Maine

Cooper Flagg Excites CBB Fans in Duke Debut as Kon Knueppel, Blue Devils Beat Maine

Published

1 year ago

November 5, 2024

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Cooper Flagg Excites CBB Fans in Duke Debut as Kon Knueppel, Blue Devils Beat Maine

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Cooper Flagg and the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team started the 2024-25 campaign with a win.

Duke defeated the Maine Black Bears 96-62 in Monday’s season-opening showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium. All eyes were on the freshman, and he opened his highly anticipated season with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals while helping lead his team to a straightforward victory.

He wasn’t the only one who played well, as Kon Knueppel spearheaded the scoring efforts with 22 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.

But it was Flagg who drew the most reaction on social media, especially after he threw down quite the dunk:

JWF3 @JamesWFortnerII
Look where he jumps from off 2 feet …. athletic with a 7ft wing span. Geez! https://t.co/65bsdPP032

Steven Padillas @Falcons_Pad
Cooper Flagg is the most unselfish high IQ recruit Duke has had in a while. The game comes to him he doesn’t force it too often.

Mick @DBGyt_
So Cooper Flagg is a lock for #1…
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Amy Murray @VTDukefan
Yeah, that’s unguardable play by Cooper Flagg. So freaking skilled he is!!

Cassidy Brown @TheSasckMask
COOPER FLAGG AGAIN!🐰🐰🐰
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CT @CTFazio24
The baseline with Cooper Flagg is that he doesn’t even have to score a lot to impact the game. Defense is special, makes winning plays

Amy Murray @VTDukefan
The thing that has impressed me a ton with Cooper Flagg is how well he can handle the PG duties. He has great vision on the floor. Love that Duke has another big man that can bring the ball up the court & create plays.

The game was a blowout as expected, but it was still the first chance for college basketball and NBA fans to see Flagg in action. The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, is one of the most-hyped freshmen in years and will be appointment viewing every time he takes the court.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Flagg as the No. 1 overall pick in his latest mock draft, noting that the 17-year-old “has been considered one of the bigger prizes of the decade.”

His presence is a major reason expectations are once again so high for the powerhouse Blue Devils after they reached the Elite Eight last season, and Monday’s game was an opportunity to set the tone against an overmatched opponent.

Yet it was Knueppel who did just that by pouring in 15 points in the first half alone, four of which came on a four-point play when he was fouled beyond the arc. With Maine focusing plenty of defensive attention on Flagg, he was able to take advantage of open looks and anchor the offense for stretches.

Flagg certainly had his moments in the first half as well, including when he unleashed the monster tomahawk jam to fire up the crowd. He followed that with an assist on a Sion James three and a reverse layup to push the lead to 11 by intermission.

The game was never in doubt, and Duke wasted no time pulling away in the second half with Flagg doing a little bit of everything. Even when he wasn’t the team’s go-to scorer, he was facilitating, battling for boards and playing lockdown defense as the best two-way player on the floor.

It is a formula that should lead to plenty of wins in what figures to be his only collegiate season, especially if Knueppel proves to be the scoring threat he was Monday. Maine had no answers for the two freshmen, and it isn’t difficult to envision them leading the Blue Devils to plenty of success.

They will look to continue the early momentum Friday when they face Army.

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Maine

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Published

11 hours ago

April 19, 2026

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18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.

Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.

But the views are incredible.

Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Hunt Trail

Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Katahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Abol Trail

Chimney Pond Trail

Cathedral Trail

Saddle Trail

Northwest Basin Trail

Knife Edge

Hikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Tablelands

South Peak

Hamlin Peak

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Maine

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Published

23 hours ago

April 18, 2026

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Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Maine Township residents vote in support of purchasing building for the relocation of the township food pantry.

A proposal for Maine Township to purchase a building at 9850 Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview to move its popular and growing food pantry received strong approval at the township’s Annual Meeting held last week at the Town Hall on Ballard Road.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting where they approved buying the property for $1,429,000. The 3,000 sq. ft. building, which is located within the township, had been the home of a local restaurant. It is currently vacant.
In March, Supervisor Kim Jones explained that the food pantry needs more space for food and to accommodate clients who need food. “We’ve totally outgrown it,” said Jones at the time. “We’ve been looking for more than a year.”
Following last week’s meeting, Jones said about the vote, “That magical moment really encapsulated the strong support system that’s been built from neighbors helping neighbors throughout our community. The food pantry has grown in leaps and bounds throughout the last five years thanks to the dedicated work of its staff, volunteers and the public.”
Des Plaines City Clerk Dominik Bronakowski served as ceremonial moderator for the event.
Jones also recognized a number of employees and officials who currently serve the township. They included Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey and MaineStay Youth and Family Services Director Richard Lyon for their 20 years of service to Maine. Assistant Director of MaineStreamers, Therese Tully was recognized for her 25 years of service.
The meeting also recognized former Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry Director Debbie Walusiak who was presented the Sgt. Karen Lader Good Citizen Award for her more than 20 years of service to the Des Plaines community.
“Debbie is an exceptional community leader and volunteer,” said township Clerk Pete Gialamas whose office runs the annual award program. “Her work with the Des Plaines community, particularly her leadership navigating the Self-Help Closet and Pantry’s 2020 move to a larger location in the midst of the COVID pandemic really shows the depth and resolve of that leadership and dedication to service.”
In 2011, the clerk’s office instituted the award in honor of Lader, a resident of Des Plaines and a 15-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. She was deeply involved with the township’s Neighborhood Watch program and active in Maine’s National Night Out Against Crime event held each August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.

