More than halfway through the process, seven of eight HAD 4 communities have given approval to the proposed merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health, a statewide system comprised of hospitals across Maine.

Abbot resident Walter Boomsma of the Valley Grange, who also serves as communications director for the Maine State Grange, will appear on a one-hour program on Maine Public Radio Friday, May 3 starting at 1 p.m. The program is “Maine Calling” and will feature Boomsma and Past Master of the Maine State Grange Vicki Huff as studio guests discussing “The Role of the Grange in Maine.”

Two police officers were involved in the shooting of a 40-year-old man in Medford on Friday, according to Piscataquis County Sheriff Robert Young.

Baxter State Park is pleased to announce that Hunter Law, who is a graduate of Foxcroft Academy, has been selected as this year's Visiting Artist. Law's submission was selected from an extremely competitive field of very talented artists.

Just two days after marijuana enthusiasts celebrated their favorite vice on 4/20, the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy posted draft rules for the state’s coming regulated cannabis market.

Citizens in Milo voted in favor of moving forward with a merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health, voting 25-0 in favor of the merger at an April 23 special town meeting.

Piscataquis County experienced the biggest gain in unit sales, up 30 percent to 56. But the median sale price dropped 10 percent to $106,000.

Samantha Siemerling of Dover-Foxcroft was presented with the first-place prize in the high school division of the Secretary of State’s 2018 Maine Native American History and Culture Essay Contest by Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville at the Maine State Museum in Augusta on April 17.

The Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office did not have to look very far to find a new full-time deputy sheriff for the patrol division, with the hiring of Jeremy Rackliff. Rackliff, who lives in Sangerville, has been working on a part-time and fill-in basis for the department, Sheriff Robert Young told the county commissioners during an April 22 meeting.

Tractor trailer trucks needing to cross the line into the other lane in order to make the turn on and off South Street, a lack of a crosswalk by the Mill complex, deteriorating asphalt and over a half dozen major routes and sidestreets all coming together in one location are among the issues drivers and pedestrians deal with in downtown Dover-Foxcroft.

Citizens in Bradford voted in favor of moving forward with a merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health. Bradford residents voted 20-1 in favor of the merger at a special town meeting on April 22.

The population of Maine as a whole and 10 of the state’s 16 counties is rising, as is the number of people moving into the state and into 14 counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which released its 2018 population estimates April 18.

Non-binding town meeting votes on the plan are scheduled across a dozen HAD 4 communities from April 20-30 to help area legislators make a decision on submitting a bill to amend the hospital district charter to pave the way for a merger. More information is at https://mayohospitalfacts.org/.

The towns that make up Hospital Administrative District 4 (HAD 4) are planning for public votes regarding the potential merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health. The votes will be held on a variety of dates set by each individual town as a part of a town meeting format. The result of the votes will give legislators guidance on whether or not to submit legislation to change the HAD 4 charter to allow for the merger.

A dozen pieces created by students at Foxcroft Academy and Piscataquis Community High School were on display at the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)/Miosac Club’s annual art show on Sunday, March 24 at The Commons at Central Hall.

The Center Theatre is looking for input from the community about its events, concessions, pricing and any other feedback from the community. While people are always welcome to send suggestions, Kathy Reardon, the chair of the Theatre Fundraising Committee, developed the survey to encourage everyone to give the Theatre their opinion.

The recent trend in hospital consolidations started in October 2013, when St. Andrews Hospital merged with Miles Memorial Hospital in nearby Damariscotta to form LincolnHealth, which in turn is part of Portland-based MaineHealth.

Squeezed tightly by the high cost of doing business at a time when federal reimbursements don’t cover expenses and more patients need free care, Maine’s hospitals are looking to each other to survive. Hospital mergers, consolidations and collaborations have been occurring for the past 20 years, but the trend has accelerated during the past five years, experts said.