Morning Update: What you need to know in Maine today

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You start getting rid of people that have the stories, that hold those stories … you’re going to lose something. Maybe that means nothing to the new people that come in, maybe it does mean something. I don’t know, but it’s definitely a shift in the paradigm.”

— Tracy Lameyer, a Castine elementary school teacher who for the last 13 years has rented and lived in a lighthouse keeper’s cottage owned by the town. Increasingly residents want to end her lease and turn the cottage into a short-term rental.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

The body of a man who went missing with his daughter on Katahdin was found on Tuesday. The search continues for the daughter. A family member described both as experienced hikers.

Castine voters may turn a teacher’s lighthouse home into an Airbnb. A growing number of residents has pushed the town — which owns the site — to end its lease to Tracy Lameyer and turn the cottage into a short-term rental.

A rare Maine beach compound is for sale in the middle of a city. It’s the priciest listing in South Portland right now by far, with the next most expensive home ringing in at just under $2 million.

Three people are running for two seats on the Old Town City Council. Charlene Virgilio, Katrina Wynn and Russel Sossong are each seeking their first election to the seven-member council.

A bill to decriminalize “magic mushrooms” is on track to pass in the Legislature. The narrow votes in the House and Senate were a milestone for what was once a fringe cause, but Gov. Janet Mills looms as a potential obstacle.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

• Midwest wildfire smoke will lower Maine air quality Wednesday
• Maine lawmakers vote to boost minimum teacher salary
• Gun rights groups threaten lawsuit to force public hearing on Maine ‘red flag’ referendum
• ​​A Brewer man is wanted by police
• Orrington man arrested on arson charges for January house fire
• On Verona Island, historians discover one of the oldest living apple trees in North America
• A growing brewery brings community to downtown Searsport
• 1st mushroom casket in the US is used in Maine
• Maine apartment fire that killed cat was ‘intentionally set’
• Police investigating Maine woman’s death
• I tried to run the Great Bangor Marathon without training. It didn’t go well.

MAINE IN PICTURES

Tracy Lameyer stands outside the Castine lighthouse she’s called home for more than a decade, with the town as her landlord. “I’ve been very fortunate to be able to live here this long,” she said. “I just want the town to know that this is definitely theirs. Their house, their town, their vote, but I am proud to be an ambassador of it.” Some residents have pushed the town to turn the lighthouse into a short-term rental. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

A group of Florida International University students protest against cuts in federal funding and an agreement by campus police to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on the FIU campus on a day of protests around the country in support of higher education, on April 17, 2025, in Miami. Credit: Rebecca Blackwell / AP

“Smart, hard-working immigrants have always been good for America.”

Opinion: Take it from a military combat veteran, international students are good for America

LIFE IN MAINE

These are the pests that are going to haunt your Maine summer. From those that are a mere nuisance to those causing potential health issues, here are six pests watch out for.

The meaner you are to these plants, the better they will grow. While it may be hard to do, some plants need regular, aggressive pruning in order to produce the best fruits or vegetables possible. 

This mountain is the perfect introduction to hiking in Acadia National Park. The park is home to many famous hikes, but people rarely talk about its namesake mountain.