If you like this story, you can get a whole lot more practically every day of the week by subscribing to journal-topics.com. Click here to choose your preference of either print or online, or call 847-299-5511.

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Maine

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Now the fun begins, as many birds and quite a few birders return to Maine for the summer. It’s time to get organized.

Birding is generally a quiet, solitary pastime — a stroll in the park, a walk in the woods, a paddle in the marsh.

Penobscot Valley Audubon’s Neighborhood Bird Walks kick off May 6. There are 13 walks scheduled at birding hot spots in Greater Bangor throughout the month. These walks have been immensely popular since they began nine years ago.

The benefits are many. It’s a chance to walk with experienced local guides, finding birds you might otherwise overlook. You can start to associate specific species with their preferred habitats. It’s a great opportunity to learn and practice identification skills and gather tips from others. Many participants enjoy the social camaraderie of guided bird walks.

A Baltimore oriole perches in Maine. Spring birding events take advantage of the surge in returning species. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

I will lead two of these morning walks and probably tag along on several others. I chuckle at how easy it is to find birds in May. I’ve done these same walks so many times over the years, I usually know where different species will be before I even arrive. It’s almost like cheating.

Penobscot Valley Audubon members have already received the walk schedule in the most recent newsletter. Nonmembers can find the schedule on the chapter website at pvc.maineudubon.org. The walks are free and open to all.

Morning bird walks are fun. But for a full weekend adventure, try a birding festival. There are four great festivals to choose from.

The Wings, Waves & Woods Festival occupies the third weekend of May. Most events occur in Stonington and Deer Isle. Highlights include a Sunday visit to the Atlantic puffin colony on Seal Island, preceded by a Saturday cruise around the islands outside Stonington Harbor. I’ll be one of the guides on both.

I must say I am particularly excited about the archipelago cruise. Last year was the first year we did it, and I was not prepared for how many winter seabirds were still loitering around the islands. The numbers and variety were astounding. This festival is ideal for seeing the overlap of Maine’s overwintering birds and newly arrived spring migrants, all on the same weekend.

A rose-breasted grosbeak perches in Maine. Migratory songbirds return in May, drawing birders to walks and festivals. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

The Downeast Spring Birding Festival spans Memorial Day weekend. I’m awed, or maybe odd, to say I’ve been guiding for this festival ever since it began in 2003. Indeed, I led the very first walk of the first festival. That was amazing enough to convince me to keep doing it for the next 23 years.

Cobscook Institute coordinates the festival from its campus in Trescott. Events cover birding hotspots in Washington County, Campobello Island in New Brunswick and nearby offshore islands. Two different boats will visit two different puffin colonies over the weekend.

I might get an argument from the organizers of other festivals, but I personally think this one is the birdiest for two reasons. Memorial Day weekend is about the time the last returning migrants pass through Washington County, adding to the number of songbirds that have already established breeding territories for the summer. The Cobscook Bay area also has some of the most diverse habitat in the state, creating opportunities to see a wide variety of species in a relatively compact area.

The Acadia Birding Festival is the granddaddy of them all. Now in its 27th year, it’s the biggest of Maine’s festivals and attracts nationally recognized guides and speakers. It offers the advantage of birding in and around Acadia National Park.

The official dates for the festival are May 28-31, but three pre-festival trips are offered: one to Monhegan Island, one to Saddleback Mountain near Rangeley seeking the elusive Bicknell’s thrush and one to visit the puffins on Petit Manan, with a second post-festival trip to Petit Manan also available.

And now for something completely different: The Rangeley Birding Festival. The mountainous forests of western Maine host a different selection of bird species compared to the three coastal festivals. This is the realm of Canada jays, boreal chickadees, black-backed woodpeckers and that elusive Bicknell’s thrush.

By June 5-7, when this festival occurs, spring migration is over. Birds have settled into their nesting territories, where they can be predictably found. Very few organized events introduce birders to the boreal forest, so this festival has its own unique appeal.

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