Around Town 1/21/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations Public hearing today at 11 (more info and live stream)- Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government

American Civil Liberties Union National Town Hall, today at 4pm Click here for more info and to register

Indivisible Bangor Weekly vigils Tuesdays at the Federal Building in Bangor – 11:00 amNEW WEEKLY THURSDAY VIGIL! at the Federal Building in Bangor – 3:00 p.m.

Bangor Visibility Brigade

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

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Around Town 1/20/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Faith Linking in Action

Opera House Arts “Island Women Speak 2026”

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 1/16/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Suzanne Kelly joins us with news about Faith Linking in Action’s 4th annual MLK celebration, coming up on Sunday, January 18th at 3pm at the First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex Street, Bangor Reggie Harris will perform, tell stories and lead sing-a-longs, and Robert Shetterly will be there with some of the portraits from his Americans Who Tell the Truth series.

Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition Resource Hub Their hotline is 207-544-9989 Photos and videos can be sent to them at [email protected]

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 1/15/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

US – El Salvador Sister Cities statement on Trump’s actions in Venezuela

Applications are now open for Maine Initiative’s 2026 Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 1/14/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

The Maine State Legislature’s Taxation committee will hold a public hearing this morning at 10 for LD 382 “An Act to Establish a System of Revenue Sharing for the Use and Management of Coastal Resources”(concept draft), and LD 1939 “An Act to Close Maine’s Tax Loophole for Offshore Profit Shifting”

Live Stream of Taxation Committee public hearing

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 1/13/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Author and AI expert Jeff Pennington will give a presentation called “You Teach the Machines: From Virtual Hearts to Smarter Harbors” at the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor Wednesday from 6-7pm, in-person only. Registration is encouraged.

Seaweed Valentine workshop, Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m, at College of the Atlantic’s Dorr Museum of Natural History in Bar Harbor, led by Ecologist and seaweed expert Jordan Chalfant ’12 of the Maine Natural History Observatory. Registration required.

The Ellsworth Public Library series of Creative Winter Programs for Kids, this week:
Afterschool Beach Party, “a lighthearted program that brings summer vibes indoors through games, activities, and relaxed afterschool fun”, Friday, January 16 at 3:30 PM
Winnie-the-Pooh Birthday Picnic, a cozy and cheerful gathering honoring A.A. Milne’s classic stories, Saturday, January 17th at 11

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 1/12/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

LD1671 – An Act to Establish Disclosure Requirements Regarding Law Enforcement Officer Credibility Information. A public hearing was held last week and a work session is scheduled for Wednesday starting at 9:45 am (along with 2 other bills).
Read the text of LD1671
Bill tracker: Bill sponsors, testimony from the public, history of the bill
Maine State Legislature Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety – Live stream, contact information, schedule

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 1/9/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Frenchman Bay Conservancy has some good news to share!

Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition’s Immigrant Resource Hub and Hotline Information is available in several languages. Hotline: 207-544-9989

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download