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.
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PublishedDecember 4, 2023
Proposed rules would allow any commercial farm contaminated by PFAS to apply for financial assistance
Maine so far has focused on farms that were contaminated through the spreading of wastewater sludge.
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PublishedDecember 3, 2023
As Casco Bay warms, climate change alters its chemistry in unexpected ways
Casco Bay remains healthy overall, but the near-shore waters face a plethora of threats, especially stormwater pollution.
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PublishedDecember 3, 2023
Climate change has brought more extreme rain, snow to Maine
Sea level rise remains a top concern as the climate warms, but the increasing frequency of outsized precipitation is already having statewide impacts.
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PublishedDecember 1, 2023
Maine Climate Council reports progress in fight against climate change
Efforts to reduce fossil fuel use are mostly on track, although the shift to electric vehicles has been slower than hoped.
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PublishedNovember 14, 2023
New England’s wetter, warmer future is already here
The fifth National Climate Assessment includes data showing the region is seeing extreme heat on land and at sea, especially in the Gulf of Maine, and more frequent heavy rainstorms than any other region of the country.
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PublishedNovember 12, 2023
Lewiston joins growing list of U.S. communities living with gun trauma
Experts acknowledge that every mass shooting is different but say the Maine city is likely to feel lingering effects of anguish for years.
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PublishedNovember 1, 2023
31,000 acres of ancestral land could be returned to Penobscot Nation
The prospective deal would increase tribal trust holdings by a third and secure public access to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument from the south.
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PublishedOctober 24, 2023
Maine regulators signal support for new clean car rules
The Board of Environmental Protection narrowly supports proposed electric car standards, but balks at similar rules for trucks. A final vote won’t be taken until after board staff responds to more than a thousand public comments about the proposed rule.
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PublishedOctober 23, 2023
These Maine farmers know what PFAS can do to the land — and they want federal help
Fred Stone, of Arundel, and 3 other Maine farmers address a gathering in Michigan focusing on forever chemicals in agriculture.
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PublishedOctober 23, 2023
Right whale population levels off after steep decline, but threats remain
A new estimate of the number of surviving North Atlantic right whales indicates that the population has hovered around 350 animals for 3 years.
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Maine real estate industry braces for changes to home sales commissions
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Saco retirement development plagued by problems, some residents say
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Incoming storm to bring flood threat, high winds and heavy rain to Maine
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The pandemic gave Maine a population boom. Will climate change be next?
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Fans energized as UMaine men’s hockey returns to national spotlight