When she was just a baby, Kyra Widdecombe of Turner was admitted to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital after a bad fall. This year, Widdecombe dedicated her eighth birthday on March 18 to BBCH and the care that made her recovery possible. Instead of asking for gifts, Widdecombe asked her friends and family to contribute donations for the BBCH to support the outstanding medical care they provide to children in Maine.

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians has named Dennis Russell, Education and Community Paramedicine Manager for United Ambulance Services of Lewiston, as one of its EMS Advocates of the Year. The award is presented to individuals who provide outstanding advocacy for EMS and the patients cared for by first responders. 

This week, the federal government approved Maine’s State Plan Amendments to expand Medicaid – known as MaineCare – under the Affordable Care Act.This approval marks the end of a long-overdue effort to fulfill the will of Maine voters and to help tens of thousands of people access health care.

More than a year ago, Maine voters, including many of you reading this right now, voted overwhelmingly at the ballot box to expand Medicaid. Medicaid expansion is the law, and Maine people have waited long enough. That’s why, on my first day in office, I issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to implement Medicaid expansion as swiftly as possible.

Interested students and their families will have an opportunity to be among the first to experience the recently completed eSports Arena at Central Maine Community College when the college hosts its Spring Open House on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to noon. 

Madeline Soucie of Auburn, a senior at the University of Maine at Farmington, has spent much of her time recently with the founding fathers who helped put Maine on the path to statehood nearly 200 years ago. Soucie is an intern at the Maine State Archives, where she works with historical letters, journals, documents, and surveyor information to create an online index of original source materials relating to the 1820 Act of Separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts. 

Concerts for a Cause will present a DejaFunk Dance Party on Friday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Universalist Church of Auburn. DejaFunk is a live funk and disco band featuring singer Brooke Lachance, Carl Virgin-Brooks on guitar, Dave Grimmel on organ and vocals, Mike Reardon on bass, and Dennis Boudreau on drums. 

CFAC will hold a Soul Train-style dance contest at intermission; winners will be selected by the band. Disco-era attire is optional. There will be refreshments and a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $15 at the door, cash or credit. First Universalist Church is located at 169 Pleasant St. (across from Dairy Joy) in Auburn. For more information, call 783-0461 or see uuconcerts.org.

Alfred “Alfie” Grenier visited Lewiston High School last month to share memories of being a member of the Blue Devils’ back-to-back state championship football teams.The Lewiston resident brought a jacket with his 1949 and 1950 championship patches and gave a copy of a Sun-Journal story about the winning seasons to Lewiston High School Athletic Director Jason Fuller.

Fishing in Maine is at the core of our state’s economy. It contributes more than $319 million annually, including $75 million from ice fishing alone, and supports over 3,300 jobs.

In the Northern Zone of Maine, the ice fishing season generally closes on March 31 and open water season begins April 1. Well, with Northern Maine still firmly in winter’s grip, I thought Maine Department of Inland, Fisheries, and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso should be able to extend the ice fishing season in Northern Maine, allowing anglers to continue fishing and our local small businesses to continue operating.

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson visited Lewiston recently to meet a local family who benefitted from several federal grant programs to purchase and renovate their home, tour the Tree Street Youth Center to discuss their work to promote health and academic achievement among local students, and visit New Beginnings to learn more about their efforts to serve runaway and homeless youth. He was hosted on the trip by U.S. Senator Susan Collins, who serves as Chair of the Senate Housing Appropriations Subcommittee.

Katie McConnell and Colby Laflamme of Auburn are the winners of the 2019 Real Maine Wedding of the Year contest. The couple will start planning their $100,000 dream wedding event, which will take place in Portland and Waterford, Maine, on October 16, 17, and 18.