The Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours event for Chamber members and local residents on Thursday, Aug. 8 from 5-7 p.m. This event is being hosted by Hibbard’s Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1037 West Main Street.

The selectmen set the tax commitment for the 2019-20 fiscal year during a July 22 meeting, with the mill rate rising 30 cents (1.41 percent) from last year to a rate of $21.50 per $1,000 in assessed property.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) was awarded $20,083 in grant funding by the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (MOHF) to support critical trail maintenance projects on one of the most heavily-trafficked sections of the Appalachian Trail.

The Trebor Mansion Inn was destroyed in a fire during the early morning hours of Saturday, July 20. Investigators with The Office of State Fire Marshal have been on the scene since Saturday working to determine the cause of the blaze. The 19th century building located on a hilltop just off of Route 15 had been vacant for several years and is now bank-owned.

Two videos compiled from home movies shot from 1939 into the 1950s around Brownville/Brownville Junction and Maine railroads are available on Youtube under “Michaud family home movies” and will be screened at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30 at the Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society’s Parish House Museum on Church Street.

In the 11 months since their house in Milo exploded, Amanda and Ricky Badger have had to recover from their injuries, put their lives back together and deal with the explosion’s lasting impact. This week, they received a nearly $550,000 settlement to help.

In other business, the Dexter town council took no action on the recommendations of the cannabis task force. Councilors will continue to look at the possibility of allowing for commercial marijuana operations in town.

An addition has been made to this year’s children’s free summer meals program at the SeDoMoCha School on Harrison Avenue. Under the "Take what you need boutique" there is an opportunity for anyone needing clothing items that may not be able to afford them.

More and more, it seems business owners from out of state are moving to central Maine to begin new business ventures here in Piscataquis County. Some credit the affordability of real-estate in the region, while others gush about the welcoming communities and quality of life they experienced here while visiting. Mike and Betsey Loomis are a perfect example of this.

Around 400 teenagers and adults will arrive in Dexter on Sunday, July 21 to work on and improve the homes of elderly, disabled and other area residents. The volunteers will work on various projects from July 22-26.

Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC), the largest federally qualified health center in Maine, in partnership with the University of Maine School of Nursing, Harrington Family Health Center in Harrington, and Hometown Health Center in Newport and Dexter, has received a four-year grant award to support a nurse practitioner residency program. The $1.7 million grant comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and is one of a handful of this kind in the country.

The Commons at Central Hall board of directors and members of committees held the annual meeting at the camp of Cherie Stitham White on June 29. Tara Smith is the chief executive officer and she reported progress made this past year in the completion of all but the back area of the building. This past year has been successful with its offerings of activities, events and programs.

Sergeant Spencer’s Lunch Wagon will be easy to spot as folks drive pass the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce they will notice a fenced-off area for customers and a picnic table for seating. The menu and prices are posted on the outside of the colorful wagon, boasting a wider-than-you’d-expect variety of foods at very affordable prices.

The funding allocation includes a loan and grant for the Dexter Utility District, which has been awarded a $1,950,000 loan and a $1,095,000 grant to upgrade four sewer pump stations and make improvements to the wastewater treatment facility. The system currently serves approximately 831 households and 104 businesses and public facilities in Dexter.

The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) is now able to offer additional parking for and access to the Law Farm thanks to a generous land donation from Pleasant River Lumber. The donation includes six acres of land that abuts the Law Farm and on that half dozen acres, there is a cleared parking area, fruit trees, perennials and much more.

Skowhegan Savings announced that it will celebrate its 150th anniversary with 11 customer appreciation events between July 11 and Oct. 4. Each event will be held at one of the bank’s 11 branch locations or a nearby venue, including in Dexter from 4-7 p.m. on Sept. 18.

Joe Siccardi, a recent mid-Maine transplant, has completed his third book “My Name is Sam…. and Heaven is Still Shining Through.”

On Friday, June 28 Gov. Janet Mills signed into law legislation that will allow Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft to move forward in merging with the statewide health care organization, Northern Light Health.