As the new year begins, we take a look back at some of the news that happened in 2024. This week we present Part 2, highlights from July through December.
July
The Fort Fairfield Town Council voted 3-2 to adopt a $4,026,065 budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Because the town has worked to pay down its debts in the past year and received an increase of nearly $1.2 million in state revenue sharing, residents will not see taxes raised.
Northern Maine Community College President Tim Crowley announced he would retire Aug. 1. Crowley had been president of the Presque Isle campus since 2002.
Maine’s new bishop, the Most Rev. James Thomas Ruggieri, visited several Aroostook County sites to see firsthand the work of Catholic Charities Maine. Ruggieri was installed in May as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland’s 13th bishop. The trip was his first visit to Aroostook County.
August
Central Aroostook County lost one of its three nursing homes when the last resident left and the Presque Isle Rehab and Nursing Center closed for good. The facility served central Aroostook for 48 years. Its 44 residents went to other Aroostook nursing homes.
After several workshops and public hearings, Presque Isle adopted rules to govern the display of certain flags within the city. The decision not to raise the pride flag above city hall sparked community feedback. The city will fly state, U.S. and POW/MIA flags at city hall, but special flags or banners will be flown on the flagpole at Riverside Park.
Houlton Farms Dairy, an Aroostook County institution, announced Aug. 30 it would stop producing white milk at the end of September. Owners cited increased costs of production and supplies, as well as declining milk sales.
September
The prospect of losing Houlton Farms’ milk made an impact on The County. Grocers lamented the loss of a local product, and an Aroostook farm that had supplied the dairy planned to sell its cows.
Fort Fairfield prepared to roll out its pilot battery recycling program to keep lithium batteries out of the Tri-Community Landfill. Explosions of the batteries, which can ignite when trash compression causes leaking and contact with water, have started several fires at the local landfill.
Former Washburn police sergeant Chandler Cole, who was accused of falsifying records in the case of missing man Erik Foote, waived his right to an arraignment and instead entered a written plea of not guilty. Foote was missing for three months until his body was found near the Aroostook River in Caribou on April 23.
October
A much drier growing season than last year’s combined with adequate rain resulted in a favorable harvest season for The County’s potato crop. Consistent weather led to early planting, good growth and no saturated or rotting potatoes, local farmers reported. Many, including Thibeau Farms of Fort Fairfield, were finishing up in early October.
Homeless Services of Aroostook prepared to open a larger, new warming center at 160 Airport Drive in Presque Isle, using funding from the Maine State Housing Authority. Last year they used a temporary warming space in the Sister Mary O’Donnell shelter dining room. The new area, in a building next to the shelter, has cots, blankets, pillows, a bathroom and kitchenette.
The 110-year-old Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle received $3 million from the University of Maine System to transform a former storage building into an advanced research lab. Technology like drones, machinery to detect sugar in potatoes and an optical sorter will help University of Maine Potato Breeding Program Director Mario Andrade and staff conduct research and develop new varieties.
November
Maine voters turned out in droves on Election Day, with long lines of people. In the Presque Isle area, Mike Chasse, Craig Green and Meg Hegemann won city council seats, while Janet Willette won the only contested SAD 1 school board seat. More than three-quarters of the city’s 5,906 registered voters cast ballots.
Fort Kent native Christopher Cyr became Ashland’s new police chief, replacing Cyr Martin, who retired after holding the position for 20 years.
South Portland-based First Atlantic Healthcare and the Northern Light Health System announced they would partner to reopen the Presque Isle Rehab & Nursing Center in 2025. Northern Light will close its continuing care facility in Mars Hill and transfer the 45 residents to Presque Isle, which can also serve more residents with its 61 beds.
December
Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center closed permanently after serving the area for 25 years. The announcement from owners the Libra Foundation and Pineland Farms of New Gloucester stirred public outcry, but the property closed and went up for sale on Dec. 1.
A Fort Fairfield man was sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter after exposing his infant son to an illegal drug which led to the child’s death. Stanley Hazell, 25, was sentenced to 12 years, all but four suspended with six years probation, in Aroostook County Superior Court in Houlton.
The area’s longest power outage in years occurred on Dec. 12 when a storm brought high winds and heavy rain to Maine. Nearly 70 percent of Versant Power’s 34,957 customers in Aroostook County were without electricity. Power for most was restored by around 3 p.m.
