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V O L . X X X N O. V I M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 2 4 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E New Dimensions Federal Credit Union in Waterville said its employees record- ed 1,995 hours of personal volunteer time in 2023. University Credit Union plans to open its first location in Kennebec County this summer. The full-service branch will be at 67 Sewall St. in Augusta. Good Shepherd Food Bank President Heather Paquette was in attendance at the U.S. Capitol for President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. She was an invited guest of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pin- gree, D-Maine 1st District. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust said that its employees presented a total of $21,000 in donations collected through its employ- ee-driven charitable giving program, Ca- sual for a Cause, to eight nonprofit or- ganizations serving Maine, New Hamp- shire and Vermont. Trekkers, a nonprofit youth mentoring organization in Rockland, announced that it was awarded $921,250 in fed- eral Community Project Funding to help renovate its campus. AIO Food & Energy Assistance in Rock- land said it received a gift of $24,582 from the Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Campaign. The organization was selected because Rockland Hannaford was a lead- ing store fundraiser during the campaign. Evernorth Rural Ventures, a subsidiary of Evernorth, closed on $8.9 million on a New Markets Tax Credit investment for the expansion of Penobscot Community Health Care's Seaport Community Health Center in Belfast Omni Fitness 24/7 opened in the Aroos- took Centre Mall in Presque Isle. Hannaford Supermarkets opened new stores at 62 West Main St. in Fort Kent and 58 Main St. in Madawaska. The Northern Maine Development Com- mission is inviting comment on its draft 2024-28 Comprehensive Economic Devel- opment Strategy for the Aroostook Wash- ington Economic Development District. The public comment period will run until March 30. Comments can be submitted to Jon Gulliver at jgulliver@nmdc.org. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC Ice fishing AND kayaking on Moosehead Lake in February? Top Maine Guides and Investment Advisers are prepared and equipped for rapidly changing weather and market conditions. Whatever your destination, let Golden Pond be your guide. Let's start a conversation... visit www.goldenpondwealth.com or call us at 207-873-2200 Photo by Kevin Couture Scan to view our website N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N P O L I T I C S & C O. Collins, King launch effort to save AM radio in cars B y W i l l i a m H a l l I f you haven't heard the news yet about AM radio, you soon might never — at least not in your car. Automotive manufacturers including BMW, Mazda, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen and Volvo have stopped supplying many vehicles with AM radio. And Ford plans to phase out the technology in all its cars and trucks this year. The companies say the AM band can create problems with other onboard electronics, and claim customers are tuning in less anyway. But U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, have joined bipartisan legislation that would ensure manufacturers continue to provide AM radio service in every new vehicle. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would direct federal regulators to require automakers to include the service at no additional charge. AM radio is especially important for rural communities, the lawmakers said. They cite a National Association of Farm Broadcasters survey that found two-thirds of farmers listen to AM for weather forecasts and other information vitally needed for operations. "AM radio delivers highway safety information to drivers and critical storm and weather updates to farmers in Maine and across the country," Collins said. King added, "Many Maine people, and especially our farmers, rely on AM radio for weather and business news they need, along with emergency updates that are essential for their safety."

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