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
October 12, 2018

Lobstermen, environmentalists battle over right whale protections

The industry is willing to switch to easier-breaking rope to lower the chance of entanglements, but whale advocates say that doesn’t go far enough.
Published
October 6, 2018

Seed vendors take root at annual Maine Cannabis Convention

The number of people who want to grow their own marijuana at home has been going up as Maine struggles to develop a commercial market for recreational marijuana.
Published
October 5, 2018

Gubernatorial candidates vow to back lobster industry in upcoming fight

Proposals to protect right whales, which will be unveiled next week, could hobble Maine’s most lucrative fishery.
Published
October 4, 2018

Lobster industry blasts proposed regulations intended to protect whales

Officials say scientific data doesn’t support the proposals.
Published
October 3, 2018

Annual Maine pot convention offers bumper crop of cannabis expertise

The more than 30 speakers scheduled to appear in Portland over two days include the cultivation editor of High Times.
Published
October 3, 2018

Defenders of endangered right whales pursue limits on aquaculture

The threat of entanglements extends beyond the lobster industry, say advocates, pointing to Maine’s rapidly growing farmed-fisheries sector.
Published
October 2, 2018

Proposals to save right whales could drastically change lobstering

Regulators will meet next week to consider actions to preserve the threatened species, including a one-month closure of fishing zones and outlawing certain gear.
Published
September 27, 2018

Herring quota’s sting may lead Maine lobstermen to sit out next spring

Regulators’ proposal to slash the yearly figure by 80 percent has fishermen wondering if they’d be working just to cover bait costs.
Published
September 25, 2018

Maine lobstermen say move to avert collapse of herring fishery will have dire consequences

Trawling bans and quota reductions being proposed by regulators will result in bait shortages that will cause prices to skyrocket, the lobstermen say.
Published
September 21, 2018

Maine investigates restaurant for using marijuana on lobsters before cooking them

Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor has been trying to sedate the crustaceans with marijuana smoke to make their deaths less traumatic.