Paula Brewer

4 days ago | thecounty.me | Paula Brewer

A new type of food festival will offer fare from local eateries and benefit Aroostook County cancer patients at the same time. Cary Medical Center’s Pink Aroostook, which supports breast cancer patients with education and financial assistance, plans its inaugural Pink Plate Food Festival this Sunday, June 29, in Caribou. A cancer diagnosis signals expense, travel and a lot of uncertainty, Pink Aroostook Program Director Hana Boucher said.

1 week ago | thecounty.me | Paula Brewer

Leaders honor Spirit of America Award winnersAroostook needs a new jail and it could carry a price tag of more than $90 million, County commissioners learned Wednesday. During the commissioners’ meeting at the Caribou courthouse, a South Carolina-based criminal justice consulting firm called Justice Planners made a presentation that offered some initial projections. County leaders have debated the need for a new jail for some time.

1 week ago | thecounty.me | Paula Brewer

CARIBOU, Maine — Three months after approving the 2025-2026 municipal budget, the Caribou City Council on Monday approved just over $1 million in further cuts. Reductions have been ongoing since March, when the council passed the $12.5 million budget.  But a projected $1.2 million shortfall was expected to raise Caribou’s tax rate by 2.5 mills. Higher Aroostook County and RSU 39 school commitments would increase it by another 1.7 mills.

1 week ago | thecounty.me | Paula Brewer

VAN BUREN, Maine — Van Buren said goodbye to a piece of history, but will soon welcome something new on a familiar corner. The long-vacant three-story Van Buren Yacht Club and Hotel Van Buren building, at the corner of Main and Bridge streets, was demolished Monday morning. A fixture for more than a century, the building was the town’s original post office.

1 week ago | thecounty.me | Paula Brewer

HODGDON, Maine — The Hodgdon Middle High School superintendent shared humorous stories from the Class of 2025 with graduates on Friday night. Tyler Putnam, who is also the high school principal, mentioned each of the school’s 35 graduates in his commencement remarks, eliciting cheers and laughs from the graduates and a packed audience in the high school gymnasium. “Tonight is Friday the 13th, it all makes sense now,” Putnam said as students laughed.