemicals while training at a military support base in Gagetown, New Brunswick. The 10-member Gagetown Harmful Chemical Study Commission, charged with submitting a report to the Maine Legislature regarding the effects of these chemicals on reservists, completed a four-recommendation draft report in December.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle put the Houlton Higher Education Center on the market after determining that the 15,662-square-foot facility in downtown Houlton was too large for its current needs. Dwindling tuition revenues, a student preference for remote learning and financial deficits projected to keep increasing, pushed the university to seek an alternative, said Ray Rice, president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle in a July, 2023, public forum on the matter.
February:
Suzanne Hiltz, owner of Das NiederHiltz Haus in Cary, was awarded a $25,000 Maine Domestic Trade Grant to expand her Chapped Hide line of salves by marketing them at trade shows from Maine to Texas. Hiltz was one of 40 Maine businesses selected in the first round of domestic trade grants from Gov. Janet Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan.
The Maine Land Use Planning Commission denied a Canadian mining company’s rezoning application for a proposed mine on Pickett Mountain in northern Penobscot County. In a 5-to-2 vote, the eight-member commission stopped Wolfden’s attempt to rezone 374 acres from limited use to industrial use with the goal of applying for a mining permit from the state.
March:
Gov. Janet Mills signed into law an act that supports creating drug treatment courts throughout Maine, especially in rural parts of the state that have been hard hit by the opioid epidemic. For people in Aroostook, the only Maine judicial jurisdiction without a treatment and recovery court, the passage of this bill brings the possibility of a treatment and recovery court closer.
Southern Aroostook Community School girls basketball team won the state title for a third year in row. Despite a 14-point, first-half deficit against Valley of Bingham in the Class D girls basketball state championship game, the Dyer Brook team came from behind in a 60-42 victory.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent discovered a stranded Chinese citizen whose vehicle got stuck in a snowbank at a closed Canadian port of entry in Aroostook County, leading to the arrest of four people accused of illegally crossing into the country. The three were on foot and in distress from the weather, agents said.
April:
A last minute weather change made Houlton one of the best places for viewing the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. According to event planners, the solar event drew nearly 25,000 people from 48 states and international locations.
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians breathed new life into the Stardust Motel, a nearly 50-year-old motel located on Route 1 in Houlton. In April, they opened The Wolastoq Inn and Suites, a more than $2 million project that took nearly three years to complete between major construction, restoration and renovation, and securing HUD American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Several downtown Houlton businesses closed within days of the April 8 total solar eclipse that brought about 25,000 visitors to the town. Many of the businesses stayed open in the Aroostook County town of 5,700 hoping that the rush of eclipse visitors might sustain them in the weeks to come. While the owners are closing their brick and mortar locations for various reasons,
May:
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court upheld a Caribou native’s 16-year sentence in the 1985 death of her infant daughter, Baby Jane Doe. Lee Ann Daigle was indicted by a grand jury on one count of intentional, knowing or depraved murder in 2022 and the following year, Daigle pleaded guilty to criminal negligence manslaughter. Superior Court Justice Stephen Nelson sentenced Daigle to 16 years, all but six suspended, with three years probation. Daigle appealed the sentence in a Portland court.
The RSU 29 school board voted to restore several educational programs and co-curricular activities, including the French program, after RSU 29 registered voters amended the proposed $16.4 million fiscal year 2024-2025 school budget to $16.9 million. With the budget hike, the local contribution jumped to $1,222,782. The towns in the district are Houlton, Hammond, Littleton and Monticello.
June:
Houlton resident Craig Harriman filed a lawsuit against the Houlton Police Dept. for allegedly not complying with Freedom of Access Act requests. Harriman requested access to town government records relevant to the installation of 50 surveillance cameras and the policies and procedures regarding the cameras’ data, according to the lawsuit. Subsequently, town officials filed a response in Houlton Superior Court seeking to permanently dismiss Harriman’s lawsuit, alleging they never denied his request for the documents. They also asked that Harriman pay for all legal costs incurred by the town as well as any other relief determined by the court, according to court documents.
The new Salted Butter Farm restaurant on Gardiner Road in Sherman opened after months of construction delays. In its Alice in Wonderland mismatched world of vintage china from grandmothers, aunts and long-forgotten attics, the quirky restaurant in the purple Victorian mansion sold out of nearly everything during its soft opening.
