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
January 16, 2023

Hallowell police cruiser damaged, sergeant injured in crash

The crash reduces the Hallowell Police Department’s fleet of cruisers from three to two after the vehicle driven by Sgt. Christopher Giles was apparently struck from behind by a teenage driver.
Published
January 14, 2023

Big Apple on Stone Street robbed early Saturday

Augusta police say they are searching for the unidentified man dressed in dark clothes who showed a gun and demanded cash and merchandise before fleeing early Saturday.
Published
January 12, 2023

Togus VA officials do not know when family accommodations on campus will reopen following October closure

The Fisher House, which provides free lodging for families of veterans seeking treatment at the Togus VA Medical Center, has been open since February 2020, but officials say they do not know when it will reopen to guests.
Published
January 9, 2023

Early morning fire damages Gardiner apartment after sprinkler system stops spread

Gardiner Fire Chief Rick Sieberg said the sprinkler system in 6 Maine Ave. building knocked down the small fire that started in a third-floor apartment when a burner on a stove ignited some paper materials.
Published
January 9, 2023

South China teen dies from injuries sustained in Richmond highway crash

Rémy Pettengill, 17, was gravely injured Dec. 30 in a multivehicle crash on Interstate 295 in Richmond.
Published
January 7, 2023

Browntail moth threat eases in capital region, but remains a threat elsewhere in Maine

While the population explosion of browntail moths didn’t happen as expected in 2022, experts say the threat posed by the invasive pest still exists and people should continue to take measures to destroy winter nests.
Published
January 5, 2023

Fire destroys home in China

Firefighters from several communities spent at least four hours Thursday battling the fire at the single-family house at 79 Back Deer Hill Road.
Published
January 4, 2023

Gardiner honors Nancy Rines, Thom Harnett for service to city

City officials honored former District 2 Kennebec County Commissioner Nancy Rines and former state Rep. Thom Harnett for their service to the city at Wednesday’s inauguration, during which the newly elected and reelected city officials were sworn in.
Published
January 4, 2023

Two men arrested on drug charges following search of Augusta apartment

Police from three agencies seized guns, money, drugs and contraband after executing a search warrant at 17 Summer St., and arrested two men on drug trafficking charges.
Published
January 3, 2023

Republicans sworn-in at Kennebec County government ceremony for first time in decades

Among the county officials sworn in Tuesday at the Kennebec County commissioners meeting were two Republicans after years of dominance by Democrats at the county level, but one political expert said that’s likely due to the lack of well-known incumbents seeking reelection and the habit of Maine voters to vote for split tickets.