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By Jason G Litalien, Esq, Contributing Writer, Independent Candidate Maine Senate 32 July 30, 2026, Four new laws took effect yesterday, all aimed at helping Mainers with food costs, child care, and mental health. They're well-intentioned. They also all cost money — and that money comes from the same place: your taxes. Here's a plain-English rundown of what each one does, what it costs, and who actually benefits. Then we'll look at a different funding model — one that's gaini

July 9, 2026, Earlier today, Representative Katrina Smith "formally requested an independent review by the Maine Ethics Commission regarding Speaker Ryan Fecteau’s upcoming employment as Executive Director of the Biddeford Housing Authority." Representative Smith added, "Speaker of the House holds tremendous power over legislation and public policy. When outside employment directly intersects with decisions made in Augusta, transparency matters. This is not about prejudging t

~Letter to the Buzz~ By: Jason Litalien, Ward 3 and Independent Candidate Maine Senate 32 July 8, 2026, Last year, Biddeford voters heard over and over that City Hall needed greater fiscal accountability. We were promised that taxpayer dollars would be managed more carefully, spending would receive greater scrutiny, and government would make better financial decisions. A year later, Biddeford homeowners will soon open their property tax bills and find that we are paying even

"Luckily no employees were pricked when getting the mail. With that being said, what if they were?" July 8, 2026, This article is not to endorse or oppose needle exchange programs, however, we do feel it's important for the community to know about instances such as this - public awareness is key for community safety. To respect and protect the local businesses and residents directly effected, we will not state exactly where this occured. Recently, a business in downtown Bidde

By Chelsea Miller, Sr. Communications Manager, Saco & Biddeford Savings July 8, 2026, Saco & Biddeford Savings and Paquin & Carroll Insurance have each earned Gold honors in the inaugural Best of Biddeford + Saco Community Contest, a local awards program celebrating the businesses, organizations and services that make the Biddeford-Saco area a vibrant place to live, work and visit. Presented as a celebration of the “best” the area has to offer — from dining and shopping to ar

By Tammy Wells, York County Government Media, Contributing Writer July, 6, 2026, York County government is taking the concept of antiquated out of old – forging ahead with initiatives to meet today’s demands while keeping an eye on lessons from its 390-year history. Over the last several years, the county government – the oldest in Maine, dating to 1636 – has been examining needs and ways to make life better for its diverse population of 220,000-plus residents – providing a

June 30, 2026, Holy smokes folks, huge announcement. As this community demonstrates time and time again, when we come together, we achieve great things. With that being said, honored, ecstatic, humbled, and delighted to inform everyone of two recent milestones we, the community, have achieved through the Biddeford Buzz. First, the Biddeford Buzz has been accepted as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists; The nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, ded

By Joshua Wolfe, Biddeford Buzz, Contributing Writer “In addition to offering residential living space, the facility will include activity rooms, sensory spaces, a nurse's station, and a basketball court. “ June 26, 2026, Yesterday, Sweetser hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in Saco to officially mark the start of construction on Maine’s very first Youth Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) - a facility that according to several elected officials and local busines

~Featured Monthly Column~ By Senator Henry Ingwersen, District 32 June 25, 2026, Last week, I was happy to see that the people of Arundel voted overwhelmingly in support of a new ordinance that protects residents of mobile home communities like Shady Oaks from steep rent increases. As many are aware, out-of-state corporations have been buying up mobile home parks and raising the rents beyond what folks – mostly seniors or single or young people – can reasonably afford. This n

By Alan Bennett, University of New England, Office of Communications "Residents in Biddeford and Portland report the University's highest ratings for reputation, integrity, and community impact". View the full survey results June 22, 2026, The University of New England today released the results of a comprehensive public opinion survey conducted by Emerson College Polling, finding strong levels of support, trust, and confidence in the University across Maine. Ratings were esp

