Maine Disaster Update: A lumber mill explosion in Searsmont killed firefighter Andrew Cross and left 12 injured, with the State Fire Marshal and ATF still working to determine what sparked the blast. Local Courts & Growth: The University of New England is suing Biddeford after a permit denial tied to a city moratorium threatened a planned research pier—UNE says the city disrupted approved work, and now both sides are escalating in court. Politics in Motion: Three Democratic gubernatorial heavyweights—Troy Jackson, Hannah Pingree, and Shenna Bellows—formally joined Graham Platner’s push to consolidate votes against primary leader Nirav Shah ahead of the June contest. Education & Opportunity: Girl Scouts of Maine’s Avis Kennedy-Stirling and Lyndsay Little became the first in the nation to earn college credit for the Girl Scout Gold Award through a partnership with Central Maine Community College. Tech & Trust: AI chatbots are facing fresh backlash over alleged left-leaning bias, as critics argue they can’t be treated as neutral. Science & Food: Downeast Institute researchers are using soft-shell clam recruitment boxes to fight an 85% decline, while Maine’s wild blueberry farmers are still reeling from a $28 million loss in 2025.