The Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District is excited to announce they are entering into a three-year contract with the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy that focuses on implementation of stream restoration and aquatic organism passage projects.

An independent auditor called out elected officials of a tiny Maine municipality for violating the public trust by not following proper procedures for handling taxpayer money.

Observer photo/Keri Foster FIND THE SHOP LOCAL TREE WINNER — Bill Cleaves of Sangerville is the grand prize winner of the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Shop Local Tree contest.

BEAVER COVE, Maine — A company with a permit to build two single-family houses in Beaver Cove will have to pay a $6,150 fine and restore vegetation, leaving the Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission members to wonder how to better thwart violations such as these.

PORTLAND — The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called Correct the Dots, a call to action for individuals to check their addresses on new federal internet maps and to file a challenge if the information is incorrect.

WASHINGTON, D.

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff When Eben Sypitkowski stepped down in February as the director of Baxter State Park, the state immediately began a national search for his successor.

Maine officials have approved a land use agreement that designates nearly 1,040 acres in the Moosehead Lake region as areas for future housing and commercial development.

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff The Atlantic Salmon Federation’s work to help restore the fish to the Penobscot River will receive a big boost thanks to a $7.

Many older Mainers are worried about having to make tough choices concerning the purchase of food and fuel to heat their homes.

The Maine Community Foundation Animal Welfare Grant Program has awarded 25 grants totaling $342,884 to organizations and projects across the state that advance animal welfare.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County’s economic development group recognized William “Bill” Thompson — a Guilford resident, teacher and longtime Select Board member — as this year’s Warren “Pete” Myrick Award winner.

It starts with a few sniffles, a scratchy throat, and a couple of sneezes.

By Mehr Sher Mainers learned earlier this year that the state is approximately 75 percent carbon neutral, based on a first-of-its-kind analysis of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions.

GREENVILLE — After town officials looked at several options, Greenville will continue to contract with Waste Management for municipal solid waste disposal.

By Erin Rhoda, Bangor Daily News Staff Most water districts in Penobscot County are not finding “forever chemicals” in their drinking water supplies, but given laboratories can’t entirely rule out their presence, there’s no guarantee the water supplies are free of the toxic chemicals.

MILO — This year, Dyer’s Hope House Food Pantry is tucking the holiday spirit into pretty home-made stockings.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff A major company that runs testing sites and medical laboratories across the country will take over much of Northern Light Health’s lab services operation next spring.