PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -Northern Maine Community College’s registered nursing program has been ranked No. 2 in Maine for 2025 by NursingExplorer.com, a national education resource that evaluates nursing programs based on graduate success on licensure examinations.

The NMCC program earned the recognition with a 96.60% weighted average pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses over the past three years, placing the college among the top-performing nursing programs in the state. The ranking comes as demand for qualified nurses remains strong across Maine, particularly in rural and northern communities.

“These results demonstrate the dedication of our students, faculty and clinical partners who work together to ensure graduates are prepared for the realities of today’s health care environment,” said Andrew Gagnon, RN, MSN, CCRN, NR-P, CHSE, department chair of nursing, EMS and allied health at Northern Maine Community College. “We are proud to see our program recognized for its consistent quality as we continue preparing nurses to serve communities across Aroostook County and throughout Maine.”

Maine is home to approximately 15 nursing education programs, with most concentrated in southern and central population centers such as Portland, Lewiston, Bangor and Augusta. This distribution can create access challenges for students in more rural regions, making northern training opportunities especially important for local workforce development.

“Northern Maine Community College is proud to provide nursing education that meets the highest standards while remaining accessible to students in northern Maine,” said Doug Binsfeld, Ed.D., president of Northern Maine Community College. “Our graduates make a meaningful impact in rural communities and are equally prepared to pursue opportunities in larger health care settings across the state.”

Employment prospects for nurses in Maine remain favorable, driven by an aging population and ongoing workforce shortages. Maine’s participation in the Nurse Licensure Compact also allows licensed nurses to practice in more than 30 participating states, expanding career mobility and professional opportunities for graduates.

According to NursingExplorer.com, rankings are based on NCLEX pass-rate data collected over a three-year period. Results are weighted by the number of test takers in each cohort, with additional emphasis placed on more recent outcomes to reflect current program performance.

Copyright 2026 WAGM. All rights reserved.

Massachusetts tourism and political leaders have plenty to cheer about in 2026.

“This year for tourism is going to be huge,” said Marykay Wydra with Explore Western Mass.

“It’s going to be an incredible summer,” said Martha Sheridan with MeetBoston.

Millions of visitors are expected over the next few months as the Bay State prepares to host seven 2026 World Cup matches, America 250 celebrations and normal summer tourism.

But while Boston and Foxborough will be the epicenters of activity, Gov. Maura Healey says it’s critical that the rest of the state is able to reap some of the economic benefits.

“The state is going to help, private organizations are going to help, companies are going to help,” said Gov. Healey.

The statewide push is aided in part by $10 million in state grants.

“We wanted to make sure there was money there for communities to host watch parties during the World Cup event,” Healey said.

“With more we can do more,” said Wydra.

“Any funding where we can help add a special angle to that, this being the World Cup, is helpful,” said Jessye Deane with the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.

Beyond those broader goals, Massachusetts will get a preview of how the World Cup matches will play out this week as France and Brazil play an international friendly match at Gillette Stadium.

“From an operational perspective, from a security and transportation perspective. It does give us a good opportunity to test some things out,” said Healey.

“It’s a 4 p.m. match so it mirrors time slots for the World Cup, we’ll test out train routes on Thursday,” said Sheridan.

It’s an early challenge for the Commonwealth as it looks to come away with an economic win.

As a reminder, the first World Cup match will be held on June 13 between Haiti and Scotland.

• The poll, released March 23, found that Democrats lead the generic ballot 49% to 41%, up four points from November.
• Pappas leads both Republican challengers, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, in hypothetical matchups for Senate.
• Gov. Kelly Ayotte still has a slight positive approval rating and beats her potential opponents in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.

Democrats are gaining ground ahead of the 2026 midterms, a new poll from Saint Anselm College Survey Center revealed.

The poll, released March 23, found Democrats lead the generic ballot 49% to 41%, up four points from November. That increase is likely due to concerns over the economy and foreign policy: 59% of voters surveyed oppose the recent military action in Iran, and a slight plurality now trust Democrats over Republicans on economic and affordability issues.

“War and economic uncertainty are creating headwinds for Republicans in New Hampshire, putting Congressman Chris Pappas in a stronger position than in our previous survey,” said Neil Levesque, the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, in a statement.

The poll found Pappas leads both of his potential Republican challengers, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, in hypothetical matchups for Senate. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, also “restored her lead” against 2024 Republican nominee Lily Tang Williams.

Democrats also have more enthusiasm: 96% are “extremely likely” to vote in the midterm elections, compared to 88% of Republicans.

Despite the rise in support for Democrats, Gov. Kelly Ayotte still has a slight positive approval rating and beats her potential opponents in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. And President Donald Trump’s approval rating has remained largely unchanged.

The poll surveyed 1,491 New Hampshire registered voters online from March 16 to 18. The margin of error is +/-2.5%.

What is Kelly Ayotte’s approval rating?

The poll found Ayotte’s approval rating was 49%, with 47% disapproval. Her net approval is slightly down from November, when she was at 49% to 43%.

However, she still polls ahead of her two Democratic challengers for governor. Ayotte leads former executive councilor Cinde Warmington 46% to 39% and former Newmarket restaurant owner Jon Kiper 45% to 31%.

In the Democratic primary, Warmington leads Kiper 40% to 13%.

What is Donald Trump’s approval rating?

Forty-two percent of New Hampshire voters approve of Trump’s performance, the poll found, while 58% disapprove.

The same split is found on his favorability: 42% find Trump favorable, while 58% find him unfavorable.

This is largely unchanged from November, when he was at 57% disapproval and 57% unfavorable.

Buttigieg overtakes Newsom, Rubio gains support in 2028 primary polls

As presidential hopefuls continue to visit the early primary state, the Saint Anselm poll found some shakeups in an early look at the 2028 presidential primaries.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeig, who finished second in the state in 2020, is an early favorite with 29% support from Democratic voters. At 15%, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has fallen back, the poll says, and he is followed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (10%) and former Vice President Kamala Harris (6%).

While Vice President J.D. Vance remains the top choice on the Republican side with 46%, his support has fallen from 57% in November while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has risen in the ranks.

“Rubio has tripled his support from 9% to 27%, and must now be considered a significant potential challenger to Vance,” the poll says.