Each year about this time, the Maine Warden Service urges us to use extreme caution before venturing out onto any ice that may be covering Maine’s waterways.

During the annual Hometown Holidays Celebration on Dec. 1-2, 25 decorated trees and accompanying goods were on display at The Commons at Central Hall for the SeDoMoCha Middle School Builders Club’s fourth annual Miracle Tree Event.

The Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office did not have to look far to find the the department’s next chief deputy with the hiring of Dover-Foxcroft Police Department Sgt. Todd Lyford, who also has served as a police chief in Brownville and Milo. Sheriff-Elect and current Chief Deputy Bob Young made the announcement during the Dec. 18 meeting of the Piscataquis County Commissioners.

The Foxcroft Academy girls battled back to get within one at 29-28 late in the third quarter during the Ponies’ 2018-19 home opener in a Class B North matchup against Mount Desert Island High School on Wednesday, Dec. 12. The Trojans would then pull ahead and hold on for a 52-36 victory.

Piscataquis Community High School is the home of the Pirates, but over the decades the swashbuckler logo for the institution has varied. SAD 4 district officials have been seeking public input on the pirate design and lettering -- including posting four options on the PCHS Pirates Sports Central Facebook page -- for a new LED digital sign to be erected in the near future.

A Milo couple who over the last half decade have given back in the form of the Three Rivers Kiwanis Building, the Harrigan Learning Center & Museum, and the Milo-Brownville & Points North Visitor Center, all located in their hometown’s Eastern Piscataquis Business Park, have been honored as the 16th recipients of the Warren “Pete” Myrick Award by the Executive Committee of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC). Tom and Nancy Harrigan were presented with the honor on Dec. 10 at The Commons at Central Hall during the PCEDC annual meeting.

Eligible residents of the Dexter area in need of home repairs will have the opportunity to get these improvements taken care of at no cost when hundreds of volunteers come to town in late July. The Colorado-based Group Workcamps Foundation’s Group Mission Trips organization will be in Dexter from July 21-27, 2019.

For a quarter the Class C North Piscataquis Community High School and Class D North Schenck High School of East Millinocket stayed even as the two programs were tied at five points apiece after eight minutes of play during the 2018-19 season opener on Friday, Dec. 7. From there the visiting Wolverines had a 10-0 run during much of the second quarter and a 25-3 advantage in the third to win 45-22.

US Rep. Bruce Poliquin lost his bid for re-election to Congress. He was defeated by former Marine and Maine legislative leader Jared Golden in an election decided by ranked-choice voting.

With the calendar year nearing an end, RSU 68 officials have started preparations for developing the 2019-20 budget. During a Dec. 4 school board meeting Superintendent Stacy Shorey said the directors have now all received a budget meeting calendar.