Penelope Overton

Press Herald

Penelope Overton writes about the lobster and marijuana industries in Maine, a mix of the iconic and the emerging, the economic powerhouse and the mysterious darkhorse. Just the right mix of old and new for a Maine transplant. Penny joined the Press Herald in 2016. She has covered politics and government, the environment and Indian Country in Florida, Connecticut, Arizona and Washington, D.C. Her favorite stories are when she gets to dive into a world where readers seldom venture. When she’s not newspapering, Penny and her young daughter like to hike, body surf, travel and explore new books, places, poems and people. She is plovertonpph on both Instagram and Snapchat.

Latest

Published
March 6, 2023

Lawmakers to hear about Maine sludge disposal crisis

The Maine DEP and the operator of the state’s largest landfill will brief state lawmakers on Maine’s sludge crisis on Wednesday.
Published
March 4, 2023

Sen. Collins was lone Republican to oppose confirmation of Texas judge who’ll rule on abortion pill

But her critics point out that Matthew Kacsmaryk would likely be an obscure federal judge if the justices she voted to confirm to the Supreme Court had not helped to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Published
February 23, 2023

Baxter’s terms complicate tribes’ wish for role in Katahdin oversight

The tribes of Maine want a formal role in managing this sacred site, but strict rules on how the donated land must be governed don’t allow for the expansion of the authority board.
Published
February 21, 2023

Gov. Mills joins coalition of governors supporting abortion rights

Gov. Janet Mills is one of 20 Democratic governors to join the Reproductive Freedom Alliance.
Published
February 18, 2023

A rare bird and bumblebee fight for survival in Maine

The state wants to add the Saltmarsh sparrow and Ashton’s cuckoo to its endangered list, and designate four other birds, a bat and a beetle as threatened.
Published
February 15, 2023

Last year was second warmest on record in Gulf of Maine

The average sea surface temperature in 2022 fell short by less than half a degree of setting a new mark for the hottest year, according to Portland-based researchers.
Published
February 14, 2023

Maine Republicans to Whole Foods: Blacklist lobster, lose state tax benefits

Republican lawmakers unveil a suite of bills to protect Maine’s $1.7 billion lobster industry and punish those who would threaten it.
Published
February 13, 2023

Lawmakers consider state buyback program for farms ruined by tainted sludge

But there is disagreement about the best way to reimburse the growing number of farmers whose livelihoods have been devastated by forever chemicals, especially those who already have been waiting years for help.
Published
February 9, 2023

A Texas court case could change Maine’s abortion landscape

A judge known for his anti-abortion views soon could outlaw the most common method of ending an unwanted pregnancy in the state.
Published
February 8, 2023

To-go alcoholic drinks may be here to stay

Despite objections from public health advocates, a legislative committee voted Wednesday in favor of permanently legalizing the pandemic-era practice of to-go cocktails, wine, and beer.