Spend, spend, spend. Tax, tax, tax. You heard a lot of flowery talk about responsibly leading Maine. You heard about discipline and "investments" that would make the state better. "No, we won't raise your taxes," they said, "we'll just reprioritize state government and we'll use money we already have to do a few things responsibly."

Maine game wardens were busy responding to a number of serious snowmobile accidents last weekend, and with substantial snow in the forecast for the coming days, wardens say focusing on snowmobile safety makes a lot of sense as more sledders will be hitting the trails.

I grew up and went to school deep in Appalachia, in far Southwest Virginia, near the Tennessee line. While the region is trying to reinvent itself, it still suffers the hangover of the decline of coal and manufacturing, and depopulation.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has sponsored legislation, LR 514 “An Act To Give the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the Authority To Adjust the Black Bear Hunting Season and Bag Limit,” to give state wildlife biologists more control in the management of Maine’s growing black bear population.

Maine’s first female governor, Janet Mills, picked Judy Camuso to replace Chandler Woodcock as our new Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) is excited to kick off its second annual Families in the Outdoors program. The goal of this program is to provide fun, active, and interesting opportunities for families to enjoy the outdoors, together. This program is designed for youth ages 5 and up, parents, grandparents and other relatives. This year, the district will be offering seasonal sessions, each with a different nature-related theme.

A framework for adding two, eight-player divisions to Maine high school football beginning next fall inched closer to formality Tuesday, Jan. 15. The Maine Principals’ Association football committee has created an updated draft of the proposed format for the next two-year classification cycle that would include Classes A, B and C, and an eight-player class with two divisions based on enrollment.

The Center Theatre announced recently that Ashlie McLeish, who joined the Theatre in 2016, has been promoted to Theatre operations manager. According to Patrick Myers, the Center Theatre's executive director, the new position better describes what McLeish's role in the Theatre has become during the past year.

The following births were recorded recently at Mayo Regional Hospital:

On Thursday, Jan. 24 from 4-7 p.m. Tri-County Technical Center (TCTC) students from the six area high schools (Nokomis, PCHS, Dexter, Foxcroft Academy, Greenville, and Penquis Valley), will participate in the local SkillsUSA competition. Instructors from the 12 programs, along with advisory board members and practitioners in the field, will judge students’ skills based on particular national standards that are exercised in the workforce every day.