WVII interviews Yarborough about state’s blueberry crop

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

ORONO, Maine – At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

June 29, 2016 Cooperative Extension, Economic Development, Outreach, UMaine in the News

David Yarborough, a blueberry specialist with the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension, spoke with WVII (Channel 7) about this year’s crop. “We had a very unusual spring,” Yarborough said. “With the mild winter we didn’t get much frost in the ground. So in April we had very warm temperatures, so the plants took up water. And the last week of April we had 18 degrees, and that really hurt a lot of the plants in low-lying areas.” He added that currently the berries are small and green and just need heat and water to mature. Usually the blueberry harvest begins in four to six weeks, but this year could be different, according to the report. “Right now it looks like we could have a later season, but you know how weather is, if things get warm they’ll catch up,” Yarborough said. The Maine Public Broadcasting Network and Bangor Daily News also interviewed Yarborough about this year’s blueberry harvest.