Maine

Maine towns surprised by sudden ambulance service bils

Published

2 years ago

August 10, 2024

Maine towns surprised by sudden ambulance service bils

Bangor Daily News

PENOBSCOT COUNTY, Maine — An unexpected change from Northern Light Health threatens to leave multiple rural Penobscot County towns without their long-standing ambulance service unless they can come up with tens of thousands of dollars on short notice.

Seven towns will have to pay Northern Light Health for ambulance services — a change the towns said they didn’t expect — while insurance and patients also continue paying the healthcare giant.

Eddington, Etna, Dedham, Dixmont, Glenburn, Kenduskeag and Newburgh received letters in June about the changes, said Andrea McGraw, associate vice president of Emergency Medical Services, Northern Light Medical Transport and Emergency Care. Other towns have heard they’ll also be affected, but Northern Light said it’s “premature” to talk about other regions as those contracts have not been reviewed.

These contract disputes are just the latest example of rural Maine towns struggling to maintain ambulance services amid rising costs. Other towns have had to contract with neighboring towns, hire private ambulance companies or even purchase their own ambulances to continue providing services to their residents.

For years, Northern Light paid the towns to provide emergency medical services before an ambulance from the health care system arrived.

Dixmont received about $2,500 a year for those services, the town’s First Selectman David Bright said. The money went to the town’s volunteer fire and rescue department.

The Dedham Fire Department received a “small stipend” for the medical services it provided before the ambulance arrived to transport patients, Dedham Fire Chief Craig Shane said.

Contracts between those towns and Northern Light end this year. Now Northern Light will charge the towns a yearly fee of $17 a resident, McGraw said.

Reimbursement for ambulance services are at an all-time low, which means Northern Light carries the cost of whatever insurance and patients do not pay, McGraw said. Paying people who work in emergency medical services, as well as the upkeep of ambulances and equipment is expensive, she said.

“In order to continue to care for our Maine communities for generations to come, we have to make some changes,” McGraw said.

The per capita charge model is used across the country, with fees ranging in price from $3.50 per capita in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, to $55.95 per capita in 2018 in Vermont.

“The cost of municipal-based EMS is high, and we can no longer avoid making this change,” McGraw said. “Our rates are at the low end of providing this service.”

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Towns are required to have a contract for medical transport of people, so an agreement will have to be reached to ensure ambulance services continue, Shane said.

Even with a new contract, there is no guarantee that an ambulance will respond to a call, something Shane said he wants to address in the new contract. Northern Light was unable to send an ambulance to 28 percent of his department’s calls last year, he said.

“Sign a contract to do what?” Shane asked. “Have an ambulance service that struck out 28 percent of the time? That’s disheartening.”

Dixmont’s contract in which it’s paid by Northern Light ends Dec. 31 . The town will have to pay $20,587 a year to continue receiving ambulance services. But the town cannot spend that money until residents vote on a budget at its next annual town meeting on March 15, 2025.

The new contract is not yet finalized, so it’s unclear what will happen to the ambulance service in the three-month gap from the end of the old contract to the town meeting.

Dixmont doesn’t know where it will find the money, as it hasn’t started budget preparations, Bright said.

“We have an obligation to provide health and safety to our occupants so if that’s what we’ve got to do, we’ll do it,” Bright said.

Dedham learned about the changes days after the town finalized its budget July 1, Shane said. For years the towns have had it good with the way the contract works, and a change made sense at the business level, especially with staffing issues. It’s the way the change was presented and the amount requested that is the problem, he said.

“It’s painful,” Shane said, referring to how the town learned about the change just after finalizing its budget.

Dedham will pay $30,000 for the ambulance service. Shane said he’s thankful the per capita charge is based on permanent residents and not seasonal residents.

“It’s going to be pinching pennies for the next 11 months to scrimp and save on a budget that’s already tight.”

(c)2024 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine)
Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at www.bangordailynews.com
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Maine

This Monster Burrito Challenge in Waterville, Maine, Is Not for the Weak

Published

3 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

This Monster Burrito Challenge in Waterville, Maine, Is Not for the Weak

Are you up for a Maine food challenge, or are your eyes bigger than your stomach?

A Waterville staple, Buen Apetito has a monster burrito just waiting for someone to eat it down to the very last bite.

This thing is a beast, literally called La Bestia, and it’s definitely a mighty task for a fearless foodie.

Take on the Buen Apetito La Bestia Food Challenge in Waterville, Maine

According to Buen Apetito, if you can finish a super-sized burrito in 30 minutes or less, you’ll get the $60 meal for free, a La Bestia champion shirt, and a picture on the wall of fame. That’s not to mention the bragging rights of dominating a task few will be able to conquer.

