Radio Midcoast WCME - 995FM

12/12/2025

WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

Call it an early Christmas gift.

Traffic now open on the new bridge between Brunswick and Topsham across the Androscoggin River.

12/12/2025

After WCME’s exclusive reporting on a major hike in special education costs in the Brunswick schools, there have been questions from the community here on the WCME page.

So on Friday morning, we talked live with Brunswick School Superintendent Phil Potenziano on the WCME Midcoast Morning Buzz.

If you missed any part of it, you may hear it here.

https://www.radiomidcoastwcme.com/portfolio/brunswick-school-superintendent-phil-potenziano-on-the-wcme-midcoast-morning-buzz-9/

12/12/2025

From NBC News and WCME

Photos from the Epstein files. With apparently many more to come.

The release, which contains photographs of Trump, former President Bill Clinton and other prominent figures, comes amid next week's deadline for the Justice Department to give what files it has on Epstein to Congress.

12/12/2025

A cat by the name of Sharona and a fine dog named Scout--both in need of FOREVER HOMES on the Midcoast--are our featured creatures on this week's WCME Creature Feature!

Which was live-streamed right here on the WCME page--you may watch AND listen!

Brought to you just after WCME'S 830 News by the animal lovers at Darling's Brunswick Ford--Bath Road.

12/11/2025

WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

A business in Brunswick is one of four Maine employers being honored by Governor Mills as a recipient of the 2025 Governor's Award for Business Excellence, the state's premier recognition for Maine businesses that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and commitment to their employees and communities.

STARC Systems, which manufactures reusable temporary containment wall systems used during construction and renovation in occupied facilities, is receiving the Heritage Industry Award.

The company began in 2013 at Brunswick Landing's TechPlace, where it now operates from a 112,000-square-foot facility, supplying contractors and facility owners across the healthcare, transportation, data, and commercial sectors.

12/11/2025

WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

The Maine Department of Labor is looking for workers who have been laid off by any of the seven or more Subway franchises that have been ordered closed in Maine, including Subway stores in Brunswick, Topsham, Lisbon Falls and Wiscasset.

All of the locations are franchises belonging to the large Subway franchise group MTF Subway owned by Michael Fay, which owns 15 locations in Maine and a total of 45 locations in four states.

Maine Revenue Services revoked the registration certificates of the stores but has refused to elaborate on its reasons for doing so.

12/11/2025

WCME News Exclusive

After telling the Freeport-based RSU-5 School Board last month that it would take a district-wide tax increase of just under ten percent to maintain a status quo budget next year, and hearing some push-back from board members, Superintendent Tom Gray now says he will be proposing a budget in January that calls for reductions.

Gray says he's not yet ready to talk about specifics and says his proposals may not cut evenly among the various RSU-5 schools. However, he says they will be fair and aimed at creating the least disruption for kids.

The superintendent is also planning to present the board with three budget options. One of those would call for an eight percent tax increase, another will be based on a seven percent increase, while a third option would require a six percent hike, which the superintendent warns would amount to a re-design of the school system.

--In other action, the RSU-5 School Board has given preliminary approval to a plan to effectively ban student cell phone use during the school day, but which would allow administrators some flexibility in the enforcement of the policy, which is not due to take effect until next September. In the meantime, a committee will consider possible additions and revisions to the plan.

12/11/2025

WCME News Exclusive

Because of the fact that six Brunswick special education students required high needs programs after the passage of the school budget last June, the school department now faces an unanticipated $837,000 deficit in its special education budget for the current year.

School finance director Dawn Blanchard tells the school board that with this in mind, she and Superintendent Phil Potenziano are making certain that all approved spending is prioritized and is providing essential programs to students.

Blanchard and Potenziano will also explore additional options for state aid, and as of January, will begin to bill MaineCare, the Maine equivalent of Medicaid for eligible services, in order to generate revenue.

We will hear from Dawn Blanchard and from Brunswick Special Education Director Ruth Joyce throughout the Thursday WCME Midcoast Morning Buzz.

6-9

99-5 WCME!!!

