The Northern and Eastern Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross recognized community members who have gone above and beyond in service to others at its 21st annual Real Heroes Breakfast on March 21. The 2018 Real Heroes include Officer Kenneth Spaulding Dexter Police Department, who was presented with the Community Hero Award.

Kaitlyn Webber, a senior at Dexter Regional High School and the daughter of Kevin and Nichole Webber of Garland, has been selected to receive the 2018 Principal's Award, Principal, Stephen Bell announced. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals' Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior's academic achievement and citizenship.

Last fall more than a dozen small aircraft landed at Old Orchard Beach to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s unexpected landing at the spot in the Spirit of St. Louis and in the process raised thousands of dollars for Make-A-Wish Maine. Jim Crane of Exeter was one of the pilots who took part “Wings 4 Wishes” in York County, and he is looking to hold a similar fly-in by Lake Wassookeag in early August.

Penobscot County’s longtime Democratic district attorney will not run for re-election, leaving an open path for one of his colleagues to replace him. R. Christopher Almy, D-Charleston, indicated he would run for re-election when he filed signed nomination papers to the Maine secretary of state earlier this month.

For more than two years The Outlet has provided a mixed martial arts (MMA) training center for all abilities, including those actively competing, others looking to take part in fitness programs related to the sport and children starting out in martial arts such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). The Outlet Mixed Martial Arts Training Center now has several champions in both MMA and BJJ.

“The list was published late yesterday, there were three finalists and we were the third-ranked finalist,” SAD 46/AOS 94 Superintendent Kevin Jordan said on Feb. 15.

Students across the region will have opportunities to take part in new emergency medical technician (EMT) and multimedia videography programs at the Tri-County Technical Center (TCT) next year, with the programs being funded with state monies.

A month after passing a 60-day emergency moratorium ordinance regarding retail recreational marijuana, the town council passed another ordinance on the issue during the Feb. 8 meeting. The moratorium ordinance will be in effect for 180 days through Sept. 6 -- residents can still use recreational and medicinal marijuana within the law -- as the document covers all retail recreational marijuana activity and the location, operation or licensing of all such retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has announced local transportation projects included in the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) work plan for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 calendar years.

Through its mission of providing information and support to people of all ages affected by abuse and domestic violence throughout the region, staff at Partners for Peace work closely with area law enforcement. Often Partners for Peace personnel and police officers are together during times of crisis, so the organization hosted members of the various law enforcement agencies for a pancake breakfast at the Mechanic Street location on Jan. 26.

Communities have the ability to opt out of the retail aspect of recreational marijuana -- residents can still use recreational and medicinal marijuana within the law -- and the town of Dexter now has an emergency moratorium ordinance regarding retail recreational marijuana in place for 60 days through March 12.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — What today is a 25-bed critical access hospital and health system with five rural health clinics across the region, provides emergency medical services for all of Piscataquis County, psychiatry and counseling services as well as various surgical specialties, in April Mayo Regional Hospital will mark 40 years since first opening its doors to patients.

Moments before the Dec. 18 deadly Amtrak derailment, a Mainer on board noticed the train’s high speed. Cody Clark, a 28-year-old Dexter Regional High School graduate from Exeter, said he recalls thinking, “We’re going pretty fast. We’re going faster than all the cars on the highway.”

At the November referendum, citizens narrowly approved a non-binding question asking “Are you in favor of of the town of Dexter opening public ways to the operation of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)?” via a vote of 400 to 393. “I would like council to formulate a proposal at a future meeting to appoint a committee, really a task force,” Town Manager Jim Chandler said during a Dec. 14 meeting. He said the task force would be authorized by the council to conduct research and collect data to then bring back on what town roads may be opened up to ATVs to help community businesses and promote economic development.

After several meetings learning more information about the proposed facility, the SAD 41 school board voted to join both SAD 46 of the Dexter area and the Guilford-based SAD 4 in the application process for an Integrated, Consolidated grades 9-16 Educational Facility pilot project during a Dec. 6 meeting at the Marion C. Cook School.

A LITTLE BIT OF ICE -- A thin layer of ice coats Little Lake Wassookeag by the Dexter Public Beach & Recreation Area shortly before sunset on the first day of December. Soon the body of water will be dotted with ice fishing shacks and crisscrossed with snowmobile tracks.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has announced his intention to run for Maine Senate District 4 in the November 2018 election. Davis currently holds that senate seat, comprised of all of Piscataquis County and parts of Penobscot and Somerset counties.

A proposed $4,247,114 Piscataquis County budget for 2018, along with a little less than $1,489,000 in the Unorganized Territory (UT) budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, was presented at a public hearing on Nov. 27 as part of the process by county officials for developing the pair of spending plans.