Wondering what’s in the burrito?

The Mexican restaurant shared in a Facebook comment on a post that the burrito is filled with “grilled chicken, chorizo, and tender shredded beef or pork. Built on a layer of seasoned rice, refried beans, and French fries, it’s melted together with a shredded Mexican cheese blend and a drizzle of creamy cheese sauce, sautéed peppers and onions, green salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, creamy guacamole, and a bed of shredded lettuce all wrapped in three extra-large tortillas fused into one epic wrap.”

Let’s just say that this thing is packed full.

The first La Bestia contender took up his fork and knife in December 2025, but despite coming close, he couldn’t come out with the win.

As of March 2026, the challenge has remained undefeated. But you never know, someone is bound to come out victorious.

Just note that you can only try your hand at this food challenge on Wednesday and Thursday.

Buen Apetito Has Been a Longstanding Waterville, Maine, Restaurant

First opened in 1999, Buen Apeitito has been around for nearly 30 years.

Centralmaine.com reported that the Mexican restaurant was originally located at the Railroad Square complex off Chaplin Street before moving to 99 West River Road in 2023.

A little over a year later, in 2024, Buen Apetito shared on Facebook that it was passing on the torch to new owners, including Dalia, “the heart and soul of [the] kitchen for twenty years,” her daughter, Norma, and Norma’s husband, Shawn.

READ MORE: Famous Maine Restaurant Buen Apetito Adds Powerhouse New Owner to Crew

And it seems like not only are things still going strong, but new additions like La Bestia food challenge are only enhancing the spirit of big flavor and delicious Mexican food at the Waterville staple.

So, you think you’re up for the task of taking down a beast of a burrito at Buen Apetito? Good luck.

You Know You’re From Maine If You’ve Tried All 19 of These Foods

Here’s a number of foods associated with Maine. How many of them have you had?

Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna

The New York Time’s Best Restaurant Lists Feature These 7 Maine Spots

Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna

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Maine

How the Good Neighbor Day of Giving telethon is impacting Maine’s communities

Published

15 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

How the Good Neighbor Day of Giving telethon is impacting Maine’s communities

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Monday’s telethon held by WABI in partnership with Penquis and Heart of Maine United Way Monday raised money for the heating of homes, something so basic, yet so significant in a state like Maine.

Danielle Hewes, Penquis contributor and volunteer, says some people might not even know that they qualify for heating assistance.

“I think there’s this misconception that you can’t get that if you’re working. Like that’s just for people on general assistance. The truth of the matter is this is for the people that are maybe not able to work, but also for the people that are working. They’re making ends meet,” she said.

For Danielle, that’s what makes events like the telethon so special: it’s making a real difference in the community with people who need the help the most.

Speaking about Penquis in particular, she said, “You learn about all of the other things they do and how they help the community and you can’t help but want to be a part of that.”

If you weren’t able to donate Monday, donations are still being accepted.

You can go to homeunitedway.org/heat.

You can also call 941-2800.

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Maine

Arizona Sen. Gallego endorses Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Sen. Gallego endorses Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrat Graham Platner has picked up another high-profile endorsement in his bid to flip a key Senate seat blue, marking another sign of the oyster farmer and combat veteran’s political resiliency even as he continues to face controversy throughout his campaign.

Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego announced Monday that he was backing Platner, saying that the first-time candidate “reflects the grit and independence that defines Maine.”

“Graham Platner is the kind of fighter Maine hasn’t seen in a long time, someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, doesn’t owe anything to the special interests, and wakes up every day thinking about working families,” said Gallego, who won a Senate seat in Arizona in 2024 by more than 2 points while Trump carried the state by nearly 6 points.

Platner has previously been endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat.

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has endorsed Platner’s main opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills.

Both Platner, 41, and Mills, 78, are hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 73, a five-term incumbent who announced last month that she was running for another term. A victory in Maine is crucial for Democrats’ efforts to take back control of the Senate. The Democratic Party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.

READ MORE: Maine’s Graham Platner thinks voters will overlook his past to support a new type of candidate

Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s pressed forward despite controversies over old social media posts and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he recently had covered up.

Gallego is among the Democrats named as possible 2028 presidential contenders. Last fall, he stumped in New Jersey, Virginia and Florida, where he campaigned for Democrats who went on to win their elections.

“I have an immense amount of respect for him and I’m looking forward to joining him as a fellow Marine and combat infantryman in the U.S. Senate,” Platner said in a statement.

Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

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