2024-2025 Bangor Daily News Impact Report

2024-2025 Impact Report

How the Bangor Daily News Goes Beyond the Story

A Welcome from the Executive Editor It’s April, 2025. Let’s catch up.

Amid the turbulence of the last four months, Maine locked horns with President Trump over two transgender kids who play high school sports. The unprecedented conflict has thrust our state into an international story, kicked off a slew of lawsuits, threatened billions in federal funds and upended life for countless Mainers who now wake up each day wondering if a program they rely on has been axed or threatened. And this is only one of dozens of storylines our reporters are tracking.

The chaos has brought into sharp relief the value of independent, fact-based local journalism. In a world filled with unrelenting noise, lies and spin, I take great comfort and inspiration from my colleagues who are tirelessly digging for context, facts and understanding.

As journalists, our role amid all this has been to ask big questions, keep on top of the Maine congressional delegation’s response, track the concrete ways in which federal changes are playing out locally, fact-check claims and, crucially, find the human stories at the center of it all.

We do all this at a perilous time for our profession. Local newsrooms, even in Maine, are laying off staff as they struggle through the messy business of digital transformation. Meanwhile, the threat of tariffs adds to deep financial uncertainty and the current administration has sought to silence or threaten news outlets.

Our answer to all this chaos is to dig in more deeply and go to work for our audience. Whether reporting on a federal issue or local city council, the daily work for journalists is largely the same. It means calling a range of people who know more than we do. It means fighting for public documents, debating our premises and agonizing over adjectives many people might breeze over as they skim the news on their phone.

In this year’s impact report, we share stories of how BDN fights for Maine: by protecting the vulnerable, by putting the humanity of the people whose stories we tell first, by lifting up the people seeking solutions to some of the state’s hardest problems, by shining a light on businesses or people in power who take advantage.

Thank you,

Dan MacLeod Executive Editor, Bangor Daily News

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Recognition and Partnerships Excellence in providing oversight of local government and institutions while reflecting Maine communities and Maine values is core to who we are. We are humbled to be honored for that work through awards and fellowships that enhance our journalism.

Awards of note:

Sawyer Loftus Journalist of the Year Maine Press Association, 2024 Larry Mahoney Inductee into Hall of Fame Maine Press Association, 2024 Callie Ferguson Local Investigations fellow New York Times, 2023-2024 Sawyer Loftus Local Reporting Network fellow ProPublica, 2024-2025 BDN awarded a two-day “Total Newsroom Training,” Investigative Reporters & Editors, 2025 Lori Valigra Maine Public Health Journalism Award Maine Public Health Association, 2025 Erin Rhoda The inaugural Erin Rhoda Excellence in Reporting Award, for “her dedication to informing the public about sexual violence with nuance and sensitivity and for working to lift the quality of all reporting on this issue in Maine.” The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 2025

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Partnerships that Sustain Us The Bangor Daily News has a long history of partnering with fellow publishers to extend the reach of each other’s journalism. Today, leading news organizations, community institutions and funders from Maine and beyond join us in our journey to sustain accountability and community journalism for Maine.

We have great appreciation for our local and national funders and partners:

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: PROPUBLICA Through the Local Reporting Network fellowship, BDN’s Maine Focus and ProPublica journalists had already built a working relationship when Maine found itself under sudden scrutiny from the federal government.

Recognizing the importance of getting a fast-moving statewide story done well, ProPublica asked BDN staff to partner on this quick-turn investigation, which has been republished by multiple news outlets regionally and nationally.

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Reporting with Care

Marjorie Aspega felt empowered by the domestic violence advocates she had worked with, and realized it’s OK to own your story and share it to help others.

Photo by Linda Coan O’Kresik

Sometimes reporters’ stories center on accounts of human suffering, such as the one from Marjorie Aspega, featured in Erin Rhoda’s story “She escaped with the help of Maine victim services that now face ‘catastrophic cuts.’” Our job as journalists is to honor the bravery of the people who share their experiences with us. We are deeply grateful when they trust us to tell their story well.

We know that when we take a respectful approach to reporting, others suffering in silence can tell. That’s why, again and again, readers with uncomfortable truths reach out to our reporters in hopes that their story will, in turn, help others.

“Thank you for having the courage to share your story.”

– BDN commenter

This year, Washington County suffered the tragic loss of a father and son, both commercial fishermen, when their scallop boat Sudden Impact went missing in rough seas. We knew every shred of new information would ricochet around the community quickly, and our role was to provide factually reliable updates — never publishing anything we had not verified. Our role was also to honor the hopes held and grief borne by the fishing community.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

“All I can do as a reporter is reach out to the grieving family and the grieving friends and let them know I am willing to hear their stories if they want to share them. Some people don’t want to talk because they want to keep their grief private and not share it with others.

