Veterans assistance (VA issues and other benefits) will be provided at Milo American Legion Post 41 from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Walk in or make an appointment by calling 207-943-9135.

Maine’s woods are full of mysteries, large and small. Sometimes, those of us who spend time afield might not recognize all of the mysterious goings-on around us. At other times -- like when there’s a fresh coating of snow on the ground -- the evidence is much more clear.

Rep. Norman Higgins, I-Dover-Foxcroft announces his candidacy for a fourth term in the Maine Legislature.

Peace, Love & Waffles, a new restaurant serving breakfast and lunch in the old bank building on East Main Street, was formally welcomed to the region with a Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 9.

I recently received two emails from readers looking for great places to snowshoe in Maine. They were looking for trail suggestions, and boy did I have a lot to say. Too much to say, really. So I decided to write a whole advice column on the topic.

Upcoming events around the region.

The Dover-Foxcroft United Methodist Church “Pay It Forward” thrift shop is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second and third Wednesdays of the month in conjunction with WIC. The shop is located on the second floor of the church.

Students from the Brownville Elementary School are participating in the WinterKids Winter Games in January. Students compete in a four-week series of outdoor physical activity and nutrition challenges designed to help them be active in the winter and learn healthy habits.  Each school is encouraged to involve volunteers, parents, healthy eating and active living organizations in their community and hold a winter carnival to close out the month’s events.

Tisbury Manor Chapter NSDAR, based in Monson, has welcomed 111 members since the chapter began on Nov. 14, 1952. Tisbury Manor is excited to join the National Society in celebrating this milestone by spotlighting members of the chapter through the years.

Good Shepherd Food Bank recently announced recipients of the annual School Pantry Capacity Building Grant program. Funded on a competitive basis to school pantry sites, the food bank’s awards range from $250 to $2,500. Among the 13 grantees across the state are the Ridge View Community School of Dexter and the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft.

Doug Thomas of Ripley has announced he is a Republican candidate for the Maine Senate District 4. Thomas is a successful small business owner and entrepreneur with customers across Central Maine. Thomas believes that the government of Maine needs to put the welfare of Maine people first.  There are a lot of problems around the country and around the world and it is not up to the people of Maine, with their hard-earned money, to pay for those problems through their tax dollars. We need to help our own people first.

On Jan. 3 after a week postponement due to weather, 19 local people came together at The Commons at Central Hall to talk about “Bridging the Climate Change Divide,” to kick off a year long monthly “Final Fridays” series of climate conversations and to enjoy a delicious potluck meal. Participants came from Charleston, Garland, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Sebec and Milo and from many walks of life to share their perspectives about climate change and to talk about how the current conversation around climate change is impacting them.

A blood drive will be held in the area from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Grace Bible Church, 40 Douty Hill Road in Sangerville.

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to highlight Maine’s outstanding teachers, nominations are now open for the 2020 County Teachers of the Year and 2021 Teacher of the Year. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students. Nominations can be made through the Maine Teacher of the Year website at mainetoy.org/nominate through 5 p.m. on Feb. 3.

The Three Rivers Milo-Brownville Kiwanis Club is pleased to give Book Awards in the amount of $500 to a pair of Penquis Valley High School graduates who apply for in the spring and complete their first semester of college.

Ticks have spread throughout Maine over the past few decades, carrying with them a cocktail of crippling diseases. In response, healthcare providers, researchers, educators, non-profit organizations and the government have been working to protect people from this dangerous pest.

CourageLIVES and the Penquis Sex Trafficking Action Response Team (START) will host four free and open to the public events as part of Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in January. All events will feature a film screenin of “Gridshock,” a documentary about human trafficking, followed by a panel discussion with local experts.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension has named Emily Mott as the new 4-H community education assistant for Piscataquis and Penobscot counties.