Sun Journal staff photographers' favorite images from last week.

"With my unemployment running out, we are not sure how we can afford Christmas for the kids. The boys have been such great kids throughout everything ... and we are doing our best to keep things normal even though COVID is still around."

Union Church, built in 1836, is badly in need of cosmetic and structural repairs; the building was added to the National Historic Register in 2001.

Quebec produces 73 percent of the world's supply but a shorter and warmer spring sugaring season caused output to fall by nearly a quarter.

The annual parade in Oxford Hills is back after a COVID hiatus.

Central Maine shop owners say more people seem to be shopping locally.

Record hospitalizations are straining resources and hospital staffs.

Maine is on pace to lose more than 600 residents to overdose this year, which would shatter the record set just last year.

Government scientists said their review identified several potential risks, including possible toxicity to developing fetuses.

Find this week's police log, along with a map of arrests, here.

The proposal has already been met with criticism from city staff and a legal review.

The towns will invest up to a half million dollars to develop a defense system against coastal flooding.

The Board of Assessors will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to set the correct rate to $22.40, which is a $0.60 increase over last year's rate.

Annual model railroad open house chugs along through the weekend.

He won his initial fame as the lyricist for 'West Side Story' in 1957, and was associated with many of the most celebrated and enduring musicals of his time.

Many tree farms sold out days or even weeks before Christmas last year, and they are predicting the same phenomenon this year.

A coronavirus variant recently identified in southern Africa is leading to a new round of travel restrictions just as many had finally begun to ease.

Tashia Brown's advice: Keep a good attitude, even if you find yourself unexpectedly waiting outside Walmart for seven hours.

The Farmington woman began writing while in Scouts and has never missed sending cards for birthdays and other holidays for the last 60 years.

For the second year, stores didn't open at midnight.

The driver was flown to a hospital after his pickup crashed into trees along Cape Cod Hill Road.

Deputies were called to a report of a crash at 4:15 a.m. Friday on New Vineyard Road.

Maine is monitoring the tests from other states, but is not actively testing deer for COVID-19.

The theater company will record one performance of its big moneymaker for people to watch at home but is shutting down the live production after several people involved in the show tested positive.

Lines were much smaller this year in comparison to years past, but people who chose to stand in line continued their Black Friday traditions.

The snow is expected to accumulate tonight and early Saturday with the heaviest snowfall likely over the higher terrain.

The S&P 500 index dropped 106.84 points, or 2.3%, in the worst day for Wall Street's benchmark index since February.

Omicron's actual risks are not understood, but early evidence suggests it carries an increased risk of reinfection compared with other highly transmissible variants.

Retailers are expecting bigger crowds than last year, but supply chain problems caused by the pandemic continue to limit selection, and prices are up.

The phenomenon, which economists have dubbed the "Amazon Effect," happens because rivals tend to follow Amazon's lead to match each other on online pricing.

South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections.

Retailers are expected to usher in the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season Friday with bigger crowds than last year.

The visit comes as tensions between Taiwan and China have risen to their highest level in decades.

The New England Clean Energy Connect will argue for an injunction just days before a voter-approved law to ban the project is set to take effect Dec. 19.

While many longtime helpers are able to return to duty, the Press Herald Toy Fund will continue to operate using extra precautions against COVID-19.

Scientists say it is a concern because of its high number of mutations and rapid spread among young people in the country’s most populous province.

More than two dozen people, many of them homeless, receive help.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother says she is thankful for justice, but says the murder convictions of the men who cornered and killed her son won't bring him back

A bill requesting a Congressional Gold Medal must be co-sponsored by two-thirds of the House and the Senate, both now controlled by Democrats, so the likelihood of passage is low.

Auburn's age-friendly committee provides meals to about 150 people.

Regional School Unit 56 superintendent says pool testing for COVID-19 catching cases sooner.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In four years the group has attracted 1,000 members.

More information is needed on lane changes on Wilton Road.

The Daigles start checking the strings and cords in October.

Shoppers buoyed by solid hiring, healthy pay gains and substantial savings are returning to stores and splurging on all types of items

The recount was needed for just one of nine charter amendments approved by voters on Nov. 2 due to a ballot programming error.