The Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District is excited to announce they are entering into a three-year contract with the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy that focuses on implementation of stream restoration and aquatic organism passage projects.

Observer photo/Keri Foster FIND THE SHOP LOCAL TREE WINNER — Bill Cleaves of Sangerville is the grand prize winner of the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Shop Local Tree contest.

By David Marino Jr.

PORTLAND — The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called Correct the Dots, a call to action for individuals to check their addresses on new federal internet maps and to file a challenge if the information is incorrect.

WASHINGTON, D.

Grade eight, high honors: Violet Chai, Ashley Ladd, Logan Small, and Anna Smith; honors: Connor Badger, Max Cook, Abbygail Ellis, Shyanna Gauvin, Krista Graves, Kolbie Guthrie, Peyton Herbest, Jaylynn Horne, Donovan McEwen, Christopher McGuinness, Paul Moulton-Gray, Charles Nagle, Jessa Plummer, Joshua Ray, Nichollas Small, and Darlyn Young.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — It will cost Piscataquis County $5,940,331 to operate next year, plus $2,205,199 to run the unorganized territories.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County’s economic development group recognized William “Bill” Thompson — a Guilford resident, teacher and longtime Select Board member — as this year’s Warren “Pete” Myrick Award winner.

Grade 12, high honors: Abigail Conlogue, Brianna Rouleau, Evan Horne, Jessica Morton, Rachel Broussard, and William Sanborn IV; honors: Aileen Strout, Emily Trask, Frederick Shaw, Ida-Grace Lundin, Imaan Ali, Kalan Decker, Macie Veino, Mason Searles, Mickayla Pierce, Sky Guzy, Syreniti Grant, and Victoria Boislard.

It starts with a few sniffles, a scratchy throat, and a couple of sneezes.

By Mehr Sher Mainers learned earlier this year that the state is approximately 75 percent carbon neutral, based on a first-of-its-kind analysis of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions.

MILO — This year, Dyer’s Hope House Food Pantry is tucking the holiday spirit into pretty home-made stockings.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff A major company that runs testing sites and medical laboratories across the country will take over much of Northern Light Health’s lab services operation next spring.

By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine is on track again to see a record number of overdose deaths by the end of the year.

MILO — A committee consisting of people from the SAD 41 school board, select boards from three district towns and residents representing Brownville, LaGrange and Milo will examine the number of directors for the SAD 41 board via an apportionment committee.

Abbot resident Walter Boomsma was recognized at the 156th annual National Grange Convention in Reno, Nevada as a Cultivator of the Year by the National Grange Membership and Leadership Development Department.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff After working with Bangor’s homeless population for nearly 20 years, Jen Weatherbee no longer trudges through snow looking for unsheltered people to offer them help.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County’s commissioners agreed to raise the daily boarding rate for prisoners from outside the county during a meeting Tuesday.