Editor’s Note: The following is the first of two articles highlighting some of 2019’s most important and interesting news stories. This article highlights events from January through June.
January
Karly Drue Williams became Maine’s first baby born in 2019 after arriving nine minutes after midnight on Jan. 1 at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle. Williams, the daughter of Doyle and Kyle Williams of Houlton, arrived on her due date weighing in at 8 pounds and 1 ounce.
Three Presque Isle City Council members took office after being elected the previous November. Doug Cyr and Jeffrey Willette began their four-year-term, while Jacob Shaw began his one-year-term. In their inaugural Jan. 2 meeting, the council elected councilor Mike Chasse as its new chairman.
On Jan. 10, dozens of residents from across Presque Isle held a public hearing calling for the SAD 1 school board to restore the three-week potato harvest break for that year. In February 2018, the board had voted 9-7 to end the break beginning in fall 2019, after finding that 43 percent of students did not work or participate in community service during the harvest break in 2017.
On Jan. 15, longtime Presque Isle police officer Laurie Kelly became the new chief of Presque Isle Police. Kelly is the first woman in Aroostook County to head a police department. Six candidates had applied for the police chief position vacated by Matt Irwin, who resigned in September amid internal investigations of his administration.
On Jan. 17, the MSAD 1 board of directors voted 12-2 to reinstate the potato harvest break. The board had voted 9-7 in February 2018 to end the break. A few councilors said they switched sides after hearing from local farmers about how the breaks help them.
On Jan. 18, Brian Carpenter resigned from his position as MSAD 1 superintendent, just as he said the board was about to oust him in a vote-of-no-confidence. Four days later, the board voted to appoint former superintendent Gehrig Johnson as interim superintendent.
The Woodmont Co. listed the Aroostook Centre Mall on the online auctioneer site Ten-X, with bids beginning at $6.5 million. The mall had had difficulty remaining afloat, with popular retailers, most noticeably Sears, vacating in recent years.
February
A historic potato house in Bridgwater burned late on Feb. 1 for undisclosed reasons. Around six fire departments traveled to Bradbury Farms to fight the flames, spending six hours to control the fire. Despite efforts, the structure ended up being a complete loss. Three families were forced to evacuate to an impromptu emergency building.
The Central Aroostook cheering squad captured the Class D cheering championship in Augusta on Feb. 9, its sixth straight championship, and 11th in the past 12 years. The Mars Hill squad finished with 74.8 points, eight ahead of second-place Penobscot Valley of Howland.
The lumber business County Box & Pallet announced that it was ceasing operations. The Central Aroostook Association, a non-profit serving those with disabilities, ran the business. The association said that increases in labor and lumber costs had driven the closure.
On Feb. 23, several families celebrated the annual Winter Family Fun Day at Aroostook State Park. Activities such as snow tubing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing were available to families for only a small admission fee. Park Manager Scott Thompson said that the fire equipment the park offered allowed families to experience several new activities.
A winter storm brought a foot of snow to parts of Aroostook County on Feb. 24, along with cold and dangerous winds. The storm, especially blowing snow, caused several traffic incidents across streets in Caribou and Presque Isle.
Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle and Northern Light Continuing Care in Mars Hill put a temporary hold on visitations due to a flu outbreak at the facility in Mars Hill. Hospital staff asked family and friends of patients not to visit the hospital unless it was necessary. Those who visited the facility were asked to wear masks and wash their hands upon entry and exit.
March
A United Express regional jet sits between the runway and a taxiway at Presque Isle International Airport on Monday, March 4, 2019. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board say in an aviation accident preliminary report that the plane missed the runway on approach. Of the 31 people on board, two passengers and one crew members suffered minor injuries. (Cassie Daigle | AP)
On March 4, a United Airlines flight from Newark to Presque Isle missed the runway at Presque Isle International Airport, skidding into a snowy field. According to one occupant, passengers screamed, and seat parts popped out as the plane made its rough landing on its second approach to Presque Isle International Airport. Four passengers and the flight pilot were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Service did not resume at Presque Isle International until March 13.
Presque Isle City Council approved a plan to improve the water quality at the Kennedy Brook watershed on March 6. The one-mile stream has failed to meet several state environmental standards since 2012 that certify such water is safe for activities like drinking after treatment and fishing.
