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
May 13, 2022

Gardiner seeks public comment on $7.35 million budget proposal

As Gardiner officials review the proposed spending plan, they want to hear from members of the public at the May 18 meeting on its spending plans for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Published
May 12, 2022

Kennebec County budget vote delayed by absences

Without a quorum at Wednesday’s Kennebec County Budget Committee meeting, the committee could not give its final approval to the $17.4 million spending plan.
Published
May 9, 2022

Gardiner Main Street announces citywide grant program to aid local businesses

The Catalyst Grant Program offers established small businesses in Gardiner the chance to apply for up to $2,500 to meet a variety of critical business needs and is now accepting applications.
Published
May 8, 2022

Gardiner’s Johnson Hall renovations need more support amid rising inflation, officials say

Hit hard by increasing prices, Johnson Hall officials are asking city officials to double their $150,000 donation to the project to renovate the state’s oldest opera house.
Published
May 6, 2022

Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley facility nears completion

Club officials toured the new $10 million clubhouse in Gardiner that’s slated to open by the end of August, with expanded facilities for kids of all ages and space that will be available for community organizations to use.
Published
May 5, 2022

Gardiner area customers hit with brief natural gas outage

Officials at Summit Natural Gas of Maine Inc. say a temporary interruption of service Wednesday affected about 240 customers in Gardiner, but most were restored to service by midday.
Published
May 3, 2022

Kennebec County officials sign off on labor contract for staff in deeds registry, DA’s office

The deal, with the union representing about a dozen employees in the Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office and the Registry of Deeds, gives them raises in each of the contract’s three years.
Published
April 30, 2022

Maine Pottery Tour showcases handmade art

The annual event invites people to tour pottery and ceramics studios across the state, giving them a chance to meet the artists behind the work, see it in progress, and to shop for Maine-made gifts.
Published
April 28, 2022

GO MAINE ride-sharing program to highlight green travel options for any in-state vehicle trip

The program, which has promoted carpooling and vanpooling, is expanding its focus beyond daily commutes to meet the state climate goal of reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled in Maine.
Published
April 26, 2022

Home, outbuildings destroyed in hot, fast-moving fire in Pittston

The cause of the fire that destroyed a home and outbuildings at 11 East Pittston Road on Monday was an unpermitted outdoor burn that got out of control, officials said.