1. Janet Mills made history Wednesday when she was sworn in as the state’s 75th governor and the first woman to ever hold that position. Mills said her top priorities are expanding Medicaid, which Maine voters approved in 2017, lowering health insurance premiums and tackling the opioid crisis. (WMTW)
2. Thursday’s snow storm is making for a messy morning commute. The snow is expected to end between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Inland areas will pick up 1-3 inches of snow. Southern Maine, mid-coast Maine, excluding peninsulas and islands, and central Maine can expect 2-5 inches. Biddeford, Brunswick, Falmouth, Saco, Thornton, Wells-Ogunquit, Yarmouth – 2 hour delays CLOSINGS/DELAYS (WGME)
3. One forecast says filling up could cost more than $3 a gallon in just a few months. The forecast released Wednesday by GasBuddy.com, which tracks gasoline prices around the country, calls for a yearly national average price of $2.70 a gallon, a few cents a gallon lower than 2018. But it also forecast that prices will rise early in the year, possibly topping $3 a gallon by May. (Press Herald)
4. Legendary wrestling broadcaster Gene Okerlund passed away Wednesday at the age of 76. The WWE Hall-of-Famer rose to prominence through his explosive interviews with the likes of Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Hulk Hogan. Upon hearing the sad news, Hogan tweeted, “Mean Gene, I love you, my brother.” Meanwhile, the WWE hailed Okerlund as “the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history.” (NYDailyNews)
5. Following the release of Netflix’s Bird Box, the streaming service is urging viewers not to partake in a challenge which involves people putting blindfolds on themselves. Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.
Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.
— Netflix US (@netflix) January 2, 2019
