The 2017 Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming parade on Saturday, Aug. 5 celebrated the 95th anniversary of the union of the towns of Dover and Foxcroft and representing the municipal merger was engaged couple Kylie Sands and James Watson. The mid-morning procession was the first in town since 2014 and Homecoming organizers hope to now bring the parade back every five years.

The first regular session of the 128th Maine Legislature has finally come to a close as of Aug. 2. The state budget, with all of its trappings, was the major sticking point.

On behalf of the Moosehead Lake Region I would like to welcome all to our vast region. It is a honor to host you while you explore this great region.

The Maine Red Hot Festival will be back in downtown Dexter on Saturday, Aug. 12 as the second annual event will feature activities, with free admission, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- rain or shine.

The 26th annual Maine Forest Heritage Days is set to take place Aug. 10-13. The weekend includes a bus tour through Maine’s working forest, a craft fair, carriage rides, chainsaw carving, a “Roaring Twenties” cruise aboard the Katahdin, a woodsman demonstration featuring chopping and ax throwing, and the regional Game of Logging competition.

August calendar of events

"The science is clear. Raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 will save and improve lives." This definitive statement was the closing argument in an editorial published Wednesday in the Bangor Daily News. As is the case virtually any time the words "the science is clear" appear in the middle of a political debate, the "clear science" is not telling you what the authors of the political statement say it is.

If Washington insiders were forced to use the failing ObamaCare system, they would think twice about the gridlock they are causing right now. U.S. Senators like Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are enjoying Cadillac health insurance plans while they are mandating Americans ride a moped. They are so busy seeking the national limelight, they are ignoring the people in their own state.

Recently the Senate voted late into the night on a Thursday and into the early hours of Friday morning, ultimately voting down a bill that would have rolled back many parts of the Affordable Care Act. It was the right choice given the rushed nature of the process and the uncertainty of the impact the bill would have on one sixth of the American economy and on millions of people across the country, including tens of thousands in Maine.

With its magnificent buildings, monuments, and memorials, Washington is a city of inspiring sights. Just as inspiring was the sea of blue shirts worn by the more than 160 young delegates who participated in a recent hearing that I chaired on how diabetes affects people of all ages and their families.