As I write this column, Maine's Legislative Council -- which consists of 10 lawmakers, six Democrats and four Republicans -- is beginning to work through the process of considering the roughly 400 bill requests submitted by lawmakers for the second session of the Legislature.

The first text from my daughter arrived at 10:40 Tuesday morning. “I’m in lockdown.” “It’s not a drill.”

Dover-Foxcroft's Shallynn Stevens, a ninth-grader, has been named STAR Student of the Month by Maine Connections Academy (MCA), the state’s first virtual public charter school. The STAR Student of the Month is an MCA student who has shown particular accomplishments and spirit.

With the state’s firearms hunting season for deer looming, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s deer specialist says he expects plenty of hunters to fill their tags this year after a banner year in 2018.

Crime in Maine dropped for the seventh consecutive year in 2018, according to data from the Maine Department of Public Safety released Wednesday, but there were more assaults and homicides compared with 2017.

The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District will be offering a free Permaculture Walk ‘n Talk at the Law Farm on Sunday, November 3. Come join us as we casually discuss ideas, topics and design projects with our returning friend and certified permaculture designer Steve DeGoosh of LOMAH Homestead and former assistant professor from Northern Michigan University in Earth, Environmental and Geographical Science.

A number of events are planned for the weekend and on the holiday as part of the annual Dover-Foxcroft Halloween BooNanza. A full schedule and more information is available at http://www.boonanza.info/.

What activities do you suggest to someone who’s not outdoorsy but wants to be? -- Aspiring Outdoor Person

Girl Scouts of Maine announces that it will host a new member sign-up event for potential members and volunteers at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at the Milo Elementary School.

More than 300,000 Maine homeowners can expect a $100 check early next year under a new state law. The households that can expect the payment qualified for the homestead exemption in 2019. The homestead exemption reduces a home’s taxable value by $20,000, so a taxpayer pays property taxes on only $130,000 in value for a $150,000 home. Homeowners can only claim the homestead exemption on their primary residence.