The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) announced it will begin to ease certain restrictions within correctional facilities. The decision to ease restrictions, such as those related to visitation, community restitution, work release and transfers, have been made in close consultation with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). Many of the restrictions scheduled to be lifted in the coming weeks have been in place since early March.

Recently Northern Light Health leadership announced their systemwide plan to eliminate racism and other forms of discrimination and promote a strong future for social and medical justice.

Tuesday afternoon I learned the unfortunate news that former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and former commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development John Richardson had passed away as the result of a heart attack. I had the great fortune to know John, though interestingly enough we first encountered one another well before we met in person.

I write to encourage your readers to support Paul Davis in the July 14 primary to be the Republican candidate for the Maine Senate for Piscataquis County. When you think about qualities we want in our elected leaders -- integrity, experience, prudence, maturity and pragmatism -- there is no other candidate in this race who can bring those to Augusta on our behalf. Davis’ knowledge of the state’s operations and governance have served us well in his daily work on behalf of his constituents, our neighbors.

The Milo Historical Society art show, which has been held in July in past years, is among a number of 2020 events canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone knows you cannot run elections in Maine without election workers. Yet, in the midst of a public health emergency, as well as during “normal” times, finding people to staff election polls and process absentee ballots is not easy.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week caught up with public opinion and common sense when it ruled that it is illegal to fire a person for being gay or transgender. The ruling was ground shaking and a major expansion of civil rights protections for LGBTQ people living in states without non-discrimination protections in state law.

Twelve of Maine’s 16 counties are now reporting fewer than 10 active cases of the virus, including three -- Piscataquis, Aroostook and Washington counties -- with zero. The prevalence of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, also seems to finally be dropping in more heavily populated southern Maine counties even as the state has ramped up testing in recent weeks. 

I am running to be re-elected to Piscataquis County Commissioner, District 3, which includes Barnard, Ebeemee, Elliotsville, Frenchtown, Greenville-Harfords Point, Katahdin Iron Works, Kineo, Lakeview Plantation, Lily Bay, Milo, Moosehead Jct., Shawtown, Spencer Bay, Williamsburg and all unorganized territories north to Aroostook County.

Grief is an individual’s physical, behavioral, cognitive, spiritual and emotional reactions to a perceived significant loss. While our society tends to view grief as something that needs “gotten over”, grief is normal and healthy. A natural characteristic of grief that is exacerbated by our societal view is the tendency for the bereaved to feel isolated. During this time of COVID-19, this sense of isolation has been multiplied many times over. Even as the state is “re-opening”, we are still isolated, whether due to restrictions or self-imposed out of concern.