PORTLAND/BANGOR, ME – Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. That’s why NEWS CENTER Maine was proud to once again join forces with the American Red Cross for a statewide blood drive held this past Wednesday, March 25.

PORTLAND & ELLSWORTH—The Maine Community Foundation has awarded nearly $500,000 in grants to assist COVID-19 response efforts across the state.

CLEVELAND, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KeyBank today is detailing several steps it has taken to help support its clients facing economic hardship due to the spread of COVID-19. In addition to financial programs already in place, KeyBank announced it will defer payment for at least 90 days for clients facing economic hardship due to the spread of COVID-19.

Virtual Event: Sea Change Yoga’s 2020 Yogathon, originally slated to take place at Ocean Gateway in Portland on March 29, will now be a virtual event, open to anyone who would like to participate in a day of yoga, community, and other mindfulness practices. The event, now from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, is free to all and available via Zoom and Facebook Live.

PORTLAND, Maine -- Although the Portland Symphony Orchestra has had to cancel upcoming performances due to COVID-19, they have been busy preparing to launch two initiatives: the PSO Musician Relief Fund and PSO: Notes from Home. 

PORTLAND, Maine -- Last Friday, March 13, Portland’s City Manager directed the Parking Division to no longer issue parking tickets for time zones and expired meters for the foreseeable future. Enforcement will continue for illegal parking, which includes blocking the roadway, parking in handicap spaces, blocking fire hydrants, parking in no parking zones, blocking driveways or sidewalks/crosswalks, and double parking. ​

Bar Harbor, Maine – In an effort to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and consistent with many other banking institutions in our region, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust will temporarily transition all branch services to drive-up only service beginning on March 20.  This will allow the Bank to continue to provide full banking services, and in-person visits will be by appointment only in order to enable the Bank to conform to social distancing practices through limiting the number of customers inside at any given time. 

PORTLAND, Maine -- Portland City Manager Jon Jennings announced today he is instituting a mandated curfew for establishments where groups gather from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM on Tuesday, March 17-18 and then daily from 8:00 PM until 2:00 AM on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (March 18 - 22) in light of the need to practice social distancing in order to lessen the community spread and flatten the curve of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The all day curfew on Tuesday is intended to curb St. Patrick’s Day events and festivities, but take-out and delivery of food is still permitted.

Bar Harbor, Maine – Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is pleased to be a presenting sponsor for “Maine in the Movies,” a statewide film festival featuring 35 movies set in Maine. The 11-day festival, which runs from March 5-15 in 17 cities across the state, is being held in honor of Maine’s bicentennial. The festival is organized by the Maine Film Center and co-presented with 19 arts and education organizations and independent cinemas.

Portland and Augusta, ME and Manchester, NH (March 5, 2020) – Bernstein Shur announced its new firm-wide vacation policy, which increases paid leave and provides greater flexibility to employees in spending it. The policy, which is retroactive to January 1, is part of the firm’s ongoing efforts to provide meaningful employee benefits that promote a healthy work-life balance in a demanding, fast-paced environment.