Matthew Gagnon’s parents should be lauded for teaching him “not to label people, and to reject attempts at categoriz(ing) human beings.” Unfortunately, labeling and categorizing are endemic to our society.

If you notice an abundance of pickup trucks hauling snowmobile trailers during the winter in the town of Newport, that’s because it’s a key location to hop onto miles upon miles of well-maintained snowmobile trails.

HOULTON — Joseph Cyr of the Houlton Pioneer Times, a contributor to the Piscataquis Observer over the years, has been selected as the Maine winner of the National Sports Media Association Sportswriter of the Year award.

One notable ice fishing event is the Moosehead Lake Togue Derby scheduled this year for Jan. 26-28 in Greenville. This derby has been around for a number of years and began really as a fisheries management tool, a way to cut down on the Moosehead Lake togue population and, in so doing, helping preserve the forage base for landlocked salmon survival.

Dexter Regional High School is proud to announce the pupils selected by the faculty as "Students of the Month" for December.

BANGOR -- Husson University women’s basketball freshman Megan Peach, a resident of Garland and a 2017 graduate of Dexter Regional High School, was selected as the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Rookie of the Week for the week ending Jan. 14.

An escaped prisoner who left his home confinement on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 16 was reportedly captured later that night, according to police.

Upcoming events around the region

RJ Nelson is a senior wrestler at Foxcroft Academy. He is a team captain and wrestles at 132 pounds. On Jan. 6 the Pony wrestling team competed at the Warrior Clash at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport. Nelson would not only become a tournament champion, but he also reached an incredible milestone by winning his 150th career match.

As a small business owner who also represented a largely rural community in the Maine State Senate, I know first-hand the importance of access to broadband in communities like ours.