12/10/2025

Garver--very likely the most popular dog in Topsham. And not without good reason--he's the comfort dog at Mt. Ararat High School and Mt. Ararat Middle--keeps all the kids calm.

Garver also has a new Christmas sweater and he met up with Santa at Topsham Library during a story time for the youngest kids of all.

So it was a day for photos and a day to share those photos.

Thanks for the photos to Topsham Police!

12/10/2025

A photo not posted for political purposes--but rather because it illustrates the perpetual inequalities of this life. Which once in awhile can be enjoyable--even funny.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree posted this today--herself between two quite statuesque members of the Maine Celtics.

Thanks to Brunswick's Coastal Resources Manager Dan Devereaux, we now have these guys identified as Stefan Todorovic, a 6'8" shooting guard from Serbia via Pepperdine University, and Aaron Scott, a 6'7" forward from Texas via St. John's University on Chellie's right.

They were on the same flight to Washington with Chellie---but on a very different mission--to take on the Capital City Go-Gos in basketball's G-League.

12/10/2025

WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

Note: We have just removed a man by the name of Nick from this page for accusing us of "fake news." He did so after we provided him with a factual explanation for why we regard this story as significant. He believes that because he has never heard of Pan-Atlantic Research, that the company and its work have no value.

Know this: Those who know this page best know that we work very hard at accuracy. An accusation that we are posting "fake news" is an accusation that we are lying. We occasionally make mistakes--usually small ones--but we don't lie. If you believe we lie or deceive--you should not be spending your time here--and we don't want you.

Bottom line: Your use of the term "fake news" is almost always a sure-fire ticket to be spending your web time some place else than here.

This thread will also NOT become a bumpersticker parade in the comment section. In other words, "Mills in 26", "Collins in 26", etc. will be deleted.

If you have something of substance to say about the senate race, the governor's race, or the candidates, you are welcome to post it. But NO bumperstickers.

Now for the story:

A new poll from Portland-based Pan Atlantic Research shows Governor Mills with a significant ten-percentage point lead on Graham Platner ahead of next year's Democratic primary for the U-S Senate and also shows both Mills and Platner tied against Republican incumbent Susan Collins.

Mills leads Platner 47-37 percent with 1 percent for Brunswick's David Costello and 14 percent undecided.

This is the first poll to show Mills well ahead of Platner. It is also the first survey from a non-ideological group to test the two Democratic challengers against Collins.

The poll also shows significant vulnerabilities for all three of the major candidates. Collins' favorablity is 17 points underwater with Maine voters--almost as high as the 19 point figure for President Trump.

Mills is eight points underwater, and Platner is struggling to win support from older voters, who make up a large part of the Maine electorate.

Additionally, the poll finds Democrat Nirav Shah and Republican Bobby Charles with the strongest support in the race for governor.

You may read the full poll at this link.

https://hs-21701012.f.hubspotstarter.net/hubfs/21701012/67th%20Omnibus%20Poll%20December%202025.pdf?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9irO56rTeSnqkzVBCk_uAuOyZQ6wyp-9gjM_9CpEM3OJ12HS4zxxK0bKbm3uF9OZ16SzXzv5dzeywOJTU7q8a1kPsjtELnpxvfABpoaGwcO0nesIw&_hsmi=393840029&utm_content=393840029&utm_source=hs_email

12/10/2025

WCME News Exclusive

In Brunswick, a large load of skepticism is voiced by planning board members and by members of the public in regard to a proposed 13-lot open space subdivision on Moody Road in the town's rural farm and forest zone. As a part of the project, developers propose eight new single-family homes and four new duplexes on a new dead-end road.

There was particular opposition to proposed waivers from existing land-use regulations requested by the developers.

Former town councilor Steve Walker points to waiver requests which he says would threaten the protection of open space and wildlife habitats, while Town Council Chair Sande Updegraph says the land-use regulations are our laws, and says when we break those laws with waivers, we do a "huge disservice to the town and the effort made to create them."

You'll hear the voices of a particularly passionate planning board session ONLY on the Wednesday WCME Midcoast Morning Buzz.

6-9

99-5 WCME!!!