By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff This time next year Penobscot County sheriff’s deputies will be wearing body cameras and have dashboard cameras in their cruisers as their law enforcement counterparts in Bangor, Brewer and Orono do.

BREWER — Northern Light Health is leading a statewide effort to deepen personal connection and improve the health of Mainers by putting purpose behind an often-overlooked question: How are you? The How Are You? movement brings to light that an important part of better health and healing comes through human connection.

By Emily Burnham, Bangor Daily News Staff This question comes to us from Bangor Daily News Managing Editor Dan MacLeod, who noticed that while his grandfather had a great Maine accent, neither of his parents do, and neither does he.

Skowhegan Savings employees packed up 1,122 ‘shoeboxes’ full of Christmas gifts to send to children across the world this week as part of Operation Christmas Child, a charitable organization that sends out gifts to children in 170 countries and territories annually, in honor of a late employee.

By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff Next year’s Penobscot County budget will require towns and cities to contribute 8 percent more to county operations due to rising costs and the need to keep salaries and benefits competitive.

A new Penquis program that supports youth affected by substance use wants to expand its efforts in and around Piscataquis County.

By Lori Valigra, Bangor Daily News Staff The majority of Versant Power customers who buy their home electricity through the state’s standard offer price will see a 40.

DEXTER — For a number of months, Dexter officials have been working on broadband initiatives to improve access throughout the community.

Complex emotions among middle-schoolers are nothing new, but the sadness and hopelessness of students in two of Maine’s poorest counties prior to the COVID-19 pandemic have health officials and youth advocates concerned.

By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff A longtime Penobscot County commissioner was unseated Tuesday, Nov.

Photo courtesy of Dexter Regional High School STUDENTS OF THE MONTH — Dexter Regional High School is pleased to announce the October Students of the Month as selected by the faculty and staff for being exemplary students.

HOUSE DISTRICT 30 Representing Abbot, Beaver Cove, Bowerbank,  Greenville, Guilford, Monson, Parkman,  Sangerville, Sebec, Shirley, Willimantic  plus the unorganized territories of Blanchard Township, Northeast Piscataquis  Barnard and Elliottsville Townships)  and Northwest Piscataquis James White, R-Guilford 2,501 W.

By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff A Garland man has been arrested on federal charges out of New York alleging that he was part of a conspiracy to buy guns in Maine and send them to the Dominican Republic.

With great pride, the Maine chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness announces Jennifer Thompson as our new executive director.

Matthew Marston, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCOP, vice president of Pharmacy for Northern Light Health, was recently awarded the Marco Gasbarrone Award from the Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists.

By Julie Harris, Staff Writer The staff from Bangor Daily News’ four Aroostook and one Piscataquis county weeklies took home several writing, photography and design awards from the Maine Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest held in Bar Harbor on Oct.

On Tuesday, Nov.

When Piscataquis County voters head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov.