Leslie B. Otten: The efficiency of local heat

Wood indisputably boasts the best carbon footprint of any widely available heating energy source. This undeniable truth stems from the fact that wood pellets are composed of biogenic carbon (unlike geologic carbon) assembled as sawmill residues, low grade forest products, and arboricultural waste wood.

Austin Bay: The Shell Crisis of 2023: Artillery munition shortages undermine Ukraine and Israel war efforts

The Free World Shell Crisis has embarrassing but instructive echoes of 1915 that ignorant politicians will ignore but wise leaders will heed.

Cal Thomas: We’ve seen this ‘film’ before

How many times must we see this plot repeated and not recognize it for what it is: terrorists kill innocent Israelis, including women and children, and after a while much of the world begins to suggest it’s the fault of the victims. If only there were no Jews. If only Israel didn’t exist seems to be their line.

Sen. Jeff Timberlake: OCFS must get it right. If it doesn’t, children die

The deaths of several children within weeks of each other in the summer of 2021 raised alarm bells when it was discovered they had some involvement with the agency. It was obvious that something was wrong within the department.

Editorial cartoon for Sunday, Dec. 3

Rep. Sheila Lyman: 988 suicide hotline bill close to becoming reality

In the 131st Legislature, I submitted a bipartisan bill, L.D. 1263, to help save the lives of students. It adds the 988 number for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline to school ID cards and requires all public and charter schools and all public and private universities that already issue student IDs to include the 988 […]

Joshua Nagine: ‘Mayor Sheline is invested in Lewiston’s present and future’

I’ll be casting my vote for Carl Sheline in Lewiston’s mayoral runoff, and I encourage others to as well. Mayor Sheline has done much more than just his job for the past two years. A staunch advocate for our city as Lewiston’s “head cheerleader,” he has worn through a couple thousand miles of shoe leather […]

Arthur Wing: Repeal Maine’s monopoly law on mental health services

Tragic events in our community have made it clear: shortages of mental health services have reached a crisis point. So why do we still have monopoly laws that block the expansion of mental health services? It is time for reform — and Rep. Laurel Libby has submitted legislation in Augusta to make a difference. Here […]

Bob Neal: The Countryman: How the news media can help save democracy

On the wall, I see handwriting that says our traditional standard of “straight reporting,” and the neutrality that comes with it, no longer win the public’s esteem.

Froma Harrop: All food on the table comes from a farm. Right?

The label is problematic. For starters, logic states that it could be applied to just about any ingredient that makes its way onto one’s fork, spoon or fingers. After all, with the exception perhaps of mushrooms, some greens and a few hothouse items, all food comes from farms. The apple that sailed and was then trucked 8,000 miles from New Zealand to Minneapolis came from a farm.