Social media helps us stay connected, but criminals use the same platforms to find potential targets. A scam might arrive as a bargain-priced product, an investment opportunity, a new romantic interest, or a message that appears to come from someone you know.

Criminals create fake profiles, impersonate real people and businesses, or take over legitimate accounts. They can also use information people share publicly on social media to make their stories more convincing.

Use the platform privacy settings to limit who can see your posts and personal information. And use strong and unique passwords

Envision birds migrating, let’s say hundreds or even a thousand feet overhead (some birds fly even higher). To us, they’d look like specks in the sky, if we could see them at all. When it’s time for them to rest and find food, they must decide where to descend to Earth. They need to make sure it’s a place that has the kind of habitat for which they are equipped. Ducks, for example, don’t want to drop down into a dry, rocky field or dense forest; they need a body of water, perhaps a lake or coastal bay. A warbler or a thrush would prefer a forest or scrubby edge where it can find insects or

Have you seen enough political commercials? Me, too. Turn on any TV program, from football games to egg-headed election experts to silly game shows, and you will be bombarded with political commercials hammering your brain to hate this or that candidate. Wait a minute. Is my brain on hold? Is yours? Have the snarly ads really taken over our TV sets?

Sorry, the answer is yes. I checked the record, and the political tracking outfit, called Open Secret, tells me outside groups, the folks from away, no less, have spent more than $77 million to help or hammer Maine candidates. Seventy-seven million

One of my favorite adventures, if you can call it that, has always been visits to Damariscove Island. It’s a pretty special place with tons of history, going way back, well before my times here in Maine. Much can be learned about the island from the research and writings of Chip Griffin who actually wrote a book about Damariscove called “Coming of age on Damariscove Island.” Chip is the go-to guy when it comes to the history of the island and has shared his knowledge frequently for our benefit. It is a rich history, full of twists and turns that are, in many cases, difficult to consider. At

Dear Editor: 

As State Senator since 2022, I’ve worked to support legislation aligned with two priorities: the broad issues I campaign on and finding solutions to unique challenges impacting District 13. 

This campaign, I’ve spoken with thousands of constituents at their doors, on the phone, and around town. Rising costs of living is the number one concern I hear, and there isn’t a magic fix at the state level; policymakers must work together to ease the burden in creative ways. This is in addition to emergency work like filling the gaps created by federal budget cuts so your neighbor doesn’t

Dear Editor:

I’m concerned! With tongue firmly in cheek, I ask, dear reader, why so few pro-Susan Collins letters in our faithful local paper? Surely, with hundreds of millions in GOP spending here in Maine, there’s enough left over from a week of ads in the lefty Portland, Oregon papers to pay a few fence-sitters enough to gas up their vehicles.

And where are the letters from Maine’s billionaires, whom Collins has worked so hard to support Ungrateful! Where are the anti-abortion activists thanking her for delivering the final nail in Roe v. Wade’s coffin? Ungrateful!

And military families --

Dear Editor:

Early voting has started and will end on Oct. 29. Mail in your ballot no later than Oct. 27.

Every voter should be fed up with high property taxes, high taxes on electric bills, new payroll tax on Maine workers, high tax on meals, high income tax, and a repeal of Maine’s property tax freeze program for seniors. All of these tax burdens were brought to you by Troy Jackson when he was in the State Legislature for 22 years. Now Jackson is campaigning that he is going to fight for you in Washington to lower your taxes. Sounds like he is talking out of both sides of his mouth. Every

Dear Editor: 

On Nov. 3, whatever our party leanings, we must ask not only who is on the ballot, but also what is on the ballot. In these perilous times, we need to flip the House and Senate and restore the U.S. Constitution as the guardrail of our democracy.

As for the who: Chellie Pingree and Matt Dunlap for the U.S. House, Troy Jackson for the U.S. Senate and Hannah Pingree for governor.

As for the what: Articles I, II and III of the Constitution, which set out the powers, and the limits, of the Executive, Congress and the Judiciary. Those are three big reasons to vote Democratic. In 1787

Dear Editor:

Canvassing voters throughout Lincoln County has offered me the opportunity to visit with folks from across the economic spectrum: farmers, fishermen, retired and employed, white-, blue-, green-, and even pink-collar workers.

Here are two snapshots from my interactions:

- A young woman answers the door with a generous smile riven with untreated tooth decay—a reminder that dental care isn’t a luxury. It’s healthcare.

- After my knock, a disabled fisherman struggles, but finally reaches the door on two canes. We talk at length about Democrats offering a hand up, not a handout.

These

Dear Editor:

I am appalled by the amount of money that is spent on political campaigns, and I’m outraged by the number of requests for donations that appear in my message box every day. With billionaires and trillionaires pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns for their favorite candidates throughout the country, we can hardly hope to compete with our little contributions. Yet, every day, the texts get more desperate.

