Good morning, Portland.

Westbrook’s BikeFest returns today on Rock Row from noon to 6 p.m. The festival hosted by Ernie’s Cycle Shop includes an e-bike educational forum led by Vision Zero Maine along with live music, guided bike rides and food trucks.

Brunswick nonprofit Full Plates Full Potential won a $40,000 award from The Courage Project to support its fight against childhood hunger.

The group warned that cuts to federal SNAP benefits have left 7,000 children without free school meals + may reduce future meal funding.

Maine grower Sarah Whitty in Veazie set a new North American record when her 170-pound zucchini (named Secretariat) was verified on Friday, Oct.

2.

On Thursday, the Greater Portland Metro celebrated a new route to Scarborough that stops at a VA clinic, MaineHealth campus, and the Park & Ride at Exit 42 — service begins Sunday.

Greater Portland Metro held a ribbon-cutting for a new route to Scarborough on Thursday morning and will begin service Sunday along Route 1, with stops at the VA clinic, MaineHealth campus, and Park Ride at Exit 42 for easier commuter access.

Federal officials have asked Maine fire officials to identify sprinkler heads recalled for faulty O-ring seals, with 35 million still installed.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns these may not activate during a fire after a fatal incident at a Fall River assisted living facility in July 2025.

Sweetser’s Training Institute launches a Substance Use Disorder professional certificate with five workshops for health professionals amid data showing fatal overdoses fell while nonfatal cases rose this year (highlighting ongoing treatment challenges) in Maine.

Thistlewood Petit Condominiums in Gorham got approval for a 30-unit development off County Road, with 75% of one-bedroom units (reserved for older adults).

Construction will begin in the coming weeks with move-ins in February, and a new left-turn lane will improve access.

The 35th Maine Marathon runs Sunday, Oct.

4 with 5,500 runners on routes through Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland and Yarmouth, starting at 7:45 a.m. The race offers new lactation tents and a musical note signal for its start — Saturday's expo at Innovation Hall runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.