The resignation of Penquis Valley High School/Middle School Principal Jeremy Bousquet was accepted and the nomination of new building principal Daniel Ross was accepted during a Sept. 6 meeting of the SAD 41 school board.

A pair of third quarter touchdowns helped the Dexter Regional High School/Piscataquis Community High School cooperative football team (the squad was playing its first varsity game under the arrangement) pull away from Hancock County cooperative Ellsworth High School/Sumner Memorial High School of East Sullivan and earn a 28-13 victory in a mutual season opener on the afternoon of Sept. 2.

Starting for the current academic year SAD 4 students in grades 7-8 have been moved up the hill from Piscataquis Community Secondary School, which now is the home of just grades 9-12, to Piscataquis Community Elementary School (PCES) to join their younger peers.

Much of the community’s railroad history, including previously missing components, has now been captured in “More than a Train Yard and a Whistle Stop: The Canadian Railway’s Brownville Division 1886 to 1963.” The book by former resident Ken Hatchette, who now lives in Dartmouth, Mass., is full of photographs and features cover art from a mural painted by resident Suzette East which was a contest-winning submission. Book proceeds will help fund a heat pump for the Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society’s Parish House Museum.

Earlier this week, the Bangor City Council decided that Columbus Day, a federally recognized holiday, should in fact be Indigenous Peoples' Day. Despite protestations from the council that it wasn't trying to "replace" Columbus Day (which they can't do anyway, it being a federal holiday), the choice to recognize and celebrate the newly designated Indigenous Peoples' Day on the day we recognize Christopher Columbus is a pretty clear signal of what the city council's intentions are.

The backfield trio for the Madison Area High School/Carrabec High School cooperative football team ran for over 150 yards apiece and accounted for all seven touchdowns as the visiting Bulldogs won a mutual 2017 opener 49-28 at Foxcroft Academy on the evening of Sept. 1.

A day after a $6,879,013 SAD 4 budget for the 2017-18 academic year was approved -- via a count of 251 to 244 across the six district communities -- the school board set the town assessments during a special meeting on Aug. 30 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School (PCES).

Foxcroft Academy looked ready for the start of the regular season in less than a week as the Ponies defeated Belfast Area High School 35-6 in a preseason football contest on Aug. 25. The Ponies scored four touchdowns in the first half, with three coming through the air, and kept the home team off the scoreboard until the final play of the game when both squads had reserve units in.

With Piscataquis County government department heads making their initial requests for the 2018 budget -- the county fiscal year follows the calendar year -- the county commissioners are getting ready to put the budget advisory committee in place so the group can start its work in October.

Three girls will reign as Miss Maple in their respective age groups for the next year after being crowned during the third annual Miss Maple Pageant on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 26 at the 130th Piscataquis Valley Fair.