WATERVILLE — After over a year-long hiatus, the Waterville Opera House is back in business.

WEST GARDINER — A former Maine legislator who left the State House last year after a decade of service is seeking to win the seat of a selectman who has been on the board for 44 years.

HALLOWELL — Schools across the state have struggled to maintain services as lawmakers have tightened the spigot from state coffers over the last few years, but the newest budget proposals from the governor’s office represent a major shift from state to local funding for schools and community services.

With the holiday season receding in the rear-view window, Maine retailers are reporting a mixed bag of shopping results even as they look forward to a new year that’s gotten off to a slow start.

AUGUSTA — Abigail Perry, director of the Augusta Food Bank, came to a recent meeting of the Emergency Heating Assistance Group because she didn’t know where else to turn for help.