A man with a history of escapes from state correctional facilities is one step closer to trial for his latest escape. The Penobscot County grand jury late last week indicted Arnold Nash, 65, for his September escape from Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston when he had just 14 months left on his sentence. An indictment is not a finding of guilt, but rather a determination that enough evidence exists to bring a case to trial.

Upcoming events around the region.

Mayo Regional Hospital and the Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC) collaborated for the groups’ second annual Gadget Drive during the months of October and November. Employees and community members collected more than 125 gadgets and raised $148 to purchase additional kitchen gadgets for clients of area food cupboards.

Eleven high school offensive linemen and 10 defensive linemen from around the state have been nominated for the ninth annual Frank J. Gaziano Memorial Awards, it was announced Thursday. Eighteen different high schools are represented among the nominees with three schools -- Brewer, Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft and Portland -- having two nominees apiece.

The state with the most black bears on the East Coast might change the way it manages its growing population of the animals, and hunters and environmentalists alike are keeping a watchful eye to see if there's trouble brewing for bruins. Maine is home to more than 35,000 of the bears, up from just 23,000 less than 15 years ago, and the state wants to better manage that population growth to minimize the potential for conflicts between the bears and people. While bear populations are also growing in Vermont and New Hampshire, Maine's has grown to be among the largest in the United States.

Tom Hennessey – gifted sporting artist, meticulous writer, and friend to sportsmen – epitomized the self-made man. Always an avid outdoorsman with a creative bent, who lived to fish and hunt, the Brewer native parlayed his artistic passion and skill into a successful career as a nationally known sporting artist and author. Sadly, he passed away just before Christmas.

My grand uncle Charlie Fish was one of my paternal grandfather’s two brothers. What little I know of Grand Uncle Charlie is mostly from my father. Uncle Charlie could play any musical instrument, and he was his family’s black sheep, my father said. That is all I know of a relative I would have liked to have known. I started thinking of relatives who were part of my life. What firsthand details of them will my future family members have?

There’s new life in the Depot Building in Greenville Junction. Amanda Hunt has opened a place to get fit – Balance Gym & Wellness Center. “I wanted to have a real gym for some time now,” said Hunt.  “My goal with this was to have a complete gym set up with top quality equipment.” The spacious interior is ideal. “It doesn’t feel crowded here,” Hunt said gesturing. “Even if a lot of members are here at the same time there’s plenty of space.”

The speaker of the Maine House of Representatives has appointed Rep. Norman Higgins, I-Dover-Foxcroft to the IDEA –- Innovation, Development, Economic and Advancement -- Committee. The IDEA Committee was recently established to increase the focus on statewide economic initiatives, innovation, and workforce development.

December Students of the Month at Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford are, from left, freshman Jessie Mayberry, sophomore . Meagan Lemieux, and junior Megan McLaughlin.