By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff Surviving and enjoying winter in Maine takes certain skills, knowledge and gear to stay safe, warm and dry.

Teens to Trails is thrilled to announce that 21 schools across Maine have been awarded $600 grants to establish or enhance their outdoor clubs, providing students with transformative opportunities to connect with nature.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff As temperatures continue to drop, Mainers are reminded that winter is on the way, bringing with it all the beauty and challenges of the season.

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff Forecasters with the National Weather Service say conditions are right for Maine’s drought to last through the winter.

By Cameron Levasseur, The County Staff Three of the five largest high schools in Aroostook County are exploring forming a singular regional high school for central Aroostook.

DEXTER — Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union recently donated nearly 800 pounds of non-perishable food to six local backpack programs serving students in the communities surrounding its branch locations.

By Rose Lundy, The Maine Monitor Linda Cousins had already picked her Medicare plan when she qualified last year, but then she received a call from a woman claiming to be from the insurance company.

Piscataquis Hometown Holidays is an event families eagerly anticipate each year.

By Daniel O’Connor, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine consistently ranks as one of the most rural states in the nation, with more than 60% of the population living far from a major city.

By Molly Enking, Maine Public The U.

A longstanding tradition in the region’s schools continued earlier this month as the Valley Grange of Guilford provided all area third graders with a dictionary through the Dictionary Project and the Grange’s Words for Thirds program.

By Wendy Watkins, Bangor Daily News Staff A new documentary detailing 50 years of black bear research in Maine was released Nov.

DEXTER — Two area school districts and the region’s career and technical education center have applied for state funding for a comprehensive high school that will combine traditional academics, career and technical education, and access to college courses.

By Kevin Miller, Maine Public Nearly half of Maine’s registered voters participated in this year’s November election, which was much higher turnout than during the past two off-year elections.

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff Although a deal has been reached to end the government shutdown that jeopardized SNAP benefits for thousands of Mainers, heating aid and other assistance programs are still feeling the impact of a lack of federal funding.

By Kasey Turman, Bangor Daily News Staff A proposed $36 million budget for Penobscot County, including a controversial increase in the jail budget,  was partially approved by an advisory committee in a five-hour meeting on Nov.

By Leela Stockley, Bangor Daily News Staff Mainers can now renew their Real ID through an online portal.

Early detection is one of the best ways to improve lung cancer survival.