Penelope Overton

Press Herald

Penelope Overton writes about the lobster and marijuana industries in Maine, a mix of the iconic and the emerging, the economic powerhouse and the mysterious darkhorse. Just the right mix of old and new for a Maine transplant. Penny joined the Press Herald in 2016. She has covered politics and government, the environment and Indian Country in Florida, Connecticut, Arizona and Washington, D.C. Her favorite stories are when she gets to dive into a world where readers seldom venture. When she’s not newspapering, Penny and her young daughter like to hike, body surf, travel and explore new books, places, poems and people. She is plovertonpph on both Instagram and Snapchat.

Latest

Published
August 11, 2019

‘We just can’t compete with Canada right now’: Tariffs drive down U.S. lobster exports to China by 46%

But an increase in sales to Canada also has offset all but $14.4 million of the lost Chinese market.
Published
August 6, 2019

City staff proposes capping Portland’s retail pot licenses at 20

Staffers say the limit is needed to protect the market and Portland’s economy, but some city councilors question the cap and the first-come, first-served method of awarding licenses.
Published
August 5, 2019

Lifejackets for Lobstermen project outfitting Maine fishermen

Eleven models will be available at discounts during stops in 11 ports over the next month.
Published
August 2, 2019

CBD foods sold in Maine must be made with locally grown hemp

A state law that took effect Thursday was created as a workaround to a federal ban.
Published
July 26, 2019

Sanford police seize cocaine, crack worth $16,000

Three Massachusetts men arrested during the vehicle stop are facing drug trafficking charges.
Published
July 22, 2019

Customer outrage dominates final CMP rate hike hearing

Ratepayers urge public utilities commissioners to delay a rate hike until the utility lives up to its pledge to deal with customers’ overbilling complaints.
Published
July 15, 2019

Extra pogy catch could ease bait worries for lobster industry

Maine gets approval to fish for another 4.7 million pounds of pogy, or menhaden, but will likely need more bait fish as the lobster season hits its stride.
Published
July 11, 2019

Mills comes out against ‘foolish’ federal regulations to protect right whales

The governor is directing the Department of Marine Resources to come up with an alternative to a federal plan to reduce the Maine lobster industry’s impact on endangered right whales.
Published
July 7, 2019

Lobstermen confront host of problems as season gets underway

Fishermen have right whales and bait prices on their mind as they set their first traps of the summer.
Published
June 27, 2019

CMP’s president and owner are named as defendants in lawsuit claiming fraud

Law firms accuse Douglas Herling and Iberdrola of fraud and racketeering, opening the door to higher damages for ratepayers who were overcharged or victims of abusive collection practices.