Paul Koenig
Verified
chief digital editor | @bangordailynews
Articles by Paul Koenig
Photos: Pitbull and Lil Jon perform on Bangor’s waterfront
Pitbull returned to Bangor’s waterfront for the third time since 2022 in a concert Monday night with crunk legend Lil Jon. Rugged coastlines, working harbors, and towns where everyone knows your name. We tell the local stories that keep you connected to the people, places, and traditions that make this state different and worth protecting.
Sheriff deputies find fentanyl and other drugs in RV at Hermon business
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Ultra-rare Cooper Flagg rookie card found in Rhode Island
A coveted one-of-one numbered rookie patch autograph card of Cooper Flagg was pulled out of a deck on a livestream in Rhode Island on Monday night. The card of the Newport native could fetch at least as much as the $1.11 million a similar rare card of Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes was sold for last year. The patch in the card was from the jersey Flagg wore in the first half of his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks.
Mainer sentenced to 9 months in prison for assaulting Border Patrol agent
A Thomaston resident was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland for assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent last summer by driving a vehicle at the agent. Olivia Wilkins, 24, pleaded guilty to the assault charge in March 2026. Wilkins came upon a single-vehicle crash involving a box truck in the town of Washington on Aug. 27, 2025. U.S. Border Patrol responded to the crash along with the Maine State Police and Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
State approves merger of York Hospital with MaineHealth
Maine regulators have approved York Hospital’s plan to join MaineHealth, the health care organizations announced Monday afternoon. The transaction is expected to close on Oct. 1, and in the coming weeks, leaders from MaineHealth will work with York Hospital to support the transition process.
State approves merger of York Hospital with MaineHealth
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Bangor International Airport will close runway for 3 days in September
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White shark drags lifeguard underwater at Maine state park
A lifeguard swimming with a torpedo buoy was pulled underwater Saturday afternoon by a white shark at Scarborough Beach State Park when the apex predator grabbed the rescue device, according to the Scarborough Police Department. The shark pulled the lifeguard about 5 to 6 feet below the surface before he freed himself from the strap and swam safely back to shore, according to the department.
Crews responding to fire on shores of Moosehead Lake
By Paul Koenig, Bangor Daily News Staff ROCKWOOD — Emergency crews were responding to a structure fire Sunday evening, Aug. 9 near the Rockwood town landing on the shores of Moosehead Lake, according to WABI. The Greenville Firefighters Association told the TV station that crews were on the scene. First responders asked the public to avoid the Rockwood area, according to WABI.
Crews responding to fire on shores of Moosehead Lake
Emergency crews were responding to a structure fire Sunday evening near the Rockwood town landing on the shores of Moosehead Lake, according to WABI. The Greenville Firefighters Association told the TV station that crews were on the scene. First responders are asking the public to avoid the Rockwood area, according to WABI. The Moosehead Lakeshore Journal posted a contributed video to Facebook that showed a structure fire near the edge of the lake.
Train derails in Orono near golf club
A train derailed in Orono near Penobscot Valley Country Club on Main Street on Saturday, according to the Penobscot Regional Communications Center. Officials are asking the public to avoid Main Street as crews respond to the train off the tracks, according to a Facebook post at around 5 p.m. Saturday by the dispatch center. No other information was immediately available.
Law enforcement urge public to avoid Maple Lane area in Kenduskeag
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Jason Aldean kicks off ‘Songs About Us’ tour in Bangor
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Watch: BDN politics editor and election partner discuss Graham Platner fallout
Maine Democrats have been scrambling in the days since a rape allegation sank political newcomer Graham Platner’s campaign for U.S. Senate. In this video with the Bangor Daily News’ election partner, Decision Desk HQ, politics editor Michael Shepherd discusses what comes next in the replacement process, who the leading contenders could be and what their chances are of defeating longtime U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.
10 monsters that dwell in Maine’s waterways
This story was originally published in July 2018. It was early in the season to see moss animals, Gudrun Keszocze explained as she steered the canoe to the shallows of Pushaw Stream in late June. When the water warms to a certain temperature, these strange creatures start to grow and multiply, building colonies just beneath the surface. As the naturalist for Hirundo Wildlife Refuge in Old Town, Keszocze guides paddling trips on the stream on a weekly basis.
Police arrest Waterville man after allegedly kidnapping 4-year-old
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Divers searching for 18-year-old in Androscoggin River
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Maine Business News - Bangor Daily News
Maine has the most homes for sale since 2019 It was also the eighth best July for home sales in Maine since 2000.
Follow the results of Maine’s regional baseball and softball championships
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See how your community voted in Graham Platner’s Senate primary win
Graham Platner decisively won the Democratic primary Tuesday to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in November, despite recent controversies. The Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ, its election results partner, called the race at 9:07 p.m. Tuesday when Platner had 77.7% of votes to 16.7% for Gov. Janet Mills. With an estimated 100% of votes recorded Wednesday, Planter maintained a 72.3% to 19.4% advantage over Mills, with David Costello garnering 8.3% of the votes.
Use the BDN’s ranked-choice simulator to see who could win Maine’s gubernatorial primaries
Most of Maine’s big contested primaries are going to ranked-choice counts with no candidates expected to secure more than 50% of votes in those races. In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Nirav Shah leads with 26.6% of the reported votes at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, followed by Hannah Pingree with 23.4%, Troy Jackson with 21.2%, Shenna Bellows with 20.6% and Angus King III with 8.2%.
Follow the results of Maine’s Democratic primary for US Senate
Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at a campaign event Sunday, in Portland. Polls have closed across Maine, and results are starting to be reported to the Bangor Daily News and our election partner Decision Desk HQ. In Maine’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, oyster farmer Graham Platner is the presumptive nominee, but he’s faced a string of recent controversies. Gov.
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Photos: Maine game warden pilot honored with ceremony in Bangor
Game warden pilot Joshua Tibbetts, who was killed in a plane crash in western Maine last week, was honored with a celebration of life in Bangor on Thursday. An 18-year veteran with the Maine Warden Service, Tibbetts was flying a plane to stock fish when he crashed around 11 a.m. on May 12 in Avon. The ceremony began Thursday morning the arrival of uniformed law enforcement and wardens carrying Tibbetts’ casket.
Watch Live: Game warden killed in plane crash is being honored in Bangor ceremony
A Maine game warden who died in plane crash in Avon last week is being honored during a Thursday ceremony in Bangor. The celebration of life for game warden Josh Tibbetts is being held on Thursday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. with the arrival of uniformed law enforcement.
Live updates: Officials urge public to avoid Searsmont lumber yard with mass casualty response underway
Emergency responders from multiple towns in and around Waldo County are responding to a fire and possible explosion at a Searsmont lumber mill. Route 131 has been closed by police at the intersection of School Street and Ghent Road. A Bangor Daily News reporter at the scene said there is a large column of black smoke filling the sky above the lumber mill. Emergency responders were asked to notify people living in the area of a gas leak, according to dispatchers.
Watch: UMaine morning commencement ceremony
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2 men charged with kidnapping after allegedly locking Bangor woman in her bathroom
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Propane wall heater causes fire at Stockton Springs house
A fire at a camp-style home on Station Street in Stockton Springs was caused by a wall-mounted propane heater. The Stockton Springs Fire Department responded Saturday evening to a blaze at a camp-style home on Station Street, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety. The two-and-a-half-story structure sustained extensive damage before the fire was extinguished, but no injuries were reported. No one was at the Stockton Springs home at the time of the fire.
Missing 24-year-old Winslow man found safe
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Community news
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75-year-old woman killed in central Maine fire
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What’s your craziest idea for the Bangor Mall?
We broke the news Tuesday that the Bangor Mall is being sold to a “local buyer,” but not much else is known about the sale or what will happen to the deteriorating institution. State Sen. Joe Baldacci told the Bangor Daily News that the group of investors buying the property — including a business man with “deep local roots” and a family that goes back generations in Bangor — is committed to making it more viable as a commercial space and public area.
Pedestrian killed by vehicle in Waterville gas station parking lot
A person was killed Sunday morning after a vehicle left the road and struck another vehicle parked at a Big Apple convenience store in Waterville, according to police. The Waterville Police Department said it appears a vehicle traveling east on Main Street left the roadway and struck the vehicle at a Big Apple gas pump at 364 Main St. A pedestrian in the parking lot was struck and died at the scene, police said.
Man arrested after alleging driving snowplow near protestors in Rockland
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Multiple dogs, rabbits, parakeets and a chicken die in Maine house fire
A fire on Saturday destroyed a Palmyra home, displacing a family of six and killing multiple pets, according to Maine Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss. Firefighters responded to a structure fire on Lang Hill Road at around 8 p.m. Saturday. Due to the extent of the fire, responders used an excavator during suppression and overhaul operations, Moss said. The fire displaced four adults and two children.
Eliot Cutler arrested after allegedly violating probation for 3rd time
For a third time in the past five months, failed Maine gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler has allegedly violated the probation conditions of his 2023 conviction for possession of child sex abuse materials. The Maine State Police Special Victim’s Unit arrested Cutler, 79, in South Portland on Monday afternoon after encountering him at a hotel while conducting unrelated investigative activity, according to Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
Bangor man arrested after allegedly knocking out woman
Bangor police arrested Axel-Rodney Brooks, 38, after responding Sunday morning to a report of a couple fighting at a residence. A woman who was later transported to a local hospital to be treated for her injuries said Brooks threatened and assaulted her over the course of the weekend, including knocking her unconscious and strangling her, according to Bangor Police Department spokesperson Jeremy Brock.
