Press Herald

Penelope Overton Staff Writer

Penelope Overton writes about the lobster and marijuana industries in Maine, a mix of the iconic and the emerging, the economic powerhouse and the mysterious darkhorse. Just the right mix of old and new for a Maine transplant. Penny joined the Press Herald in 2016. She has covered politics and government, the environment and Indian Country in Florida, Connecticut, Arizona and Washington, D.C. Her favorite stories are when she gets to dive into a world where readers seldom venture. When she’s not newspapering, Penny and her young daughter like to hike, body surf, travel and explore new books, places, poems and people. She is plovertonpph on both Instagram and Snapchat.

Latest

Published
January 3, 2021

Farmers lose hope – and money – in race to build Maine’s hemp market

Marijuana’s non-psychotropic cousin was supposed to be a cash crop for Maine farmers, but it hasn’t worked out like that for most.
Published
December 21, 2020

Maine’s largest cannabis company sues to open state’s medical marijuana market to outsiders

Wellness Connection claims the U.S. Constitution gives nonresidents a right to own medical marijuana dispensaries in Maine.
Published
December 9, 2020

Maine launching seafood brand to reel in pandemic-stranded home cooks

With restaurant business in short supply, Maine is using $1 million of its federal COVID-19 seafood relief funds to promote the ‘Maine Knows Seafood’ program.
Published
December 8, 2020

As COVID-19 surges, Portland Museum of Art closes until further notice

Museum officials say the voluntary closure is to protect its staff and the public, not because of an outbreak.
Published
December 8, 2020

Marijuana has grown to become Maine’s most valuable crop

Sales of medical marijuana alone totaled nearly $222 million through October, making cannabis the state’s most valuable agricultural commodity.
Published
November 23, 2020

Maine records $1.4 million in recreational cannabis sales in first month

The average sale during an inaugural month limited by supply shortages and in-store purchase limits was about $66, state records show.
Published
November 20, 2020

Wellness Connection to open adult-use cannabis shop Monday in South Portland

The store marks the beginning of Maine’s largest marijuana company’s conversion from medical to recreational sales.
Published
November 4, 2020

Voters reject Portland’s cautious approach to retail marijuana

The elimination of a cap on cannabis stores in Maine’s largest city passes by a 6-percentage-point margin.
Published
October 27, 2020

To cap or not: Portland voters wrestle with marijuana retail limits

The measure to eliminate the 20-store cap in Portland was added to the ballot before the City Council voted to allow all 36 first-round applicants to proceed with retail licensing.
Published
October 26, 2020

Company failed to report screws found in its pizza dough

Scarborough-based It’ll Be Pizza didn’t report the complaints it got from 3 consumers in September until after a former employee was charged in October with putting razor blades in dough balls at Hannaford stores.