Next month a new county manager will start work as the Piscataquis County Commissioners appointed Michael L. Williams of Greenbush to the position during a June 18 meeting. Williams will start work on Monday, July 8, succeeding the retiring Tom Lizotte.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The 10th anniversary Maine Whoopie Pie Festival will take place on Saturday, June 22 from 10 a.

Marilyn Blais is the grand prize winner in the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Whoopie Pie Contest. Blais was chosen from a pool of 10 weekly winners in which entrants successfully located a whoopie pie hidden in one of that week’s advertisements. Blais won a basket of goodies including Maine Whoopie Pie Festival and Piscataquis Observer prizes.

An entirely new camping experience will be offered at state parks throughout Maine this summer, and it involves spacious canvas tents, stylish picnic areas and tiny wood stoves that will keep campers warm on chilly nights.

New Powerline Construction Inc. owner Klay Stevens is a first-class lineman that is not only well respected in his field, but also known for his strong work ethic, knowledge and engaging personality. He has experience in all areas of utility work and comes from a family of linemen. Stevens has access to many experienced linemen, who will provide consultation and knowledge to all areas of his business.

Every time I drive by the depot in Greenville Junction where it perches jauntily alongside the tracks, I think of the icon that old building is, with its unique “witches hat” roof covering the ladies waiting room.

Moose are a pretty common sight in the Maine woods and along rural roadways, but seeing one coming out of a building is pretty rare. A Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer happened to be passing by when a moose exited a former pizzeria in downtown Dover-Foxcroft early Friday morning, stepping through the plate-glass window it apparently had smashed to enter the building.

Dr. Brian Miller, ENT has announced his retirement from Mayo Surgical Associates as of July 5. Dr. Miller has served patients in Penobscot and Piscataquis County for over 10 years, working in association with Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft, Millinocket Regional Hospital and Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln.

The 2019 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival has expanded this year to include a new event at Dover True Value Hardware. The store will be hosting its first annual "Dover True Value Homeshow Expo" in the business parking lot from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22.

Matthew Spooner has been hired as the director of operations for the soon to be completed Piscataquis County Ice Arena (PICA). He will start the new position July 1 as the arena is on target to open in September.

The state legislation that’s required for Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft to merge with Northern Light Health could be approved by next week, but it won’t include conditions proposed by a Piscataquis County lawmaker that would have given the towns that now own the hospital more control over the deal.

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that nine airports across Maine have been awarded a total of $3,490,995 from the Department of Transportation (DOT).

As state lawmakers continue to evaluate a bill that would allow Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft to merge with the statewide Northern Light Health system, they must also consider a recent proposal that would give more control of the process to the communities that now oversee the hospital.

The town of Monson continues to get a remarkable facelift thanks to the Libra Foundation and the improvement efforts of local small business owners. This year the Monson Business Association will celebrate its second annual Nosin’ ‘Round Monson – a town-wide business open house from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 1.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine spent Saturday, May 25 visiting with constituents from the Milo/Brownville area and touring local businesses. The day began with coffee and doughnuts at American Legion Post 41 of Milo where the Second District Congressman spoke individually with some veterans and then addressed the group thanking veterans for their service and reflecting on the significance of Memorial Day.

The Forest Society of Maine (FSM) is responsible for monitoring the Moosehead Region Conservation Easement (MRCE), 359,000 acres of permanently conserved working forestlands located east and west of Moosehead Lake. When the MRCE was put in place in 2012, a related effort was launched to identify 121 acres, within the MRCE boundaries, where non-motorized trails should be constructed or improved, and made permanent with trail easements. Decisions about trail locations were largely driven by a local committee, of which FSM Executive Director Karin Tilberg was a member.

Many visitors to Baxter State Park, the Golden Road, the Katahdin Woods and Waters Scenic Byway and other destinations in and near Piscataquis County will be able to learn more about the region, and use some new public restroom facilities, at a forthcoming Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) information hub at Millinocket Lake by the North Woods Trading Post and the Golden Road in T1 R9.

Two Dover-Foxcroft women who have worked to provide comforting blankets to countless children through Project Linus and helped provide a happy holidays for numerous families via the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Community Christmas Project, among other volunteer efforts for each, have been honored by the Valley Grange with the organization’s 2019 Community Citizen of the Year honor. Barbara Austin and Judy Raymond received the recognition on the evening of May 17 at the Grange Hall.