With total operating expenses having surpassed net patient revenue for more than half a decade, Mayo Regional Hospital officials and its governing HAD 4 board of directors have been looking at options for the long-term future of the West Main Street facility. A possibility being explored is for Mayo Regional Hospital to become part of Eastern Maine Health System -- which at the start of the month took on the new name Northern Light Health -- and hospital officials were present at the Oct. 22 Dover-Foxcroft selectmen’s meeting to discuss the potential change.

On Nov. 6, Maine voters will decide four questions asking to borrow a total of $200 million.

The town council passed a moratorium ordinance regarding medical retail marijuana during an Oct. 11 meeting. The moratorium ordinance will be in effect for 180 days through May 11, 2019 -- residents can still use medicinal and recreational marijuana within the law -- as the document covers the location, operation, permitting, approval or licensing of any medical marijuana retail stores, registered dispensaries, testing facilities, and manufacturing facilities in Dexter.

The Charlotte White Center and Penquis, two prominent nonprofit service providers, announced the merger of the two organizations, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Police officials from across the region have announced their support for Marianne Lynch, R-Bangor for Piscataquis and Penobscot County district attorney.

If you are living alone as a person 60-plus years of age or as an adult with a disability, you may feel vulnerable or frightened from time to time. Family members, whether they are siblings or adult children, are increasingly busy as they scramble to make a living and raise their children. Adult children move far away for new, life opportunities, leaving parents and siblings behind by themselves. Individuals are often completely alone.

An activity that began in high school has now grown into a large component of a business owned by 23-year-old Courtney Nichole Gay with her Courtney Nichole Salon & Photo Studio at the Millworks complex in the renovated woolen mill building in downtown Dexter.

In partnership with the United Way of Northeastern Maine, Helping Hands with Heart (HHH) has received one of six Early Childhood Community Planning Grants in the amount of $25,000 from The Maine Community Foundation. These funds will support a rigorous study of the region’s age 0-5 population, map community resources, identify barriers to early childhood education and develop local solutions intended to help communities ensure their youngest children are ready to learn and thrive when they begin school.

The town council passed an emergency moratorium ordinance regarding medical retail marijuana during a Sept. 13 meeting. The moratorium ordinance will be in effect for 60 days through Nov. 12 -- residents can still use medicinal and recreational marijuana within the law -- as the document covers the location, operation, permitting, approval or licensing of any medical marijuana retail stores, registered dispensaries, testing facilities and manufacturing facilities in Dexter.

Quilters of all experience levels are welcome to gather at The Commons at Central Hall from 1 to 3 p.m. each Tuesday. The Adult Quilting Group, facilitated by Cathy Flockton of Dover-Foxcroft and Roe O’Toole of Dexter, began in June, but “it seems like every two weeks a new person shows up, and that’s fine. The more the merrier,” O’Toole said.

An Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Educational Facility Pilot Project involving four of the area’s school districts, the Tri-County Technical Center (TCTC) and the Jackman school system remains on a list of state fudning finalists. The local collaboration is again ranked third behind projects in northern and southern Aroostook County, the same position on several previous rating lists from earlier in the year.

Two other regional proposals that also made the approved priority list must now wait to see if the state will find additional monies to fund their projects. The third-ranked proposal was submitted by officials from SAD 46 (Dexter area), SAD 4 (Guilford area), SAD 41 (Milo area) RSU 82/MSAD 12 in the Jackman area, the Greenville school district and the Dexter-based Tri-County Technical Center.

The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC), in partnership with Helping Hands with Heart (HHH), has received a $10,000 grant from a component fund of the Maine Community Foundation to investigate shared concerns about workforce development, youth aspirations, local youth and the barriers to successful employment in the towns served by five area school districts.

The man accused of stealing a Dexter police cruiser while handcuffed in May and leading police on a high-speed chase down rural roads was indicted July 26 by the Penobscot County grand jury on nearly a dozen charges.

Every guitar has a story to tell, believes David Iverson as the history of each instrument may reveal who has played it, where it has been and can also conjure up memories for the guitarist. Iverson plans to share many tales when his Story Teller Guitars store opens in early August.

As part of its Community Care Program, Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union recently presented a donation to the Valley Grange of Guilford. Employees contributed based on their “dress down” Fridays with the proceeds being distributed to local community organizations.

Following questions on the mill rate for a proposed 2018-19 net municipal budget of $4,566,286, the Dexter Town Council opted to table a decision on enacting the spending plan until next month during a July 12 meeting.

Two of the state’s busiest prosecutorial districts will have new district attorneys in November after long-serving chief prosecutors decided not to seek re-election. Both Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson, a Republican, and Penobscot and Piscataquis County District Attorney R. Christopher Almy, a Democrat, will step aside this winter.