But others want to talk, undoubtedly because it helps them grieve and preserve memories of the person who passed. I always tell people that, even though I have to mention how someone died, I want the story to be more about how that person lived and what they were like. Some people want to talk or to help preserve the memory of the person who died, and by approaching interviews with appropriate sensitivity, reporters can help them with those things.”

- Bill Trotter

Hancock County Reporter 4

Protecting Vulnerable Mainers Bangor Daily News reporter Sawyer Loftus is partnering with ProPublica as part of its Local Reporting Network to provide a first-of-itskind look at evictions in Maine.

As part of Loftus’ first story, which was also supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism, he wrote about how a new eviction prevention program in Maine excludes thousands of people who live in federal public housing despite the dire consequences they are likely to face if evicted.

Photo by Linda Coan O’Kresik

He focused on the account of one woman, named Linda Gallagher-Garcia, pictured above left, who became homeless after being evicted from public housing. She owed just $955 in back rent and utilities when she got her eviction notice — an amount the new eviction prevention program could have covered if it had been in place and if she had been living in a privately owned apartment. Instead she stayed at a local homeless shelter for two years, which cost state and federal governments $55,000.

Loftus also analyzed court and housing data, and learned that public housing authorities were disproportionately filing to evict their low-income tenants: The eviction filing rate for public housing authorities in Maine was more than twice the rate of all rental housing in 2023.

“I wouldn’t have known this aspect of homelessness without such great reporting. It is a crime to be poor in America. And who would have known that public housing, a refuge for poor working people, would have a higher eviction rate than private landlords.”

– BDN commenter 5

A call from a tipster on a Friday morning alerted our reporter to horrific abuse over years at a Hampden residential care facility for

disabled adults. BDN reporting brought to light not only the allegations but that residential facilities like Lee Residential Care do not need to be licensed. The Department of Health and Human Services did not hire a firm to look into the home until after the BDN reported on it, nor did DHHS hold a meeting with the families until after our reporting.

Even parents of the victims didn’t know Photo by Linda Coan O’Kresik about the abuse, though four employees of Lee Residential Care had already been charged with “intentionally endangering the welfare of a disabled adult,” which is a felony charge. One mother of a man in Lee’s care learned about the abuse from our story. Family members have reached out to tell us that Lee Residential was considered the gold standard, and our reporting changed their perception.

Lee Residential Care at 274 Western Ave. in Hampden.

“As a mother of an adult son who has a brain injury and significant medical needs, a group home might have been something we would have to consider, as I age. After reading this article, I am beyond upset and frightened for the safety of my son and other people with disabilities so dependent and in need of support.”

– Letter to the Editor

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Accountability Reporting that Maine Needs Jake Brown, the Maine excavation contractor accused of taking money upfront for shoddy or undone work (left) works with two crew members at a housing development in Litchfield.

Photo courtesy of Miles Hafner

Illustration by Paul Koenig

Reasons why it’s hard for Mainers to spot a bad contractor Accountability reporting can lead not only to justice, but to connecting readers with information.

It’s unreal what you uncovered

When Bangor Daily News housing reporter Zara Norman broke the story about a contractor accused of bilking clients, he was arrested the next day. Since the BDN first reported these claims, 15 additional people reached out over the next four days to say the contractor owed them money, further strengthening the story and highlighting why it is hard to vet contractors in Maine. BDN reporters across the state coordinated to pull court records at court houses, and in December Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey filed a lawsuit to prevent Brown from doing business in Maine.

Thank you again – we were people without a voice This was a great start for all of the t victims. It gives us all hope tha he might be held accountable for his actions finally

...

“It’s crazy how it took the Bangor Daily News to finally get justice.”

– BDN commenter 7

“Democracy is stronger when people have

trusted sources for reliable facts.” – BDN donor

Photo Illustration by Natalie Williams

With support from the Pulitzer Center, in 2020 the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald partnered to both investigate misconduct by the Maine State Police and successfully sue the agency to lift unlawful redactions in its discipline records. As part of the reporting, the newspapers also illuminated how even severe police misconduct can be kept out of public records — and, therefore, the public eye — when officers are allowed to resign and sometimes move on to a new policing job. Complaints made about officers are not public. Only final discipline records are.

In 2022, the state police decided to change its approach. It would no longer discontinue internal investigations into

officers if they resigned ahead of a conclusion. Also, even when officers resigned, the agency would issue discipline, which would become a public record.

