For the second year in a row, aircraft will be landing at Lake Wassookeag during the first Saturday of August to benefit Make-A-Wish Maine. The 2019 “Wings for Wishes on the Waterfront” event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3 by Lake Wassookeag. Planes will start arriving at 9:30 a.m., landing in a nearby field and taxiing the short distance to the waterfront, and the public beach will open at 10 a.m. Entry is free and donations for Make-A-Wish Maine are encouraged as pilots will meet with the public.

The executive committee of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council is seeking nominations for the annual Warren "Pete" Myrick Community Service Award, to be presented at the annual meeting in December. Meeting date and location will be disclosed soon.

Think green. Think cool, crystal clear waters. Think about what the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation (MLREDC) has been working on for downtown Greenville. To learn more about this transformative initiative, plan to attend a reception and information session on Friday, Aug. 2 at 11 a.m. Refreshments are free, and speakers will share the MLREDC’s plans. The event will be held at 3 Lakeview Street directly across from the Center for Moosehead History.

Four hundred volunteers from around the country spent nearly a week in Dexter from July 22-26 working to fix 60 homes at no cost for residents who otherwise could not afford to have the needed repairs taken care of. The improvements were made through the Fort Collins, Colorado-based Group Workcamps Foundation’s Group Mission Trips organization, a non-profit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair group.

Two of the nation’s top credit rating agencies have expressed growing confidence that Northern Light Health will be able to pay back $391 million in outstanding debts, a change that could help the hospital system borrow money more cheaply in the future.

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.