~In addition, "since the Interim City Manager does not live within commuting distance, the City will pay for overnight accommodations at the government rate."~ June 15, 2026, As announced on June 3, Mayor Liam LaFountain nominated Cornell Knight of Bar Harbor to be Biddeford's newest Interim City Manager. According to meeting documents, if approved at tomorrow's City Council meeting, "the Interim City Manager will serve in that role until the permanent City Manager is appoint

By Larry Weyand, Program Director, Art June 15, 2026, The Biddeford Art Walk returns on Friday, June 19, from 5–8 p.m., bringing artists, makers, musicians, and local businesses together for an evening of creativity and community throughout downtown Biddeford. Presented by Art of Biddeford, a program of Heart of Biddeford, the free, self-guided event takes place on the third Friday of each month through October. This month's Art Walk will feature the inaugural opening of Blac

By Tammy Wells, York County Government Media, Contributing Writer June 8, 2026, Following a June 3 public hearing that drew little comment, the York County Budget Committee unanimously voted to transmit the $31.2 million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to York County Commissioners, thus approving the spending plan. While the overall budget is up by slightly more than 9 percent, the fiscal impact to York County’s 29 municipalities is about $27.1 million, up by a

By Tammy Wells, York County Government Media, Contributing Writer June 4, 2026, They’ve learned how to respond to 911 calls for medical assistance, how to take a pulse, blood pressure, how to assess a patient’s condition, provide first aid or life support care to sick or injured patients, and a lot more. And on June 2, 17 newly minted Emergency Medical Technicians graduated from a 16-week program offered by York County Community College and held at York County Regional Traini

By Danica Lamontagne, City of Biddeford Communications, Contributing Writer June 3, 2026, Mayor Liam LaFountain today announced his nomination of Cornell Knight to serve as Interim City Manager for the City of Biddeford. The nomination will be presented to the Biddeford City Council for consideration at its meeting on Tuesday, June 16th. If confirmed, Knight would begin serving as Interim City Manager on June 17th. Knight brings more than four decades of Maine municipal manag

June 2, 2026, This evening, Biddeford City Councilors voted 6 to 3 to table a proposed Manufactured Housing Ordinance indefinitely. Councilors, Vadnais, Lessard, Pierson, Doughty, Boston, and Beaupre voted in favor Whereas, Councilors, Cote, Woods, and Kurtz opposed tabling the ordinance. There was quite of bit of discussion from the council as well as comments from members of the public on the ordinance. After listening to the council discuss the topic, it seems the reason f

By Loren McCready, Biddeford Buzz, Contributing Writer Biddeford is at a crucial point in its Comprehensive Plan process. This Wednesday, the Planning Board will review several major chapters, including Natural Resources, Water Resources, Existing Land Use, and Future Land Use. Soon after, the plan will move to the City Council for final approval before being sent back to the state. This matters because the Comprehensive Plan helps determine where growth happens, where public

~Letter to the Buzz~ May 30, 2026 By Haley Magnell, Secretary, Thornton Academy Alumni Board, TA Class 2010 Dear Biddeford Buzz, Saturday was a landmark day for the Thornton Academy community as students, alumni, families, faculty, staff, and supporters gathered to celebrate the official unveiling of the new Miles Field House, one of the largest athletic facility investments ever made by a Maine high school. The opening of the impressive new facility marks a significant miles

By Karen Garnett, Biddeford School Department, Contributing Writer May 29, 2026, The Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT) proudly celebrated the accomplishments of 225 students during its annual End-of-Year Awards Ceremony on May 28, 2026. This year’s event marked the largest group of students recognized in the school's history. The ceremony honored juniors and seniors from Biddeford High School, Thornton Academy, Old Orchard Beach High School, and Kennebunk High S

May 29, 2026, Today, exactly two months from the day he hosted a townhall event at the JR Martin Community Center in Biddeford, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Dr. Nirav Shah, released his list of executive orders that if elected, he "will sign on day one as governor". Some readers may recall a similar piece we published back on February 20, 2026 sharing Shah's plan to "Safeguard Maine From Trump". When announcing the list of orders Shah stated, "Mainers are looking for le