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By Tammy Wells, Contributing Writer, York County Government Media February 24, 2026, long-awaited dredging and dune restoration project off Atlantic Avenue, ongoing 24/7 for the better part of a week, was due to wind down around Feb. 20 and move on to Saco beginning around the last week in February. Then, once preparations are complete – around March 2 – the York County government dredge will begin restoring Camp Ellis beach and dunes battered by a pair of storms that devast

“The community center, long neglected with a band-aid approach, is the true Jewel of Biddeford.. I think it's time to really give this building the TLC it deserves…” February 22, 2026, Below is an op-ed that we received from Biddeford resident Diane Cyr pertaining to the discussion of which projects city leaders should prioritize when allocating the recreational bond funds approved by voters in the November 2025 election. REMINDER - In addition to submitting op-eds, residents

"This is about more than concrete and ramps. It is about trust. It is about accountability. And it is about showing this community — especially its young people — that when they show up and speak, their government listens." February 17, 2026, at tonight's City Council meeting, former Biddeford City Councilor Neva Lance and her wife Samanntha Lance, advocated passionately to the Biddeford City Council in support of spending recreation bond funds on a new skate park for the cit

February 17, 2026, at tonight's City Council Meeting, multiple (the majority) attendees spoke in support of spending recreation bond funds (approved during the 2025 election) on rebuilding a skate park in Biddeford. And although other projects were referenced by individuals, the skate park overwhelmingly recieved the largest amount of support from meeting attendees. Following a new skate park, both maintaining the Community Center and cleaning up the trails at Clifford Park w

February 17, 2026, At this evening’s Biddeford City Council Meeting, with a tied vote of 4 to 4 that was broke by Mayor LaFountain, councilors voted AGAINST approving a resolution in support of LD 2124, an “Act to Support Emergency Shelter Funding using Real Estate Transfer Tax Revenue” Meeting materials state that under current law, 90% of the revenue from the real estate transfer tax is submitted to the State and 10% is retained by the counties, except that, for fiscal year

By Tammy Wells, Contributing Writer February 16, 2026, York County Commissioners understand the need to support the unhoused through shelter subsidies and are urging legislators to seek ways to support them within the state’s coffers, not the counties’ far slimmer purse. In testimony to the Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee at a public hearing Feb. 10, they urged committee members to vote “ought not to pass,” on L.D. 2124, a bill that would further dip

By Deirdre Fleming Stires, Contributing Writer February 14, 2026, The University of New England’s dining service provider, Parkhurst Dining, set out to raise $10,000 last fall for Maine's only full-service children's hospital through a fund-raising campaign that culminated in a holiday lunch served on UNE”s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences. UNE's Parkhurst Dining team more than doubled last year's fund-raising effort in the Caring for Kids campaign. In the end, UNE’s P

By Danica Lamontagne, Contributing Writer February 13, 2026, The Biddeford City Council is inviting residents to attend upcoming Ward Meetings this February and March to discuss neighborhood priorities, community concerns, and the future of recreation in the city. Hosted by individual councilors in venues located within or near each Ward, the meetings are designed to provide residents with an opportunity for open dialogue and direct engagement with their elected officials. Re

February 13, 2026, According to the Biddeford Fire Department, at "approximately 03:05am on the morning of February 7th, one of the on-duty Biddeford Fire Department members smelled smoke on the 2nd floor area of the Central Fire Station. During the investigation for the source of the smoke, the member found a small fire inside the clean kitchen towel stainless steel bin in the kitchen. The fire was quickly extinguished using water from the kitchen sink and a fire extinguishe

By Karen Garnett, Contributing Writer February 13, 2026, In the months since receiving $275,000 through the Maine Housing Student Homelessness Prevention Pilot, Biddeford School Department has emerged as a regional leader in addressing student housing instability—coordinating a multi-district effort that is already surpassing expectations. As the lead applicant and consortium coordinator, Biddeford School Department brought together five school departments, including Biddefor

