DEXTER — Drooling Goat BBQ will be feeding more than just hungry patrons as owners Ken and Janice Spaulding made a $500 donation to the Dexter Police Department K-9 unit, with the funds being earmarked for dog Zelda’s food.

Business owners and other stakeholders from around the Moosehead Lake region gathered at the Trailside Restaurant on Dec. 10. Attendees at the Destination Moosehead Lake annual meeting got updates on the relatively new organization’s progress. Guests also heard from Steve Lyons, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, and keynote speaker Carolann Ouellette, director of the state’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation.

The town of Monson has received a $7,000 grant from the Broadband Initiative of the Maine Community Foundation to bring downtown Wi-Fi to Monson to continue the recent growth.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $635,688 in funding to Sebasticook Family Doctors and another $1,492,719 to Greater Portland Health.

Eastern Maine Community College is proud to announce the hiring of the new Director of Workforce Development Chris Winstead. He comes to the college having most recently served as the executive director for Piscataquis County Economic Development Council since 2015.

Fisheries conservationists from around the country will converge on Bangor in August, as Trout Unlimited will stage its national annual meeting in the Queen City of the East Aug. 19-23, 2020. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to attend, learn about conservation efforts that have succeeded in Eastern Maine and discuss coldwater conservation issues with their peers, as well as staffers, scientists and partners from state and federal agencies.

A $4.8 million-plus Piscataquis County budget for 2020, along with a $1,804,670 Unorganized Territory budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, were both formally approved and signed by the county commissioners during a Dec. 10 meeting.

The 2019 riding season has come to a close for the Piscataquis County United Bikers of Maine. As usual, members have had a very busy year. Each winter, they plan their rides for the spring, summer and fall. Along with many fun rides, they also plan several rides to benefit local charities and individual people in the county.

The Greenville Fire Department will be recognized for receiving the Maine Department of Labor’s Safety and Health Award for Public Employers (SHAPE) at a selectmen’s meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The award will be presented to Chief Matthew St. Laurent at the town office, 7 Mindon St.

When the former Guilford Primary building went up for sale last summer, the organization operating a fitness center at that location decided it was time to act.

The Commons at Central Hall has been selected as one of three sites in Maine to oversee a new program aimed at improving the quality of care for older adults diagnosed with dementia. The Northern New England Network, the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging and national healthcare consulting company, Qualidigm, brought together key leaders within nine communities (three per state) across northern New England to work together to identify and share successful approaches, models and supports that can improve the health, care and care coordination of community-dwelling older adults diagnosed with dementia, as well as their care partners.

A former technology storage area off the SeDoMoCha Middle School art classroom is now a space for students to try their hand at metalworking and plans are being made for area residents to learn new skills through adult education offerings at the site. Following two years of planning and construction, with contributions from many community partners, the metalworking studio is now fully equipped after initially opening last year.

The SeDoMoCha Builders Club will host the Miracle Tree event this weekend at The Commons at Central Hall, 152 East Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec 7 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The executive committee of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) is saddened to announce the resignation of Executive Director Christopher Winstead. On Dec. 4 Winstead notified the board of the PCEDC that he has accepted a position with Eastern Maine Community College. Winstead joined PCEDC in 2015, and served as executive director.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that Western Maine Community Action and Penquis will receive a combined total of $130,814 to support efforts to develop and preserve affordable housing and supportive services for persons with disabilities in Franklin, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties.

For both Dan and Karen Cashman, childhood revolved around books. With mothers who were librarians, they were each exposed to reading at an early age. They devoured timeless favorites like Ramona Quimby and the Berenstain Bears as well as authors like Roald Dahl.

The Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation has expanded the public Wi-Fi system in downtown Greenville and extended it to Greenville Junction. The high speed Wi-Fi system now has three hotspots in the downtown, which serves nearly the entire downtown and a hotspot serving Greenville Junction.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Sangerville and Dover-Foxcroft will host the 17th annual Procrastinator’s Holiday Fair, Bake Sale and Raffle from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14.