1. The Maine Republican Party says it won’t recognize ranked choice voting in the March 5 presidential primary, adding another layer of complexity to an already confusing election. The position also puts the state party at odds with former President Donald Trump’s lawyers, who argued in legal briefings that Maine’s use of ranked choice voting could help preserve the integrity of the election in the event he is disqualified by the courts. (PH)
2. Police are trying to figure out who abandoned a bus in the middle of an intersection in Berwick. The bus was left running and abandoned in the middle of the Worcester and Pine Hill roads’ intersection on Wednesday. Police say the bus was taken out of service three years ago and has been sold at least twice. Anyone with information is asked to call Berwick Detective Shisler at (207) 698-1136. (WGME)
3. Record storm surges in January wreaked havoc on Maine beaches, ripping entire sand dunes out of the ground and washing them away. York County, though, has a plan and a new machine to help replenish the sand on those beaches. The county voted to use federal funds from a President Joe Biden recovery plan to buy a dredge. County leaders are hoping to get it in the water this November in time for the six-month dredge season, but the county has to decide who will own and operate the dredge first. (WGME)
4. Super Bowl 2024 is setting the stage not just for a showdown between top NFL teams, but also for a major environmental milestone. This year, the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will host a Super Bowl powered entirely by renewable energy — a first in the history of the event. The Las Vegas Raiders, which call Allegiant Stadium home, have entered into a 25-year agreement to buy power from this new solar installation owned by NV Energy. The solar installation would supply more than 10 megawatts of power for the Super Bowl. This amount of energy is roughly equivalent to the consumption of 46,000 homes. (CBS)
5. The 2023 Coats and Toys for Kids campaign collected a total of 14,000 coats, 3,860 toys, and $16,111. Pratt Abbott cleaned all the coats, and the Salvation Army distributed them statewide to help keep Mainers warm and happy this winter. (NCM)
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