Waldo County disaster response: Federal investigators have joined Maine Fire Marshal staff at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont to dig into what caused Friday’s deadly explosion and fire, after the blast killed firefighter Andrew Cross and left multiple people hospitalized, including Robbins family members at Massachusetts General Hospital. Local Governance: Skowhegan-area voters will weigh a June ballot question that changes how MSAD 54 splits certain budget costs among towns, shifting tax burdens even though it targets a smaller slice of the overall spending. Public Safety Tech: A stalled Illinois bill to limit biometric surveillance highlights the ongoing fight between privacy and public safety—while Maine’s own rules on surveillance and facial recognition remain a key contrast. Maine Business & Operations: A widespread software outage tied to a municipal payment platform left many Maine towns unable to process payments for services like taxes and vehicle registrations. Environment & Waste: NEWMOA warns the Northeast could face major disposal capacity losses within five years, with Maine flagged among areas to watch.