On March 8, New York-based company Kohan Retail Investment Group, which owns 28 other malls, purchased the Aroostook Centre Mall at the cost of $4.65 million. It had been listed on the Ten-X site in mid-December.
Over the period of March 16-17, a Presque Isle man allegedly shot and killed his 14-month-old son and then himself at a home on Reach Road in Presque Isle. Police said that both died from a single gunshot wound. Police had been called to the house on March 14, after which a standoff ensued involving negotiators. Early Sunday morning, authorities who went into the house found the two bodies.
United Way of Aroostook held its Northern Star competition for the 15th year in a row on March 24, at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. Participants performed a variety of entertainment mediums, including dancing, singing, music and stand-up comedy. Mayce Kinney of Presque Isle won the top award for an acclaimed performance of “Always Remember Us This Way” from the film “A Star is Born.”
On March 27, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said that the Federal Aviation Administration was working with Presque Isle International Airport to prevent further incidents from occurring there. A plane had missed a runway on March 4, causing injuries.
April
On April 4, two transport vans collided on U.S. Route 1 on Bunker Hill in Bridgewater, likely the result of high winds and blowing snow. Authorities said that the driver of a church van carrying seven passengers lost control of the vehicle while heading south on an icy roadway, colliding with an Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office van transporting seven inmates. Fifteen people sustained injuries from the crash.
A daylong conference at Northern Maine Community College on April 13 meant to bring girls into nontraditional career options brought more than 100 students from across The County. The Totally Trades conference is now in its 16th year and specializes in workshops on a variety of trade and technical careers, including plumbing, heating, construction and computer programming.
Rain and ice breakup led to rising floodwaters across The County over the weekend, prompting several road closures around the region. At Riverside Park in Presque Isle, high stream levels cover the picnic area on Easter Sunday. (Paula Brewer | The Star-Herald)
A series of floods ravaged communities across The County, causing road closures in Bancroft, Caribou, Easton, Presque Isle and Washburn. The National Weather Service in Caribou said that much of the flooding was the result of overflowing blanks from rivers and small streams.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle began construction of a new Teaching and Research Greenhouse on April 25, in a ceremony attended by several local agricultural leaders. The 2,400-square-foot facility, opening in the fall, will include two climate-controlled areas for research students, as well as water and ventilation systems.
May
On May 1, the Presque Isle City Council formally adopted its list of seven goals for 2019. Councilors listed economic growth, renovations on City Hall and increased drug enforcement as among the city’s top priorities.
Fort Fairfield made a switch in its ambulance services, transferring services from Northern Light AR Gould Hospital to the city of Presque Isle. The switch came after an effort to renew a contract between the town and Northern Light failed, according to Fort Fairfield Police Chief Shawn Newell.
On May 8, the SAD 1 school board unanimously voted to name current Presque Isle High School Principal Ben Greenlaw as the new district superintendent, effective on Jan. 1, 2020. Greenlaw served as an assistant superintendent under SAD 1 interim superintendent Gehrig Johnson from July 1 to Dec 31. Board members said Greenlaw’s leadership ability and experience in the district made him a perfect fit for the position.
The MSAD 1 board of directors voted to adopt a $25.15 million budget for the 2019-2020 school year on May 8. The new budget was a 1.4 percent increase over the Presque Isle-based school district’s previous budget and was adopted unanimously.
The Aroostook County Superior Court found a Presque Isle man guilty of manslaughter and aggravated assault on May 17, after injuries he allegedly inflicted on a man during a fight caused his death 18 days later. He was sentenced to nearly four years in prison.
June
On June 5, Presque Isle City Council voted to approve zoning changes that will help businesses to develop a half-mile parcel of property at the intersection of Route 1 and Craig Road. The vote came after Gene Knight, owner of modular home dealer E.C. Knight Company, expressed interest in developing the empty lots.
On June 17, the chief medical officer of the Cary Medical Center said that four cases of hepatitis A from across The County were “more than likely connected.” Maine was one of the 22 states in the country expecting an outbreak of the virus. On June 21, the Maine Center for Disease Control said that the then-nine cases of the infection appeared to be linked to that found in a Caribou restaurant worker on May 17.
On June 11, the Aroostook County Superior Court found an Easton man accused of killing his stepfather guilty of murder and using a firearm to intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another. James Peaslee allegedly fired multiple gunshots at his 79-year-old stepfather in January 2018.