Down East house fire started by 3-year-old playing with lighter
A house fire at Pleasant Point Reservation in Washington County was caused by a 3-year-old playing with a lighter, according to the state fire marshal’s office. Investigators responded to a reported structure fire at around 11:45 a.m. Sunday and determined the fire originated in a bedroom of the home, which sustained extensive damage, according Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Live: Watch Pete Hegseth speak at Bath Iron Works
More articles from the BDN Paul Koenig is chief digital editor at the Bangor Daily News. He previously spent six years at Maine magazine, as managing editor and then editor. Before that he worked at Old Port magazine, Mainebiz and... More by Paul Koenig
Rockport chef among 7 James Beard Awards semifinalists in Maine
Sara Jenkins, chef and owner of Nina June in Rockport, is among the seven James Beard Awards semifinalists in Maine announced by the organization Wednesday. Along with Jenkins, the others nominated for Best Chef in the Northeast category were Jeremy Broucek of Bread & Friends in Portland, Chris Gould of Central Provisions in Portland, Jake Stevens of Leeward in Portland and Thomas Takashi Cooke of Izakaya Minato in Portland.
Rockport chef among 7 James Beard Awards semifinalists in Maine
Sara Jenkins, chef and owner of Nina June in Rockport, is among the seven James Beard Awards semifinalists in Maine announced by the organization Wednesday. Along with Jenkins, the others nominated for Best Chef in the Northeast category were Jeremy Broucek of Bread & Friends in Portland, Chris Gould of Central Provisions in Portland, Jake Stevens of Leeward in Portland and Thomas Takashi Cooke of Izakaya Minato in Portland.
ICE says it arrested nearly 50 people in Maine
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 50 people in Maine by Tuesday evening during the start of its operation focused in the Portland and Lewiston areas, according to a report from Fox News. The Bangor Daily News was not able to independently confirm the arrest totals reported by Fox News, which had a reporter embedded with the agency in Maine at the start of what the federal government is calling “Operation Catch of the Day” on Tuesday.
Pitbull is returning to Bangor’s waterfront this summer
Mr. Worldwide is coming back to the Queen City. Pitbull will be playing a concert at Bangor’s Maine Savings Amphitheater in late summer featuring crunk legend Lil Jon. Tickets for the Aug. 31 concert go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30. You can sign up for artist presale tickets, which begin Jan. 28. Pitbull performed at Bangor’s waterfront concert venue with T-Pain in September 2025 for his “Party After Dark” tour and previously performed in the city in 2022 with Iggy Azalea.
The 10 most-read stories in Maine in 2025
By Paul Koenig, Bangor Daily News Staff This year had it all in Maine. A quirky small-town vote involving the Hells Angels, immigration raids, a partially eaten black bear and celebrity sightings on the coast. In 2025, we declared that going “upta camp” had officially become financially out of reach for most Mainers. Unless of course you’re a mysterious new landowner who can afford to buy 1,400 acres along Moosehead Lake and then close the hiking trails to the public.
The 10 most-read stories in Maine in 2025
This year had it all in Maine. A quirky small-town vote involving the Hells Angels, immigration raids, a partially eaten black bear and celebrity sightings on the coast. In 2025, we declared that going “upta camp” had officially become financially out of reach for most Mainers. Unless of course you’re a mysterious new landowner who can afford to buy 1,400 acres along Moosehead Lake and then close the hiking trails to the public.
Judge orders feds to halt changes to homelessness assistance program
A federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday to halt changes to a program that keeps more than a thousand Mainers in permanent housing, although the federal agency had already rescinded its plan. A coalition of states, including Maine, challenged the federal agency’s changes to the Continuums of Care program, which supports about 1,800 residents here with housing assistance.
Tens of thousands lose power across Maine due to strong winds and heavy rain
More than 66,000 households across Maine were without power Friday evening, as strong winds and heavy rain swept through the state. The storm has inflicted the most damage along the coast and some inland areas, including Penobscot County. The National Weather Service issued a storm warning for Maine’s entire coast and a high wind warning from Cumberland County’s coast to Washington County and the Bangor area.
Live Updates: Voting underway today across Maine
Voting is underway across the state today, as Mainers visit polling places to decide on two referendums and local races, including competitive Bangor City Council contest and a controversial budget question in Washington County. The first statewide referendum question would add voter ID requirements and limit absentee voting, while Question 2 would implement a red flag to make it easier for firearms to be temporarily taken away from people who pose a significant danger.
BDN wins best daily Maine newspaper award
By Paul Koenig, Bangor Daily News Staff The Bangor Daily News was named the state’s best daily newspaper for the second year in a row at the Maine Press Association’s annual conference Saturday in South Portland. Longtime BDN cartoonist George Danby was also inducted into the MPA’s hall of fame at a luncheon earlier in the day, and Paula Brewer, the BDN’s deputy state editor, was honored with the Unsung Hero Award.
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