A supportive community, experienced staff members and consistent expectations are the reasons why Phillips Elementary School was one of only 42 elementary and middle schools to receive an A under a new letter grading system unveiled by Gov. Paul LePage earlier this month, Principal Felecia Pease said.

The cause of a downtown Waterville fire that destroyed one building and damaged two others on Friday is undetermined, investigators said Monday. Sgt. Tim York, of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed that the fire did originate from a third-floor deck, could not definitively say what caused it.

Martha Sterling-Golden, of Bingham, is a singer-songwriter who recently wrote a song about immigrants’ journeys down the Canada Road, traveling from Quebec to areas across northern Maine, in the 1830s.

A sprinkler system that was not working is to blame for much of the damage to an 18 Main St., Waterville building that caught fire Friday afternoon, investigators said.

A brush fire that started near a Winslow playground Saturday afternoon is being investigated by the Maine Forest Service, fire officials said Saturday.

The releasing of letter grades judging schools’ performances could be an opportunity for conversation, but it may not be representative of the whole school, according to local administrators.