BDN Investigative Reporter Callie Ferguson learned about the new policy last year when she began looking into a Maine State Police sergeant who had earned the second-highest amount of overtime pay in 2023. It turned out he had violated the agency’s rules against working too many hours, a fact that Ferguson was able to confirm due to the state police’s new approach. Even though the sergeant had resigned, his employer had continued and finished its internal investigation.

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Investigations that Reveal Solutions

Brandy Walsh, alternative education teacher, and Lucas Brower, ed tech, teach the students in the alternative education program at Oceanside Middle School in Thomaston.

Rockland Deputy Chief Alex Gaylor chats with a kid during a youth mentorship night at the Rockland Flanagan Center.

Photo by Linda Coan O’Kresik

Photo by Ashley L. Conti for the New York Times

Maine significantly cut the number of young offenders in the state’s only youth prison but created few therapeutic alternatives — with dire consequences for Maine kids and their families and communities.

Reporting as a New York Times Local Investigations fellow, BDN investigative reporter Callie Ferguson not only made it impossible for state and federal leaders to ignore the state’s failure but was able to find glimmers of light for troubled youth in Rockland.

Her investigation, covering more than 100 interviews over more than a year into Maine’s juvenile justice crisis, marked the first time a reporter had attempted to show in great depth the harm of shrinking numbers at the youth prison without a corresponding increase in alternative programs.

The impact from this work is sprawling: •

More than one lawmaker cited this investigation in speeches on the floor of the Maine Legislature while advocating for a bill aiming at connecting kids accused of breaking the law with community-based programs. The bill passed by a single vote.

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This investigation preceded a major federal lawsuit against the state of Maine for overinstitutionalizing kids in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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Legal practitioners in Aroostook County have begun discussing how to bring local juvenile justice outcomes into better alignment with the rest of the state.

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Through her reporting, Callie gained insight into a community-coordinated effort in the midcoast to divert kids from the justice system that is showing promise if it can maintain its funding. The work stands as an example for other communities to potentially follow.

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Change that lasts takes time – and for changemakers to be armed with facts A six-month 2021 Bangor Daily News investigation, “Unguarded,” revealed how lax enforcement of policies, little oversight, and retaliation against those who reported sexual assault and harassment continued for more than a decade.

Women were punished for speaking up. Today, thanks to the courage of female soldiers and action by lawmakers and military officials, the culture and policies around sexual assault and harassment in the Maine Army National Guard is beginning to change.

Leaders attributed a wave of increased reports of sexual assault in the Maine National Guard to a greater willingness among soldiers to talk about assaults in their past. Bobby Jo Rogers, the guard’s sexual assault response coordinator, said the increase may stem from greater access to reporting agencies after COVID as well as the encouragement that comes from reading others’ stories. “When folks read the [BDN] articles, they were more inclined to say, ‘Hey, yeah, I really do need some help,’” she said.

For the full story of impact from April 2025 and the original 2021 investigation, visit: bangordailynews.com/unguarded

BDN investigative reporter Callie Ferguson interviews U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, the adjutant general of the Maine National Guard.

Photo by Sawyer Loftus

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

“Most stories begin with the same set of questions: Is this something the public should know about -- and why? It is easy to see why stories about harm, injustice, or wrongdoing meet that criteria. If we knew about those problems at a deeper level, we might better understand how they happened and how to solve them.

The same can be true of stories about solutions, which, more often than not, emerge from reporting about problems.

The midcoast region comes instantly to mind. Over the nearly 10 trips I made to the Rockland region over the course of a year while I was writing about problems in the juvenile justice system, I got a firsthand look at how local officials were trying to address it. And when I heard that some of those efforts were helping, it seemed like the public would benefit from understanding how.”

- Callie Ferguson

Investigative Reporter 10

Celebrating Shared Experiences Whether it’s the annual MPA High School Basketball Tournament, a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse, cheering on Cooper Flagg, braving whitewater rites of spring or following UMaine Hockey’s remarkable run, BDN reporters are along for the ride right alongside our readers.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

“Over my career I’ve learned that I’m good at building connection. It’s easy to interview a winner; it’s not so easy to interview someone whose season has just come to an untimely end.

“It’s so exciting to have so much happening in Maine sports! Between BDN’s excellent coverage and the loyalty and support of fans, it’s been absolutely wild.”

– BDN commenter

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I try to find humor in everything — it can be so helpful in all circumstances. I get tremendous joy out of making someone laugh or chuckle because I know for at least a split second I’ve taken them away from some of life’s problems and put a smile on their face.”

- Larry Mahoney Sports Reporter

Giving Back Supporting Maine’s students Since 1964, Bangor Daily News has provided scholarship support to deserving University of Maine students as a small but meaningful way to contribute to strengthening Maine. The funding goes to students who demonstrate a need and live in Aroostook, Hancock, Knox, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo or Washington counties. This year’s scholarship winner is Abigail Look, a junior majoring in secondary education from Brewer who attended Brewer High School.

