Daily Archives: March 24, 2024

F/V Aleutian Storm: Volunteers rally to clear Sonoma Coast beach of debris from wrecked fishing vessel

“It was a great great, great turnout, I’m so inspired,” said Cea Higgins, who helped organize the event as advocacy coordinator and former executive director of Coastwalk/California Coastal Trail Association. She estimated at least 85 people, each of whom filled two or three 30-gallon contractor garbage bags, showed up on a day threatened by rain that, ultimately, stayed pretty much away. “We’re so, so lucky, it’s primarily been sunny,” Higgins said. “We just had one little squall move through. And by the time everybody got their rain gear on, it stopped.” The 58-foot Aleutian Storm came aground late Feb. 9 and was torn apart by subsequent winter storms. 9 slides of good people, more, >>click to read<< 18:46

Linda Bean, Maine business owner and L.L. Bean’s granddaughter, dies at 82

Linda Bean, the granddaughter of L.L. Bean and heir to the company who started several businesses of her own, has died. Bean died Saturday. She was 82. Her passing was confirmed Sunday by her assistant and the general manager of her Freeport restaurant, Linda Bean’s Maine Kitchen. “Linda was known for her tremendous work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, as well as her pride and dedication to her home state of Maine and L.L. Bean, the company her grandfather founded,” read a written statement on behalf of the L.L. Bean company provided by a close assistant to Bean. more, >>click to read<< 15:00

Maine lobstermen struggle to adapt to new electronic reporting rules. Their licenses are on the line.

Alice Mayberry and Sue Kelley spend most of their days talking to lobstermen about what they’ve hauled in. Mayberry is riffling through paper logs. Kelley is texting until 9 p.m. Then, they both log onto the Maine Department of Marine Resources’ database and plug in what the lobstermen did for the day. Over the last several years, state and federal regulators started requiring more fishermen to report what they caught, and where. A few years ago, only a portion of harvesters needed to submit that information, and it could be sent in on a piece of paper. Now, all fishermen who harvest 15 species of fish – pogies, scallops, lobster, halibut, mussels, eels and others – have to file their landings electronically. Fishermen in Maine are gradually learning what they’re supposed to do. For lobstermen, adjusting has been particularly hard. Audio, more, >>click to read<< 15:58

Eight crew members airlifted to safety after fishing boat sinks

Eight people have been rescued and flown to Sumburgh Airport after the local whitefish trawler Opportune sank to the east of Shetland earlier this morning (Sunday). The coastguard said the call came in at around 5am after the boat had reportedly taken in water at the stern and sank quickly. The incident happened around 36 nautical miles northeast of Bressay, in rough seas. All eight crew members from the 27-metre vessel are accounted for and are said to be safe and well. They were airlifted from their liferafts by the Sumburgh based coastguard helicopter and a Norwegian search and rescue helicopter. Other vessels in the area area also offered their assistance. Photos, video, >>click to read<< 14:52

Over 200,000 people without power across New England as winter storm winds down. That’s where we were. No Power!

Hundreds of thousands were without power after a storm a winter storm brought snow and heavy rain through New England Saturday. Around 50,000 customers are without power on Sunday afternoon across New Hampshire as daylong snow and freezing rain swept the region on Saturday, according to Eversource. “Crews are out working hard to restore outages as they happen,” Robert Buxton, Director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in a written statement. As of 1 p.m. on Sunday, over 170,000 are also experiencing power outages in Maine where a drop in evening temperatures has caused icy conditions, according to Central Maine Power. >>click to read<< 13:54