Good morning, Portland.

Preble Street opened Joe's Place, a crisis center for homeless youth aged 12 to 21 on Cumberland Avenue.

The center operates 24/7, has 24 beds with 20 in use, and offers meals and casework from federal grants + private donations.

Bar Publica owners will reopen their West Bayside venue as Lucky Sevens, a bar featuring a jukebox, pool tables and limited food options, late September or early October.

The 4,000 sqft space is undergoing cosmetic improvements and will seat fewer than 100 customers.

Sai Guntaka and his partner Jim Baldi will open Il Forno, a new Italian restaurant, in South Portland this fall at 333 Clarks Pond Parkway (formerly Port City Nutrition).

The eatery will serve handmade pasta, brick-oven pizzas, and other Italian dishes for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Portland’s fall art season features several retrospectives, including a two-part Carl Sprinchorn show running at Ogunquit Museum of American Art (until Nov.

1) and at Bates College Museum (Oct. 1 to Dec. 19). Local visitors can explore exhibits that revisit influential artists and modern themes.

Maine is hosting a vibrant fall season for theater and dance in Portland and nearby areas.

Major shows include Arcadia (Sept. 30-Oct. 25) at Portland Stage and The Little Mermaid (Oct. 9-17) by Maine State Ballet while fresh productions and new premieres fill the season.

Caring Hearts Childcare Center opened on Sept.

8 in the basement of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Falmouth to address long waitlists for families. The nonprofit cares for children 18 months through kindergarten and charges $320 per week for toddlers and $300 per week for preschoolers (accepting CCAP).

Starting fall 2027, the University of Vermont will offer Maine first-year and transfer students a 35% tuition discount on 31 majors (agriculture, education and natural resources), lowering tuition to $30,240 from $46,655.

The program is open to New England residents.

Retired photojournalist Kevyn Fowler filmed a large shark grabbing a fishing line at Higgins Beach on Labor Day and local fishermen quickly reeled it in before releasing it (the shark's unique white gill markings linked it to earlier sightings).

A study shows falls in Portland have warmed nearly 4°F since 1970.

The Climate Prediction Center forecasts a slightly above-normal season today with September highs starting at 71° and dropping to 48° by November (a brewing El Niño might add to the warmth).

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is monitoring a toxic phytoplankton bloom in Casco Bay and Portland Harbor as shellfish like lobsters and clams are dying; tests show counts remain low and the bloom is safe for humans, though officials warn it could threaten marine life if it spreads.

Health officials confirmed that a crow in Falmouth tested positive for West Nile virus.

The Maine CDC said the risk from infected mosquitoes remains low + no human cases have been reported in 2026.

Michelle Akers, the legendary soccer star, will join Hearts of Pine as a Founding Advisor to shape its new women's team debuting in 2027, and she will be introduced (today) at Heartsapalooza (doors open at 4:45 p.m. at Thompson’s Point).