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V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I I I A U G U S T 7 , 2 0 1 7 12 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 earnings totaled $8.1 million, or 52 cents per share. Net income increased 56% over the prior quarter and core earnings increased 21% refl ecting the strength of the expanded operations. Merger-related and systems conversion costs in the second quarter of 2017 totaled 10 cents per share after-taxes. Upgrade for a Penobscot County town's broadband OTT Communications, a division of Otelco Inc., won a ConnectME Authority matching grant of $878,000 that will allow the company to provide high-speed fi ber optic broadband service to the Penobscot County town of Alton. e grant-supported portion of the build-out will serve 33 premises in the area. At its own expense, OTT will connect an additional 36 homes that it passes to reach the area covered by the grant. Most of those homes have download speeds of between 4 and 10 Mbps and upload speeds of less than 2 Mbps. OTT recently completed FTTH projects in Lowell, Gray and New Gloucester. A similar project is underway in West Enfi eld. 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 U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Fish River Rural Health Center received a loan of $1.35 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the construction of additional facilities at its Fort Kent location. The loan was allocated through the USDA's Community Facilities Direct Loans and Guaranteed Loans program. United Way of Eastern Maine in Bangor announced $880,000 of com- munity funding for more than 55 local health and human service programs made possible by more than 4,300 individuals who designated their dona- tion to its Community Fund during the 2016 campaign. The Maine Sea Grant Program at the University of Maine in Orono received $519,000 in grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support its research, education and outreach efforts done on behalf of Maine's coastal communities. THE VALUE OF A BUCK. OF A BUCK. You understand the value of a dollar. Early mornings. Late nights. Tenacity, wit, and a work ethic that means you never quit, you never settle. Neither do we. Our team honors your lifelong effort with the same level of dedication — and the same work ethic — that it took to realize your dreams. First Advisors PERFORMANCE YOU CAN TRUST First Advisors Investment Management. Retirement Planning. Trust Services | firstadvisorsonline.com | 866-563-1900 PROTECTING DREAMS | Securities and investment products are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not obligations of, nor guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate, and may involve investment risk, including the possible loss of value or principal amount invested. N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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