Campaign financing has become really lopsided, with a few extravagantly rich individuals poised to commandeer our democracy for their own ends.

Once the midterms

Dear Edtior:

Power is out of balance in Maine and across the U.S. Tariffs and a war—neither wanted by most Americans—are driving up costs at the grocery store and gas pump. Our rights are under attack, from ICE detentions and threats to reproductive freedom to growing restrictions on a free press.

Maine can help restore checks and balances. The midterms matter.

Step one: elect Troy Jackson to replace Senator Susan Collins, who has enabled federal overreach. As Senate Appropriations Chair, Collins voted 90% with Trump, including decisive votes for a budget bill cutting Medicare and SNAP and

Dear Editor:

LD868, An Act to Ensure Equity and Safety in Athletics, Restrooms, Changing Rooms and Housing at Elementary, Secondary and Post-secondary Schools, requires that athletic teams or sports that are sponsored by public schools be designated as male, female or coed. It prohibits students who are male from participating in an athletic team or sport designated as a female team or sport. It requires public schools, to designate restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping quarters as for use by either only females or only males with limited exceptions. It provides that an individual may have a

The AARP Fraud Watch Network™ Helpline (877-908-3360) is hearing from more people about bank impersonation scams. Consumers are targeted, usually through a call or text, by a criminal pretending to be from your bank.

They claim there’s suspicious activity on your account, and you need to act immediately to protect your money. The warning can sound convincing because they are impersonating your actual bank and may have specific information about you and your account.

A major red flag is being told to transfer or withdraw money to keep it “safe.” The bank impersonator may instruct you to wire

The November elections are rapidly approaching and absentee voting has already started. Historically, Maine has a very high voter turnout rate. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, voters over age 65 vote at higher rates than their younger counterparts. Maine voters age 50-plus show up to vote at higher rates than any other age group, casting 59.3% of all votes in the 2024 general election. Maine's voters age 50-plus are not shy about making their voices heard at the ballot box and their votes make a difference. In fact, 87% of Maine voters age 50-plus say they are extremely motivated to vote

It is to the point that we tune in cartoons, the Turner Classic Movies channel, flip to a new channel, or shutting off the TV altogether to avoid the myriad of political ads. The amount of Troy Jackson vs. Susan Collins for the U.S. Senate seat ads seems to be the worst – perhaps the worst we’ve ever seen. Those ads must run 100-plus times a day.

I’ve always thought that these ads should just be shown perhaps just 60 days before Election Day but it seems that they have been running since July. Most voters have perhaps made up their minds on who they will be voting for, but there’s always that

If you have already voted in Wiscasset on the Nov. 3 questions, thank you, well done and feel free to move on to some more scintillating read. For the rest of Wiscasset, we hope you will stay on this short (?) one.

Time and again, after a town vote, selectmen and others who speak up in selectboard meetings tell about people saying they didn't know and/or understand what they were voting on.

Now, I know our best-read items are usually the obituaries, crimes and sometimes controversies, as evidenced most any week in our "Top 10" at wiscassetnewspaper.com. So, even I am not naive enough to think

When all else fails, find something red! 

Not sure if I read that somewhere or if my imaginary sidekick whispered in my ear. Either way, this scene caught my eye as I was wandering around during my weekly visit to Sample’s Shipyard where there is much activity at the travel lift. Boats are coming out of the water left and right.

Anticipation also mounts with the scheduled return of the Sherman Zwicker.

No word at this writing about an arrival date due to weather and sea conditions. It will be good to see the Zwicker back in the harbor, even if it's for some updating and repair. For so many

What has jumped to the top of the Maine Senatorial race issues list?

Is it the president? No, you won’t find his name on the ballot, but yes, he is on everyone’s mind. Is it taxes? No one likes them, but … Is it healthcare? Yes, but not the top …

Does it have to do with the goofy antics peeling off the tail of the giraffe on the Washington merry-go-round, like the reflecting (not reflecting) pool? Does it involve construction of a new White House ballroom to shore up the nation’s security? How about attempts to stick POTUS's name on stuff? Or maybe it is the White House acquisition of a fancy

Dear Editor:

With millions being spent on the United States Senate race, Mainers need to be just as focused on campaigns for the state House and Senate. In Maine, the legislature selects the constitutional officers – Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer. In 2025 Mainers rejected Donald Trump’s voter suppression question, but the efforts continue. We need to have a Secretary of State who will defend voter access to the polls. ICE agents continue to rampage through Maine and shot dead an innocent young man in Biddeford. We need an Attorney General who will protect our civil rights