Maine has a proud tradition of union work in both its public and private institutions. More broadly, throughout their existence in the United States, the collective actions of unions, including occasional strikes, have helped to ensure safe work environments for individuals and viable products for the entire country.

All of our trails have been groomed before and after our eight inches of snow on Friday. We will be out again tonight after the weekend traffic and will get out during the week. We finally had enough snow to groom the rough three miles of CCC Road.

Long months spent harvesting lumber in the Maine woods could make anyone start to see things. At least, that seems to be what happened to many lumberjacks in the 19th and early 20th century in Maine and beyond -- when you’re living in an isolated lumber camp, you’ve got to keep yourself entertained with tall tales and fantastic stories.

The Foxcroft Academy girls picked up 29 points to place eighth among 10 teams at  the 2020 Penobscot Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 8 at the University of Maine. The Ponies finished just ahead of the 28 points for George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill and the six points for 10th-place Searsport District High School.

Cheering teams from Dexter Regional High School and Penquis Valley High School each took part in state championships competitions on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Augusta Civic Center, two weeks after earning berths at the respective qualifiers.

The Omicron Chapter of DKG Society International, a group for women educators, met Feb. 1 at the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft. The guest speaker was Emily Poland RN, school nurse Consultant for the Maine Department of Education. Poland spoke about Project AWARE - Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education

Earlier this week, Maine’s conservation agencies -- the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, issued some safety tips that deserve a second look.

Throughout Maine, there are pockets of wilderness where nature is given free rein. The trees grow old and tall. The moss grows thick. And rare plants and animals find safe haven.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer monthly community plant clinics at several locations in Piscataquis County beginning 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 at the UMaine Extension office, 165 East Main St.

It looks like Mother Nature is taking the high school basketball season to overtime. Thursday’s snowstorm and even messier weather on Friday means numerous regular-season finales aren’t likely to be played until Saturday, leaving some tournament fates hanging in the balance.