By Karen Garnett, Contributing Writer February 12, 2026 – Leadership doesn’t always come with a title—and that message is resonating loudly with eighth-grade students at Saco Middle School (SMS), thanks to the real-world experiences of Jackson Howard, a senior at Thornton Academy and an EMS student at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT). Howard is currently enrolled in BRCOT’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program and previously completed the Intro to Medi

By Mackenzie Schors, Biddeford Buzz Contributing Writer Now celebrating their 10 year anniversary, UNE has been hosting their annual “Teddy Bear Toss” (TBT) game every year since 2017 - Here’s a glimpse into what TBT weekend looks like for the community and the UNE Nor’easters: February 11, 2026, What began as a small, community-focused initiative in 2017 has grown into one of the University of New England’s most beloved traditions. This year marked the 10th anniversary of

By Karen Garnett, Contributing Writer February 10, 2026, Dayton Consolidated School (DCS) officially launched its new composting program last Friday with a school-wide assembly, marking an important step forward in the school’s commitment to sustainability, hands-on learning, and environmental responsibility. Dayton Consolidated School students participate in an interactive recycling and composting presentation during a school-wide assembly by EcoMaine, learning how to proper

By Tammy Wells/York County government, Contributing Writer February 9, 2026, Two local banks with deep roots in York County are leading the way in helping build the York County Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Center. Partners Bank and Kennebunk Savings have each contributed $150,000 to First County Foundation, Inc. earmarked for the York County Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Center, and paused for a photo on Feb. 9. Shown here are York County Manager Greg Zinser, F

📰YORK COUNTY | Former Biddeford City Councilor Launches Campaign for York County Commission February 9, 2026, According a public statement from previous Biddeford At-Large City Councilor Doris Ortiz, Doris has announced she will be launching her campaign to run for York County Commission to represent District 2. Doris Ortiz Formally a Biddeford At-Large City Councilor, Doris Ortiz resigned from the Biddeford City Council in September of 2025 and cited a "recent opportunity f

February 6, 2026, Student providers from the University of New England’s doctoral College of Dental Medicine and undergraduate Department of Dental Hygiene welcomed 85 elementary- and secondary-age students from Maine Regional School District (RSU) 23, serving the community of Old Orchard Beach, to the University’s Oral Health Center on Friday, Feb. 6, for UNE’s fifth annual “Give Kids a Smile” event. Eighty-eight students from RSU 23 received a full slate of preventive denta

"...the fire originated from an electrical outlet issue, which caused extensive fire damage within the garage structure" - Maine State Fire Marshal February 4, 2026, Below is the release from the State Fire Marshal’s office regrading the fire that took place on February 2 at 297 Elm: On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the Biddeford Fire Department responded to a report of a possible working fire at 297 Elm Street. Upon arrival, units located a garage wi

February 4, 2026, According to Biddeford City General Assistance Administrator Jacob Hammer, the City of Biddeford has recieved $94,502.86 from the National Opioid Settlement Fund (OSF) for fiscal year 2026. Hammer explained, "in 2014, US administrative units began filing lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors... with over $56 Billion expected to be paid out nationwide. Settlement payments to individual governments started in 2022 and expected to be made throu

February 3, 2026, The Biddeford Fire Department responded to a reported building fire at the former Sleepy Hollow Motel, located at 297 Elm Street, at approximately 8:26 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The Biddeford Regional Communications Center received the initial 911 call at 8:26 a.m., with the first unit arriving on scene at 8:30 a.m. Heavy smoke and fire were visible from a 30-by-40-foot, one-and-a-half-story garage that was attached to a single-story motel-style building. Fir

February 3, 2026, At this evening’s Biddeford City Council Meeting, councilors voted unanimously in favor to refer the “matter of rent practices in mobile home parks to the Policy Committee for review and recommendation.” This vote comes following a prior meeting where the council denied a request to establish a 90 day moratorium on Mobile Home Lot fee increases in Biddeford. Meeting materials state, “this new order is to refer the topic to the Policy Committee to review and