Saturday, September 20th, 2025
Good morning, Portland. Here's your local news at a glance for Saturday, the 20th of September.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ The Shaker Hill Apple Festival is a two-day fall event held this weekend that offers live music, family fun, a craft fair, a barn sale, and food—organizers say the fair will continue into tomorrow with mild fall weather. FOX23
- ➤ South Portland Food Cupboard received a $35,000 grant — it will add a new walk-in refrigeration unit at its new facility to extend service hours and offer pre-order pickups for fresh produce and dairy. Portland Press Herald
- ➤ Topsham Veterinary Wellness Center and Midcoast Humane are partnering to bring adoptable puppies to the community this weekend. Sierra Kenkel and Jess Townsend previewed the Puppies on the Patio Adoption Event—spotlighting the upcoming opportunity for families to meet the puppies. WGME
BUSINESS NEWS
- ➤ Three local industry veterans bought America’s last sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor to form Bold Coast Seafood and boost Maine’s seafood processing by handling lobster and Jonah crab—15 workers are already on site and the company plans to add equipment and more hires this winter. Portland Press Herald
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ The Shaker Hill Apple Festival is underway today and will continue tomorrow, offering live music, family fun, a craft fair, barn sale, and food — a fall celebration for Portland residents. WGME
- ➤ Author Teresa Pelham met with Sacopee Valley students in Parsonsfield to shape her new book, The Probably Untrue History of Javier Lopez, drawing on their ideas about a rescued Chihuahua-mix named Javier who is shunned by cats. The session allowed students like Elise and Mabel to share creative suggestions (such as a setting with trees made of cat posts) that influenced the final plot. WMTW
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
- ➤ A fall foliage report shows that leaves are changing early because of the drought—many trees are dropping their leaves to save water. Bright colors will peak in northern areas by late September and most of the state is expected to reach full color by mid-October. WMTW
- ➤ Maine gardeners are urged to sow native seeds this fall to boost climate resilience as varying weather stresses local landscapes — these plants need less water and help slow runoff to protect soil and waterways. Portland Press Herald
- ➤ A national study by the Environmental Working Group found nearly half a million Mainers drink tap water with levels of chromium, arsenic and nitrate that meet legal limits yet exceed health guidelines, raising concerns about cancer risks. Maine water districts and the Department of Health argued that ratepayers should not bear costly filter upgrades + the report urges regulators to update standards to treat these contaminants together. Portland Press Herald
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ South Portland officials are preparing for a possible sale of Portland Pipe Line Corporation's large holdings as the company is expected to sell its assets soon, which may lead to removal of outdated oil tanks and cleanup of over 200 acres. City leaders have sent letters to Suncor and the DEP to shape redevelopment into a mixed-use district—one that could eventually boost housing and community facilities. Portland Press Herald
- ➤ The city is reviewing a plan to combine a 60-bed warming shelter for people living on the street with a shelter for immigrants in a building on Riverside Industrial Parkway near Riverton. If approved, the shelter will open when temperatures drop to 15° or below or when there are 10 or more inches of snow— a move opposed by one councilor and some people experiencing homelessness. WGME
HEALTH NEWS
- ➤ Dr. Jean Antonucci, a primary care physician in Maine for 35 years, said she closed her office in 2020 and now struggles to find a full-time job as burdensome paperwork and system policies curtail patient care — leaving many without a doctor. She explained that changes to insurance reporting and hospital consolidation are needed to make primary care a more attractive field. Portland Press Herald
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Brady Afthim and Jacob Humphrey earned promotions when Afthim joined the Daytona Tortugas and Humphrey was called up to the Fresno Grizzlies on August 28—both getting their first taste of professional baseball. They have returned to Arizona for additional instruction until early October before beginning their spring training preparations. Portland Press Herald
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Maine Brain Tumor Awareness Walk
9 AM – 12 PM — Payson Park — $20 registration fee — Join the community for a one-mile walk to raise awareness and funds for brain tumor research.
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