Supporting mission-driven organizations BDN sister company Pulse Marketing Agency awarded free marketing services to three mission-driven organizations through its competitive “Pulse on Purpose” initiative, dedicated to fostering enduring community change through pro bono marketing support.

Pulse on Pulse Award:

Awarded to an organization with a community-driven purpose, pursuing a large-scale project potentially requiring a range of Pulse’s services

Recipient: Waterfall Arts, Belfast

Bangor Publishing Co. Impact Award:

Awareness Award:

Recipient: Community Care – Shaw House Youth Homeless Services, Bangor

Recipient: National Digital Equity Center, Wiscasset

Awarded to an organization that works to alleviate a significant underlying contributor to inequity: poverty

Awarded to an organization promoting an event or services with a direct community impact

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Join Us and Make an Impact Bangor Daily News readers are a smart bunch. You value being informed about the world around you. You care deeply about your community and life in Maine. And you recognize that the BDN is your ally for both. Thank you for letting us illustrate how the professionalism that BDN journalists bring to their jobs every day leads to real world results for Maine communities.

With more than two newspapers closing every week in the United States and new threats to the freedom of the press emerging, local journalism is at risk. We all know the cost when newspapers fail: Democracy and civic life suffer.

Not on our watch.

Your support helps our journalists keep reporting for you, keep telling the stories of our communities and keep holding those in power to account.

Whether you join us as a donor, subscriber, sponsor or funder, your investment in sustaining and strengthening local journalism in Maine makes a difference.

I hope you will support the BDN this year by making a contribution at donate.bangordailynews.com, or by sending a check to Eastern Maine Development Corporation at 40 Harlow St., Bangor ME 04401 with “BDN donation” in the memo line.

With gratitude,

Jo Easton Director of Development, Bangor Daily News

PS - Thanks to EMDC’s fiscal sponsorship we can also accept contributions from donoradvised funds and charitable accounts, including required minimum distributions. Learn more at bangordailynews.com/support or by emailing donations@bangordailynews.com.

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Thank You, BDN Donors!

Thank you to every friend of the Bangor Daily News for your generosity in support of our journalists. You are part of a growing movement to secure the free press in Maine! We are especially grateful for supporters who give year after year, no matter the dollar amount.

Longtime contributors include: Paul Brown Charles Burger Sally Burke Lee Chick Theodore Coladarci Sue Erich Oskar Feichtinger David & Sally Field Ryan Hews George Jacobson Jerry (Clifford) Mansfield Pamela Taylor Robert Ackley Karin Anderson Caroline Andrews & David Zuk Joseph Baldacci Amy Bargeron Richard Barnes Kate Beard-Tisdale Katherine Carter John Clark Susan Clement Pamela Coffey-Paine Mary Costigan Corliss & Rick Davis Shirley Davis Jerome Dennis Rob DeWitt

Christina Diebold Doug Dunbar G Clifton Eames Gretchen Elsner Richard Ferguson Frank Geagan Robert Gott Virginia Green Faith Griffith Duane Hanselman Alan Hess Maggie Hoffman Mary Frances & Tim Hudson Danny Johnston George Knightly Ann Lanford LaPlante Farms Richard Lawrence Scott Low Jan Luke John Marshall Susan & Bernard McMann Lorenzo Mitchell James Miller Lewis Miller Glenn Montgomery Libby Norton

Richard Pooler Robert Porter Alan Richins Jan & Dwight Rideout Nathaniel Rosenblatt Ken Rozeboom Christa Schwintzer Mary Jane Searles Bill & Ruth Shook Evelyn Silver Ann Simmons Ann Sinclair Constance Smith Lynn Soucy Winfred Stevens Debby Willis Clair Wood Steve Albin Mary & Earl Coombs Dale Douglass Raymond Durkee Ted Fleischaker Jeff Gammelin Amanda Hancock Rosemary Hede Leslie Hudson Steven Krautkremer

David Larrabee Harriet Lightner Margaret Logan Ralph “Skip” Luken Floyd Miller Cathy Mingo Stephen Norton Richard Patch Clare Payne Steve Pennell Susan Pennington Richard Pepin Al Pickering Ann Rea Michael Schiller David Sewall Iris & Gerald Simon Lewis Sirois Patricia Sprague Christine Stevens Caroline Swett Suetta Tenney Clifford Vaux Jane Veeder Linda Washburn Thomas Watson III David Wildes

View all 2024 donors and add your name at bangordailynews.com/support

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