Jessica Lowell

Kennebec Journal

Jessica Lowell covers business and economic development and general news in the Gardiner area. After short but intense aspirations to be an opera singer (age 4) and a deep-sea diver (age 6) her most enduring passion has been telling stories. A University of Maine graduate, she worked for newspapers in New Hampshire, upstate New York and Wyoming, where she has won awards for investigative and explanatory journalism. She’s a fellow of the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism and the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. After several years out of journalism, she returned to Maine and to writing, where she spends her free time enjoying both trees and the ocean, two commodities that Wyoming lacks.

Latest

Published
March 5, 2016

Maine ranks fourth on list of best places for women’s economic well-being

Even so, a local waitress and a business owner say they worry about how to pay for retirement and health care coverage.
Published
March 2, 2016

Kennebec County Democrats nominate second candidate for sheriff

William Johnson, the county’s interim chief deputy, came to Maine after retiring from the Sante Fe, N.M. Police Department.
Published
March 2, 2016

Maine health, education organizations press LePage for action on arsenic in water

The Environmental Health Strategy Center and others are asking the LePage administration for a comprehensive plan to ensure access to water treatment.
Published
February 29, 2016

Flash freeze technology boosts Gardiner meat processing facility

It’s expected to help producers reach more markets and customers as the city works to establish itself as a local food hub.
Published
February 28, 2016

Service to help small businesses solve problems in Kennebec Valley

Small Business Resource Team grows out of leadership program operated by Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce and University of Maine Augusta.
Published
February 26, 2016

Planners float big ideas for Augusta

A proposal called Envision Augusta imagines how Maine’s capital might look in two decades and what it will take to get there.
Published
February 24, 2016

Mason withdraws name from Kennebec County sheriff post

Gov. Paul LePage had named Ken Mason, a Lincoln County sheriff deputy, to fill the Kennebec sheriff position. Mason’s withdrawal may avoid a legal showdown between LePage and county officials but now sets up more intrigue in the November election.
Published
February 23, 2016

Gardiner may widen review of fire, code issues beyond downtown

A fire that destroyed 235 Water St. last summer highlighted safety issues in the downtown, but officials may review issues for multi-family units as well.
Published
February 23, 2016

Kennebec County Democrats to consider additional sheriff candidates

The Kennebec County Democratic Committee is expected to hold a special meeting next week to consider whether to send an additional name to Gov. Paul LePage after the governor last week announced his choice, Ken Mason, for the sheriff’s vacancy.
Published
February 23, 2016

Former athletic director sues UMA over his dismissal

Warren Newton claims in a U.S. District Court lawsuit that university officials failed to inform him of serious concerns about his behavior before firing him in May 2015.