Maine

Maine’s annual Wild Blueberry Weekend to return Aug. 3, 4

Published

2 years ago

June 3, 2024

Maine’s annual Wild Blueberry Weekend to return Aug. 3, 4

Maine’s Wild Blueberry Weekend is back for its fourth consecutive year and scheduled for Saturday to Sunday, Aug. 3 and 4.

The event is organized by the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate and learn more about the state’s native berry by exploring multiple Maine wild blueberry farms that are open for free to the public in Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Lincoln, Kennebec, Knox, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington counties.

Over the last four years, Wild Blueberry Weekend has become a popular annual tradition with locals and visitors and has helped to boost direct, fresh wild blueberry sales for participating Maine farmers. The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine estimates that 7,533 individuals visited one or more of the 15 participating farms in 2023. Visitors can tour farms, rake wild blueberries, meet their farmer, take in scenic wild blueberry vistas, and purchase fresh wild blueberries and other wild blueberry products like jams, pies and syrups.

“Maine’s wild blueberry crop has been an integral part of our state’s agricultural heritage for generations. Most farms are family owned and have been passed down from generation to generation for years,” said Eric Venturini, Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. “Wild Blueberry Weekend promotes and celebrates our state’s iconic fruit and helps to educate visitors about Maine’s important wild blueberry industry while also providing economic opportunity to our hard-working Maine farmers that harvest this wild crop.”

To learn more, visit wildblueberryweekend.com.

Check out other upcoming area events!

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Maine

New trial begins for Maine man in death of 3-year-old Edgecomb girl

Published

2 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Press Room

New trial begins for Maine man in death of 3-year-old Edgecomb girl

BATH, Maine (WGME) — A new trial began on Tuesday for a Maine man accused of killing his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter in Edgecomb.

Tyler Witham-Jordan is charged with depraved indifference murder for the death of Makinzlee Handrahan.

On Christmas morning in 2022, Handrahan’s mother, Faith Lewis, called 911 around 7:30 a.m. after finding her daughter cold, stiff, bruised, and not breathing.

Dispatchers said they heard the girl’s mother say, “Oh my god, I think my daughter’s dead.”

A photo of 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan is shown during{ }Tyler Witham-Jordan’s trial. Witham-Jordan is accused of killing Handrahan in 2022 in Edgecomb. (WGME)

Her boyfriend, later identified as Witham-Jordan, could be heard saying, “I’m f—-d” and “I’m finished.”

First responders said they found bruises all over the little girl’s body.

The medical examiner ruled her cause of death blunt force trauma and said she had internal injuries.

According to court documents, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said there was a DHHS investigation in October 2022 after Handrahan’s daycare reported she had a scratch and bruises, which her mother and Witham-Jordan said were caused by a cat scratch and falling on the stairs. Investigators said there was also purple swelling under her eye at the time.

Police said Witham-Jordan was still living with Handrahan and her mother months later when she was found dead on Christmas.

Witham-Jordan’s first trial began in December 2024.

During the trial, the state claimed Witham-Jordan had been agitated that the child had been sick around the holiday and was looking to get high.

“All 27 pounds of her was killed, quietly and discreetly. No one heard her die,” state prosecutor Lia Bogue said. “He wanted to get together with his connection on Christmas Eve because he needed more drugs.”

Both sides focused on early morning texts between Witham-Jordan and Lewis about checking on her, because she had been in bed for hours.

{p}The apartment complex off Route 1 in Edgecomb where 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan lived. She died on Christmas Day 2022. Her death has been ruled a homicide. (WGME){/p}

The apartment complex off Route 1 in Edgecomb where 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan lived. She died on Christmas Day 2022. Her death has been ruled a homicide. (WGME)

Defense attorney Jim Howaniec said the state didn’t have evidence that Witham-Jordan committed the crime.

Attorneys gave theories about DNA evidence at the scene, including on a comb with a “huge” clump of the child’s hair found in the bathroom. The defense accused Lewis of committing the murder instead.

However, Witham-Jordan’s first trial ended in a mistrial after Handrahan’s mother was shown her daughter’s battered body and cried out at Witham-Jordan, “What did you do to my baby?”

Because of that, the defense asked for a mistrial, and the judge granted it.

Witham-Jordan’s second trial began on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

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Maine

Maine High School Boys Basketball Tournament: 5 Standouts from the Class B South Quarterfinals

Published

14 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Press Room

Maine High School Boys Basketball Tournament: 5 Standouts from the Class B South Quarterfinals

After a day off from play, the Maine high school basketball tournament returned to action Monday. The Class B boys quarterfinals took over the Portland Expo all afternoon and into the evening. Here are the standouts from the four games.

A senior guard, Martin posted a game-bests 19 points and 5 assists to go with 4 steals and 3 rebounds to lift the sixth-seeded Knights to a 68-63 win over No. 3 Lake Region. He also made an efficient 8 of 12 shots in knocking off the same team that sent Poland home last year.

Martin isn’t just a basketball player, he won the Campbell Conference Player of the Year in the fall as a quarterback safety for Poland’s football team. The Knights won a combined seven games Martin’s first two years of high school.

“Honestly, if I was freshman and sophomore me and I was telling myself I’d be in the quarterfinals, I would never believe it,” Martin said, per the Portland Press Herald. “Our guys have turned our program around completely and I’m very proud.”

The duo combined for 48 of 57 points for the No. 2 Panthers in a 16-point victory over No. 10 Lincoln Academy.

Nguyen, a senior and Mr. Maine Basketball semifinalist, erupted for 27 points on 12 of 17 shooting. The 6-3 senior guard also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Donlin, a 6-3 junior forward, scored 21 points, hauled in five rebounds and blocked two shots. The Panthers built a double-digit halftime lead that went mostly unchallenged.

The No. 4 Clippers held seeding with a 63-56 win over No. 5 Leavitt, and the 6-4 senior forward posted 13 points on 5-8 shooting and game-highs of 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Five different players scored 10+ points for Yarmouth in a balanced effort.

The 5-10 sophomore guard scored a game-best 21 points in the top-seeded Wildcats 63-45 win over No, 9 Gray-New Gloucester. He made 7 of 13 shots and all five of his free-throws, plus puled down five rebounds and posted two steals and assists apiece for the reigning state champs.

Class B South Semifinals schedule
Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Portland Expo

No. 6 Poland vs. No. 2 Medomak Valley, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Yarmouth vs. No. 1 York, 6:45 p.m.

Games will be streamed on WHOU.live.

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