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South Portland held a school reconfiguration forum Wednesday night to discuss proposals to centralize Pre K programs (using the former Kaler building) and boost student transport with more vans.

The School Board, aiming to keep costs low, will vote on the plans on Nov. 9.

Willow is a 2-year-old mixed-breed dog available for adoption at the Animal Refuge League shelter in Westbrook, open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. except Wednesdays — she loves belly rubs and does well with children though she should live in a home without other dogs.

Chez Biso, a new Central African restaurant, will open this Saturday at 11 Brown St. in downtown Portland.

Owner Joceline Lesso and General Manager Patric Lombo plan to serve traditional Congolese dishes and stateside classics daily from noon until 10 p.m.

Three high school football games are set for Friday at 7 p.m. as Massabesic (4-1) plays South Portland (3-2), Oxford Hills (4-0) meets Bonny Eagle (5-0), and Cape Elizabeth (4-1) faces Spruce Mountain (3-2) as teams seek playoff positioning.

Festival Champlain, Maine’s only all-French film festival, will run from Oct.

15-18 at the Portland Museum of Art and present eight international films (including Afrōtopia and L’Étranger) that showcase the community’s vibrant French language heritage.

On Oct. 25, Sacred Heart Church in Portland will hold its final mass at 11 a.m. at 65 Mellen St. as leaders, unable to cover over $6 million in repair costs due to structural issues, plan to secure the property while transitioning services to other local parishes.

An August inspection found that Elena's Way, a downtown homeless shelter on Portland Street, did not complete evening safety walks plus noted issues with trash and loitering.

City officials said they will monitor the facility ahead of plans for a warming center to open in the shelter's basement this winter.

Today, MaineHousing is releasing $4 million to support roughly 4,400 low-income households—focusing on older adults, young children, and people with disabilities—in accessing heating oil before winter arrives; the agency will pay fuel vendors using leftover funds while awaiting its federal energy grant later this month.