January Students of the Month at Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford are, from left, freshman Isaiah Arno, sophomore Colby Chadwick, junior Caleb Bailey, and senior Caleb Rolfe.

I am constantly told that the ancient fossils in Congress need to be thrown out in favor of younger generations, because they will provide a "breath of fresh air" and offer "new ideas" about this country's future.

This February let’s go beyond “Be My Valentine” and cute cupid cards. While love may be all we need, connection is arguably even more important, especially these days. The Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is a great place to connect with people, programs, books, ideas and, yes, even computers.

Ice fishing derbies typically offer participants the chance to engage in some good-natured competition, and to perhaps take home a prize for their efforts. In Greenville, organizers are preparing for a derby that has helped reshape the fishery in the state’s largest lake.

The structure of high school basketball in the state is expected to proceed without significant change for the next two years after the Maine Principals’ Association classification committee recently voted to maintain enrollment cutoff standards for the next two years.

DEXTER -- A man was allegedly driving a snowmobile under the influence of alcohol early in the evening on Saturday, Jan. 19 when his machine struck a 16-year-old boy who was walking across a lake in Dexter.

Kim Cavanagh, a local lawyer and Foxcroft Academy alum, was celebrated recently at the Center Theatre for the Performing Arts Board of Director's annual meeting. The meeting was Cavanagh's last after being on the Center Theatre board since 2012.

Here in the sun-drenched Florida Keys, the nearest thing to an ice shack is a small shed near the marina that holds two big chest freezers where boaters get their 10-lb bags of ice cubes every couple of days.

In a major victory for sound public policy over naked politics, Gov. Janet Mills continued her efforts to expand access to health care to Maine people. This time, she bucked the Trump administration and former Gov. Paul LePage by rejecting a change to the state’s Medicaid program, which would have erected unnecessary barriers to health insurance for low-income families.

There’s this phenomenon I’ve heard talked about among outdoorsy folks, that out in the wilderness, food tastes better. During a mountain hike or an ocean paddle, even the simplest fare can be enjoyable and nourishing. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put a little extra thought and effort into what you pack to eat - the opposite, in fact.