Maine

Have you seen Stefanie Damron? FBI offers $15,000 reward in case of missing Maine 14-year-old

Published

1 year ago

December 3, 2024

Have you seen Stefanie Damron? FBI offers ,000 reward in case of missing Maine 14-year-old

Federal authorities are now offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to safe return of a 14-year-old girl from Maine whose family reported her missing this fall.

Stefanie Damron, of New Sweden, was reported missing on Sept. 24, according to the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The FBI has been working with Maine State Police in an effort to locate the girl, last seen walking out of her house and into the nearby woods, officials said.

The reward was announced Monday in a news release by the FBI.

“Despite extensive investigative efforts, including a neighborhood canvas and video search, along with an expansive grid search utilizing canines by the Maine Warden Service and Maine State Police, Stefanie remains missing,” officials wrote in the release.

Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, said the FBI hopes the reward “will incentivize anyone with information relating to Stefanie’s whereabouts to come forward.”

Stefanie’s family desperately wants to know where she is, and we are fully committed to helping our law enforcement partners exhaust every investigative resource to find her and bring her home,” Cohen said.

What does Stefanie Damron look like?

Authorities described Stefanie as a white female with green eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She stands about 5’0” tall, and weighs about 130 lbs.

At the time of her disappearance, she was reportedly wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt, and black Harley Davidson hiking boots.

Officials said she is homeschooled and has limited access to social media.

Investigators have conducted dozens of interviews and followed up on potential leads across Maine, around the U.S. and into Canada, officials said.

“Every lead, no matter how small is being thoroughly pursued to find her,” said Maine State Police Colonel William Ross. “Your tip could be the key to resolving this case and providing answers for Stefanie’s family.”

Law enforcement is asking the public to share her updated missing person poster on social media: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/stefanie-damron.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Maine State Police at 1-800-824-2261 or 207-532-5400 or contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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Maine

Regular gas tops $4, premium over $5 in Maine amid severe Trump Iran threats

Published

7 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Regular gas tops , premium over in Maine amid severe Trump Iran threats

Brady Chapman fills up one of four trucks he uses for his business Wednesday at Irving Gas Station in Bethel. Regular gas was $4.09 at the station. (Rose Lincoln/Staff Writer)

Maine’s average price for regular gasoline rose to its highest point since August 2022, as the conflict in Iran continues to drive up global oil costs.

A gallon of regular gas averaged $4.03 here Tuesday, ticking up more than 6 cents overnight, according to data aggregated by motor club AAA. That price has risen 38.5% — about $1.12 — since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel struck Iran, triggering a conflict that has since spilled into the broader Middle East.

Maine’s average price crossed the $4 threshold a week after the national average did so. The national average was up to $4.14 Tuesday, AAA data shows.

Premium gas was up to $5.07 per gallon in Maine, topping $5 for the first time in nearly four years. Diesel, meanwhile, averaged about $5.90 per gallon Tuesday.

Collectively, those figures mark the state’s highest average gas prices since the summer of 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine drove gas prices to record highs. A gallon of regular gas peaked at $5.09 that June, the highest ever recorded by AAA.

This week, Maine’s prices were the 21st highest among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to AAA. California, Hawaii, Washington, Nevada and Oregon all saw average prices above $5 per gallon Tuesday.

This is a developing story.

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Maine

Tennessee forward & Maine native J.P. Estrella enters transfer portal

Published

19 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee forward & Maine native J.P. Estrella enters transfer portal

Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella, a Scarborough native and former South Portland standout, announced earlier today that he is entering the transfer portal.

Estrella shared the news in a social media post, writing that his time at Tennessee “means more to me than I can put into words” and that he’ll “cherish the time I spent there.”

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Maine

This Maine Restaurant’s Lobster Roll Is 3 Feet Long… Yes, Really!

Published

1 day ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

This Maine Restaurant’s Lobster Roll Is 3 Feet Long… Yes, Really!

This iconic spot is a “road-trip-worthy” Maine destination, but can you handle their newest addition?

Spring has sprung, which means plenty of people will take a well-deserved break from the daily grind and hit the open road. If you’re heading out to explore some cool Maine traditions—and you love lobster rolls—we’ve found the perfect stop.

The Taste of Maine restaurant has been serving up delicious seafood since 1978. They’re famous for a few things: a giant inflatable lobster that covers about 75% of the roof, and their claim to fame—the “World’s Largest Lobster Roll.”

These legendary lobster rolls are 22 inches long, and over the years, many customers have taken on the dare of finishing one. If you succeed, you earn membership in the “Clean Plate Club”—no easy feat given the size of this lobster roll.

But this year, Taste of Maine has gone even bigger. Introducing the “Monster” Lobster Roll: 3 feet long, packed with 2½ pounds of fresh Maine lobster meat—tail, claw, and knuckle—all on a 6-inch roll. This colossal creation carries a price tag of $259.99.

Read More: Maine Amusement Park Reveals New Family Attraction For 2026

Located at 161 Main Street in Woolwich, Maine, Taste of Maine is now open for its 48th season.

One of the best things about Taste of Maine is watching people take on these enormous lobster rolls. Guests love filming themselves attempting to finish them, including a Guinness World Records titleholder for “World’s Largest Mouth Gape.”

Spring Hours:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM

To see just how long Taste of Maine has been a local favorite, check out this classic TV commercial from the 1980s!