Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 O C T O B E R 3 1 , 2 0 2 2 Kroger-Albertsons deal will include Shaw's markets Kroger's $24.6 billion merger agreement with Albertsons Cos. will include 150 Shaw's stores in New England, includ- ing 19 in Maine. It may be too early to tell how the Kroger and Albertsons merger will affect Shaw's locations in Maine, but Albertsons has already done some pruning this year, closing two southern Maine Shaw's stores. Shaw's closed a Scarborough location in October and a Westbrook store in January. Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. Inc. (NYSE: ACI), which has owned Shaw's since 2004, has a total of 2,250 stores nationwide. Its brands include Acme, Jewel-Osco, Save-A-Lot and Star Market, among others. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Maine will re- ceive a total of $45 million to main- tain and reconstruct bridges across the state. The funding was authorized through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services said it issued $25 million to Maine hospitals in the latest round of funding to support their recov- ery from the COVID-19 pandemic and address ongoing challenges such as workforce recruitment and retention. Gov. Janet Mills introduced the Maine Career Exploration program, a $25 million, two-year initiative of the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to connect 6,000 young people in Maine to future career opportunities by funding paid work expe- riences with employers across the state. Portland water utility hires GM Portland Water District has chosen a utility management consultant with widespread experience as its new gen- eral manager. Seth Garrison spent the S T A T E W I D E S O U T H E R N C R E D I T S & D E B I T S Bar Harbor reviews possible strategies to address housing crunch — Good move by a town desperately in need of workforce housing Boston fed reserve chief predicts U.S. slowdown won't be severe, touts Maine's diverse economy — A bit of a silver lining Lewiston hires first-ever director of marketing and communications — The L/A area is taking off Home sales ease in September, median home price continues decline — There are winners and losers in this, depending on whether you're a buyer or seller Bar Harbor Chamber director to step down at the end of the year — A blow to the Bar Harbor area WEX to shed 30 Maine jobs and 150 globally amid 'realignment' — Will we see other companies make similar moves? F I L E P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS START FROM THE GROUND UP ME 207-286-8008 • NH 603-427-0244 • MA 508-623-0101 WWW.RWGILLESPIE.COM CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TESTING AND INSPECTIONS Soils, asphalt, concrete, masonry, fireproofing, and steel: Reduce potential delays, defects, unexpected costs, and repeated maintenance. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING Groundwater, landfills and tank removal monitoring GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING AND EXPLORATIONS You see what's on top, we'll show you what's below. Bar Harbor is reviewing strategies to expand the housing stock including possible zoning changes, cluster housing and inclusionary housing.

• Cover