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🌱 Patch AM: When will Class A North tip off at Augusta Civic Center?

Also check out Tag - You're It!!! Determining Which Schools Carry What Duties to Provide Children a FAPE on the Augusta Patch calendar

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Wednesday December 17th Patch AM
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Good morning Augusta! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • When will Class A North tip off at Augusta Civic Center?
  • Central Maine prepares to honor WWII soldier finally coming home
  • Why are serious drug cases collapsing under our local DA’s watch?

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Augusta? Post it to Augusta photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Find out what's happening in Augustafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Augustafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 37 and low of 24 degrees.
  • Thursday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 40, low: 34.
  • Friday: Becoming windier with rain, with a high of 53 and low of 21 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. MPA Announces Dates and Times for 2026 High School Class A North Basketball Tournament (wearebangor.com) — High school basketball fans should note that the entire 2026 Class A North tournament will be played at the Augusta Civic Center, with girls’ quarterfinals on February 13 and boys’ on February 14. Semifinals follow on February 18 and the Northern Maine regional finals on February 20, all part of a statewide Championship Saturday culminating February 28.
   

2. WWII Army soldier who died in a Japanese prison camp will return home next spring (stripes.com) — Next spring, the remains of World War II Army Cpl. Delmont Johnston will finally be laid to rest in Augusta, giving central Maine residents a chance to honor his sacrifice. Johnston, originally from Monmouth, died in a Japanese prison camp in 1942 and was only recently identified through extensive scientific analysis.
   

3. District attorney drops drug trafficking case after violating discovery rules (bangordailynews.com) — Residents following local justice issues should know a major Somerset County drug trafficking case was dropped after repeated discovery problems in the DA’s office that also serves Kennebec County. An Augusta-based defense attorney now represents a related defendant, as judges and legal experts question whether ongoing evidence-handling failures are undermining serious prosecutions statewide.
   

4. Maine Veterans Affairs to eliminate hundreds of vacant jobs, sources say (centralmaine.com) — Staffing cuts at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta mean many vacant doctor and nursing positions will be permanently eliminated, raising concerns about veterans’ access to care. Federal directives are driving reductions across the VA system, while Maine’s congressional delegation warns the changes could strain an already short-handed health care workforce and push more veterans to seek treatment outside the VA.
   

5. Gov. Mills will allow bill that limits police cooperation with ICE to become law (wabi.tv) — From Augusta, Gov. Janet Mills says she’ll let a bill limiting Maine police cooperation with ICE become law without her signature, reshaping how local officers interact with federal immigration agents. Supporters say it protects trust and due process for immigrant communities, while House Republicans warn it could endanger public safety and weaken crime prevention efforts statewide.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Oracle posted a job opening for Delivery Manager (Individual Contributor) - NetSuite ACS (Products Team) in Augusta. Apply here.
  • Wal-Mart posted a job opening for Merchandise and Stocking Associate in Augusta. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Augusta here.

Ok Augusta! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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