Wednesday August 26

THE MAINE STREAM

Maine Biz - Retail sales in June dropped more than 12% compared with the same month last year, according to the Maine State Planning Office. . . Year-to-date sales are 9.7% lower year to date compared with the same six-month period last year, according to the SPO.

Boston Globe - The weather service said heavy rains on Sunday gave Portland a total of 20.44 inches for June, July and August, which is considered the meteorological summer. That breaks the old mark for the three-month period of 19.04 inches, set in 1991.

Maine Public Broadcasting - Although Maine students are holding steady on their SAT scores from year to year, they continue to lag behind the rest of country. According to figures by the College Board, Maine students scored an average of 468 on the critical reading portion of the test. . . With College Board SAT scores running between 40-to-50 points below the national average in such key areas critical reading, math and writing, many Maine high school students may feel they're lagging behind the rest of the country. But in Maine, SAT scores don't really tell the story about the academic aptitude of the average incoming college freshman. "They're taking the test because they're required to. So as a result, when you open a test up and mandate it to an awful lot more students, you're going to wind up getting flat results," says state Rep. Henry Joy, a retired teacher and school superintendent who has watched the evolution of state school testing standards.

Maine Public Broadcasting - Two reports conclude that Maine's average temperature will increase significantly by the end of the century. The National Wildlife Federation along with Physician's for Social Responsibility have released a new report that predicts a growing number of scorching hot days. "Maine and the rest of New England will suffer from a rising number of extremely hot days, with worsening air quality and increased risks to human health and the environment," says Natural Resources Council of Maine Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim in a press release. Didisheim says the report indicates that by the end of the century, Maine could experience as many as 25 days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every summer at current rates of global warming pollution. . . A second report by The Nature Conservancy concludes that average temperatures in Maine by the end of the century will increase by more than 8 degrees Fahrenheit if global warming pollution continues unabated.

Morning Sentinel - About three dozen schools and colleges in Maine are now using the ImPact test, a computerized neurocognitive exam that helps determine when athletes who have suffered a concussion can resume physical activity. Maine was one of the first states to start using the ImPact test, when Bonny Eagle High School in Buxton started testing its athletes nine years ago in a pilot program. . . . Recent studies by the Sports Concussion Institute have indicated that one in every 10 high school athletes will suffer a concussion. Additional studies at the University of Pittsburgh have shown that female athletes are more prone to concussions than males.

Maine Public Broadcasting - Maine's largest film studio was officially opened today in Portland. The 43,000 square foot facility is the first of its scale in the state and has film industry professionals energized by the hope that it will provide a major boost to Maine's creative economy. . . Maine Studio is described as a one-stop shop for any type of media production, complete with office space, and ample room for all activities from pre- to post-production.