1. Catastrophic wildfires continue to ravage California, as one blaze nearly doubled in size over the last three days, making it the largest in the state’s history. The Mendocino Complex Fire has now surpassed last year’s Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, as the largest fire in Cal Fire history. Exhausted firefighters across the state are trying to contain 16 major fires that are burning in hot, dry and windy conditions. On Monday, another fast-moving fire ignited in the state — this time in Orange County, where firefighters battled the Holy Fire that expanded to more than 4,000 acres. That fire started in the Cleveland National Forest and evacuations in the nearby areas have been ordered, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. (CNN)
2. Camden police are warning the public that a large ball python is on the loose somewhere in the Knox County town. “The PD this morning wants to make everyone aware that a ball python has gotten out of its enclosure and is most likely roaming the area on Sea Street,” the Camden Police Department said in a post Monday morning on its Facebook page. The ball python snake, also known as the royal python, is a nonvenomous constrictor snake. It is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular in the pet trade due to its small size and docile temperament. Its name comes from the snake curling into a ball when stressed or frightened. (NewsCenterMaine)
3. Two men are taking a long walk from Iowa to Portland, Maine, and they expect to be in Maine in less than a week. Max Granfield and Stephen Skinner have been on the road for months. Granfield said they are carrying everything they need to survive on their backs, including food, water, and a tent for shelter. “It’s made me more patriotic than I already was. It goes beyond even words like constitution and democracy and freedom. I really do value those things, but there’s something in the character of the people, like I think Americans, generally, and just pretty nice people, and there is some real, real value in that,” Granfield said. (PressHerald)
4. Ground-level ozone concentrations along the Maine coast are expected to reach dangerous levels Tuesday, combining with continued high heat and humidity to threaten even healthy children and adults, state and national weather officials warned. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection issued an air quality alert Monday afternoon, predicting that ozone levels Tuesday would exceed the standard considered healthy for sensitive groups, including individuals who have respiratory diseases and healthy people who exert themselves. The public libraries in Portland and Scarborough served as cooling centers on Monday and will do so again on Tuesday. Portland’s library will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Scarborough’s will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Portland’s East End Community School cafeteria will also be available as a cooling center from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PressHerald)
5. Saturday, September 1 (Labor Day Weekend) Hot 104.7 & Grass Monkey Present another #HOTSHOW starring Lil Jon at the State Theatre. Tickets are ON SALE NOW. Charge by phone at 800-745-3000, in person at the Port City Music Hall box office Wednesday-Friday 10AM-5PM or online HERE
