DOWN EAST NOTES

Kennebec Journal - Maine real estate agents say sales of single-family homes in the state are up for the fifth consecutive month. The Maine Real Estate Information System says realtors sold 1,257 existing homes in October - a 39 percent increase since October of last year. Over the same period, the median sales price dropped 3.51 percent in the last 12 months to $165,000. The activity in Maine is similar to the national trend, although the price drop nationally has been more severe.

Maine's insurance chief says that despite new controversial recommendations about mammograms, under Maine law insurers most still cover annual screenings for women 40 years and older.

How new federal regulations hurt Maine fishermen