The town council passed an emergency moratorium ordinance regarding medical retail marijuana during a Sept. 13 meeting. The moratorium ordinance will be in effect for 60 days through Nov. 12 -- residents can still use medicinal and recreational marijuana within the law -- as the document covers the location, operation, permitting, approval or licensing of any medical marijuana retail stores, registered dispensaries, testing facilities and manufacturing facilities in Dexter.

Last month 2018 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year Joseph Hennessey, who teaches American, World, AP Literature and Composition and Camden Conference Seminar for grades 11-12 at Piscataquis Community High School, was announced as one of three finalists for the 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year honor.

When Dover-Foxcroft residents head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6 they will also be voting on three land use-related ordinances, after the selectmen signed the documentation for a special town meeting referendum during a Sept. 10 meeting.

After years of uncertainty about what to do with the Derby Community Hall, the selectmen accepted a $5,501 bid made by Claude Marquis for the center during a Sept. 4 meeting. Marquis’ plans are to renovate the upper level of the building into a pair of apartments while keeping the basement open as a community space.

Guilford resident Sarah Gray recently began her freshman year at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone.

Thanks to the generosity of a number of community partners, no student at Piscataquis Community Elementary School will be lacking school supplies this new academic year as dozens of backpacks and hundreds of items for the classroom have been donated.

Once again in the 2018-19 school year SeDoMoCha Elementary School families will have the opportunity to read together as part of a shared reading experience through the ninth annual One Book, One School program. For about a month through early October students and family members will read and discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House in the Big Woods” and then be able to attend an ending celebration on Thursday, Oct. 4.

Last month the Piscataquis County Commissioners gave approval to a radio system upgrade for the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office to replace antiquated dispatch equipment with components dating to the 1980s. County officials heard from Dispatch Sgt. Gary Grant who mentioned how he has been working for several years to upgrade the telecommunications division of the department through grants and funding sources -- totaling about $72,000 -- outside the county budget but said more money would be needed to complete the project.

Foxcroft Academy jumped out to a 35-0 lead in first quarter behind touchdowns from five different players and the Ponies never looked back with a 56-12 victory in the 2018 opener vs. Mount View High School of Thorndike on the evening of Aug. 31.

Dover-Foxcroft Police Sgt. Todd Lyford was honored by the town for his response during a fiery car crash in late July, during an Aug. 27 selectmen’s meeting. Sgt. Lyford was presented with a formal award for valor recognizing his actions in getting the car driver out of the vehicle, at great risk to himself.