The experience of showing their art in a professional setting is more important than graduation to some.

The Maine Criminal Justice Academy had to cut short its in-person training of the latest class and is still working out how to restart the program for the next class of prospective officers.

In counties where the coronavirus is spreading, it makes sense to keep people safe.

Early childhood learning programs are especially vulnerable now.

While each house has different rules for sanitation and distancing, loyal yard sale fans say the annual ritual gives them a feeling of community, and normalcy.

It's hard to respond to a natural disaster when we have a president who thrives on chaos.

Voluntarily sharing information with any government agency, even to combat a deadly pandemic, runs counter to some American ideals.

From face masks to customer limits, the amount of social distancing occurring at Maine businesses varies by store, region and time of day.

The numbers analyzed by a Yale School of Public Health research team could include people who died as a result of the epidemic but not from the disease itself.

The announcement comes days after a decision to postpone the June 1 reopening of southern Maine restaurants drew complaints.

The rising numbers come as Maine prepares to reopen some businesses and social events on Monday.

Sun Sentinel (TNS)

Here are some of our favorite photos from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel from the past week.

Citing the strict guidelines placed on restaurants by the state, the owners of Joseph's Fireside Steakhouse in Waterville have decided to close down for good.

The organization — Give IT. Get IT. — collects computers, electronics from businesses, recycles material and refurbishes machines for community agencies and others.

Marie Fefa Deeb, 94, attends Mass at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church at Appleton and Front streets, a lifelong daily devotion to spend, as she puts it, a half hour or hour with the Lord.

While some Catholic and Baptists churches plan to reopen, many Maine churches, mosques and synagogues plan to wait because of safety concerns.

Finance Commissioner Kirsten Figueroa says the administration has no firm plans for the $1.25 billion in federal relief and is considering future needs. Some lawmakers want to use the money to support businesses affected by the pandemic.

Towns are grappling with the possibility of more than 50 people attending meetings, which violates gathering restrictions currently in place by an order of the governor's office.

The Maine Democratic Party will hold an online rally and remote voting this weekend in lieu of its traditional in-person convention.

Cony's graduation will include students being awarded their diplomas in-person at the school as their families look on.

Only a fraction of the South Portland retail center's roughly 100 stores are expected to reopen immediately, and the food court won't have tables or chairs.

The town's TIF committee was unanimous in its decision to buy banners depicting each individual Norridgewock student and post them along Main Street as a show of support.

The U.S. Department of Justice weighs in to say the rule is unconstitutional, and Gov. Janet Mills responds that she is disgusted that the federal government would undermine the state's safety rules.

With many state budgets now resembling smoking craters in the ground as tax revenue disappears in a largely idled economy, even a small revenue boost seems better than none.

Maine Medical Center’s numbers match the early-April peak, while Mercy Hospital sets a new high.

The governor's order, which also reaffirms the reopening of more businesses Monday, came as the state reported 37 new cases, 1 additional death and a slight decline in active cases and hospitalizations.

Toshiro Muto has spoken cautiously ever since the coronavirus pandemic caused the postponement and had little to say Friday about any progress.

If we don't see ourselves as being connected during the coronavirus pandemic, we are doomed, Amy Calder writes.

The company's president said it wouldn't be possible to follow strict state reopening guidelines intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Montreal’s virus toll – the city accounts for more than half of Canada’s deaths from COVID-19 – is a story of lack of preparation, early mistakes and a bit of bad luck.

The number of people receiving the aid now tops 30 million – one in five workers.

COVID-19 has made large, traditional funeral services a thing of the past.

All public Masses were temporarily suspended on March 18 due to the outbreak of the pandemic.

The state was left out of a federal program created to put fresh, healthy food into the hands of struggling Americans.

The Legislature must be reconvened and the plan redrawn so that Mainers get a say in the state's economic recovery.

The theater in Falmouth plans to return with a comedy, as Portland Stage announces its season but no timeframe for it.

How Maine can have groups of people socialize safely under the same roof is a question without an agreed-upon answer.

Parks with beaches, including Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg and Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth, have been closed since March.

Maine's Sen. Angus King introduced a companion bill to the House-passed bill last week, but it's unclear whether the Senate will take up that version.

Democrats charge that the agency has been 'largely invisible' during the pandemic.

Organizers say holding the John Deere Classic on July 9-12 would present too many obstacles, and it's a better financial decision to cancel.

Courses can now operate their retail and restaurant sales in accordance with county guidelines and open the driving ranges and putting greens, and in-state golfers can play in any county.

Ashley Jardine of Poland struggled to complete nursing school at CMCC while her father was in a medically-induced coma during treatment for COVID-19.

Gov. Janet Mills allowed restaurants in Sagadahoc County to open to limited dining again, but some owners question whether they'll generate enough sales to save their businesses.

A longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous misses the intimacy of in-person meetings that have been forced to go virtual because of the pandemic.

Washington is one of several states where attacks have been detected nationally, including Maine.