A Monson resident is working to combat plastic pollution by launching a small-scale, community-based plastic recycling workshop called Precious Plastic Monson. Precious Plastic Monson is currently crowdfunding (fundraising many small amounts of money from a large number of people) to purchase a set of plastic recycling machines that will shred collected plastic, melt it and remold it into new products.

The coalition selected five communities to serve as host sites for the tour with the loop route starting and finishing in Old Town. Cyclists will spend the first night in Binette Park -- along the Penobscot River -- then move on to Lincoln, Patten, Millinocket and Dover-Foxcroft. 

Greenville is gearing up for one of its most popular winter events on Sunday, Feb. 16 -- the annual Chocolate Festival. This year the festival, which was created 16 years ago by former Moosehead Chamber Executive Director Bob Hamer and his wife Susan as a fundraiser for the chamber, tips its hat to Maine’s 200th anniversary. 

Anglers looking for a day of fun on a beautiful Maine lake may want to head to the Milo/Brownville area this weekend, as the venerable Schoodic Lake Ice Fishing Derby returns for its 58th edition.

The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) Executive Committee is pleased to announce the hiring of a new executive director, John Shea.

Laura Feaga, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and a Piscataquis County native, has opened a new psychiatric practice in Dover-Foxcroft. Healing Partners Psychiatric Services, LLC, located in The Mill, provides psychiatric diagnosis, consultation, medication management and supportive therapy for clients by appointment.

After all these years, I realized there weren’t any donations made as she requested. My brother-in-law Fred in England gave me the idea to grow my hair and beard, get pledges from folks, set a date to get the haircut and beard shave and then take the money raised and donate it to her cause.

Mayo Regional Hospital has announced a “Ski Day” for its employees and families in February. The first 100 employees to register are able to ski for free. Officials at the hospital say that this is to encourage employee wellness while calling attention to American Heart Month, which is recognized throughout February.

The people who are trying to develop the Moosehead Lake region into more of a tourism hub have spent years waiting for timber giant Weyerhaeuser to deliver on its plans to build two resorts, 1,000 second-home lots, a golf course and other attractions in the area.

A lease agreement between the town of Dover-Foxcroft and the Maine Highlands Senior Center, on the first floor at The Commons at Central Hall, was amended to assist the organization in applying for a kitchen grant. The adjustment from 15 to 20 years as of March 1 was approved during a Jan. 27 selectmen’s meeting.

A new childcare center has opened in Dover Foxcroft, Little Organics Learning Center.

If you drive north of Greenville on the road to Kokadjo you might notice a modest sign on the right hand side with an image of a plane and the words B52 Memorial. It commemorates an event that took place almost 60 years ago on January 23, 1963, when a hulking, 185,000-pound B-52 Stratofortress took off from Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts as part of an Air Force test of the eight-engine jet’s ability to handle low-level flight. 

It is with deep regret that organizers announce that this year’s Wilderness Sled Dog Race will be canceled, the event had been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1.

For more than 20 years -- since I first caught the fly fishing bug and began traveling up to the East Outlet of the Kennebec River every chance I got -- I’ve looked forward to regular visits to downtown Greenville, and to the fly shop that sits just a few long casts from Moosehead Lake.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine recently spent the day in Piscataquis County to visit small businesses, speaking with folks at the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, and learning more about the Piscataquis Regional Food Center in Dover-Foxcroft.

On Monday, Jan. 21 the United Bikers of Maine, Piscataquis County presented Heather Sylvia, of PAWS in Milo, with a check for $850 at the Bear’s Den in Dover-Foxcroft.

There’s a new brewpub coming to the area this spring. Threshers Brewing Company, based in Searsmont, plans to open a pub in the vacant building across the street from the Greenville Junction Post Office.

Citing a desire to step away from running a retail establishment, the owners of the Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville have announced plans to sell their business.