Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

Jessica Lowell Kennebec Journal

Jessica Lowell covers business and economic development and general news in the Gardiner area. After short but intense aspirations to be an opera singer (age 4) and a deep-sea diver (age 6) her most enduring passion has been telling stories. A University of Maine graduate, she worked for newspapers in New Hampshire, upstate New York and Wyoming, where she has won awards for investigative and explanatory journalism. She’s a fellow of the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism and the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. After several years out of journalism, she returned to Maine and to writing, where she spends her free time enjoying both trees and the ocean, two commodities that Wyoming lacks.

Latest

Published
June 4, 2022

Kents Hill graduates urged to see how far they have come

At Kents Hill School’s commencement Saturday, 49 students from around central Maine and around the world prepared to move on from their school in Readfield to take their next steps in the world.
Published
June 2, 2022

Kennebec Valley Community Action Program identifies more than $1.3 million in fraudulent requests for rental assistance

Agency that provides social services to residents of Kennebec and Somerset counties has received the most fraudulent applications for federal rental assistance in Maine this year.
Published
June 1, 2022

Former Hallowell restaurant owner convicted of tax evasion

For nearly three years, Krystal Lavallee underreported sales at Brews N’ Views, the Hallowell restaurant and bar she owned, and failed to pay more than $24,000 the business owed in sales taxes.
Published
May 30, 2022

Summer ushers in new, expanded eateries in central Maine

The unofficial start of summer and what many hope are the later phases of the COVID-19 pandemic are setting the stage for residents and visitors to enjoy an expanded roster of restaurants, food trucks and tasting rooms.
Published
May 25, 2022

Kennebec County budget wins delayed approval

With the final vote by the Kennebec County Budget Committee, the spending plans for Kennebec County government and Unity Township will be forwarded to county commissioners next month for the final approval.
Published
May 23, 2022

Former Gardiner councilor Johnston remembered for legacy of service following death

Friends recall Robert Logan Johnston, who died Sunday at age 69, as someone who gave generously to the Gardiner community and the organizations he supported.
Published
May 22, 2022

Gardiner seeks to clarify cemetery plot ownership under new rules requiring proof

City officials now require documentation proving ownership of cemetery lots before burials can take place, to prevent people from being buried in the wrong plots or at the wrong cemetery.
Published
May 19, 2022

Gardiner officials offer scaled-back city budget proposal that would not increase property tax rate

By adjusting some spending and identifying additional revenue, officials said they were able keep Gardiner’s municipal share of the property tax rate flat for another year in the city’s proposed spending plan.
Published
May 18, 2022

Officials hope incentives will ease staffing shortages, burnout at Kennebec County Correctional Facility

County jail in Augusta now running with about half the staff needed to operate, leading to high overtime costs and burnout among those who work there.
Published
May 17, 2022

Communities across Maine secure $24.2 million to address contaminated sites

The funding is part of the $1.5 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in November 2021 that identifies money to address infrastructure needs across the United States.