Central Maine Education: Shrinking student-age populations are driving school closures and consolidations in central Maine, with enrollment down in Kennebec and Somerset counties and dozens of closures statewide since 2016. Portland Homelessness Count: A new Preble Street survey found 104 people living outside in Portland over two weeks—far more than earlier single-night estimates—highlighting barriers to shelters and gaps in who may qualify for benefits. Climate Outlook: A Maine expert ties today’s extreme heat to long-term change, noting central Maine could resemble current New Jersey conditions by 2085. Cancer Diagnostics Tech: Two Maine-area hospitals are using a high-capacity digital pathology slide scanner plus AI tools to boost diagnostic capacity by about 20%. Energy Costs Collaboration: Three Aroostook towns are teaming up to tackle rising utility bills, exploring shared solutions like regional utility district options. Science Milestone: Dolly the sheep turns 30, revisiting how the first adult DNA clone reshaped cloning science and ethics. Public Health Risk: A CDC study links tick exposure to alpha-gal allergy markers in up to 31% of blood samples in some higher-risk states. Wildlife & Heat: Maine Audubon highlights how extreme summer conditions affect at-risk shorebirds like piping plovers and least terns. Digital Security: A U.S. government agency reportedly paid about $1M to a data extortion group, underscoring the shift from ransomware to stolen-data pressure.