Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group, Northern New England’s leading independently owned real estate and home services company, honored its top agents for 2018. Agents from the company’s 36 offices in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont were recognized for their achievements in real estate sales including those from the Dover-Foxcroft office: Betty Ann Richardson, Grover Kilpatrick, Donna Vainio and Brian Chadbourne.

Each month the SeDoMoCha School recognizes “Students in the Spotlight,” celebrating pupils from kindergarten to grade 8 who teachers and staff have determined best demonstrate a specific positive attribute or characteristic chosen for the timeframe from the Habits of Mind (a set of life skills for educators and parents). The April Students in the Spotlight were honored during an all-school assembly in the gym on the morning of Friday, April 12.

The Dexter Town Council unanimously gave its approval to the proposed merger of Mayo Regional Hospital with Northern Light Health system during an April 11 meeting.

Amber Ober said she came to Portland to honor Campbell and because she felt a connection with Campbell’s wife, Hilary, and their 6-month-old son, Everett. The 23-year old from Dover-Foxcroft is married to a Piscataquis County sheriff’s deputy, and she was carrying their daughter, Elliot, who is 4 months old. She remembers exactly where she was when she heard of Campbell’s death.

Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine said he’s upset by a report that found lower-income counties, including two in Maine, are subject to more tax audits by the IRS. Piscataquis and Washington counties have median incomes below most of the nation and the rest of the state. But, according to a study published in a trade publication, they have been targeted for IRS audits.

“The large radio reorganization is in California, the equipment is in California,” Dispatch Sgt. Gary Grant said during an April 9 commissioners meeting. Grant said the equipment will go Whitten’s 2-Way Service, Inc. of Brewer -- which has worked with the sheriff’s department for more than two decades -- to be programmed for installation.

For the fourth year in a row the Abbot-based JD Foundation invites the community to honor those who have died by suicide and support survivors and families impacted at the organization’s Walk/Run to Wake the Silence. The 5-kilometer event will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, with an opening ceremony at 9:45 a.m. and registration beginning at 8 a.m., at the Piscataquis Regional YMCA on Park Street.

Tom Lizotte, who has served as Piscataquis County manager since 2014, on April 9 announced his plans to retire this summer. The Piscataquis County Commissioners will begin the search process for a new manager and intend to hire a replacement for Lizotte by July 5, his final day of work.

In Dover-Foxcroft a question on the future of Mayo Regional Hospital will be on the warrant for the annual town meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 27 at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building Gymnasium. The warrant was signed by the selectmen during an April 8 meeting.

Guilford Medical Associates closed permanently on April 5. Patients looking to transfer within Mayo Practice Associates (MPA) are encouraged to contact the New Patient Intake coordinator at 564-1224.

The Center Theatre, the county’s most iconic landmark, recently underwent some significant renovations, and on Thursday, April 25 from 5-7 p.m. area business owners are invited to the Piscataquis Chamber’s Business After Hours event for the big reveal, in addition to an enjoyable evening of networking and socializing. This will be a member-only private event, and an RSVP is appreciated but not required. Those who plan to attend can call the Chamber to RSVP at 564-7533.

When residents head to the polls in two months on Tuesday, June 11 to vote on the town and RSU 68 budgets they will also be making decisions on a revised land use ordinance and an amended shoreland zoning ordinance. Both were the subjects of public hearings during an April 4 planning board meeting.

A proposed 2019-20 academic year budget totaling $11,784,238 was brought forward by the finance committee to the full RSU 68 school board during an April 2 meeting at the SeDoMoCha School. This figure is up by nearly $225,000 from the current approximate $11.6 million spending plan.

Mayo Regional Hospital officials told community members Monday night, April 1 they are working toward a goal of keeping as many medical services in the region as possible as part of a proposed merger with Northern Light Health, a statewide system comprised of hospitals across Maine.

Partners for Peace, the domestic violence resource center serving Piscataquis and Penobscot counties, celebrated its community partners during the organization’s annual meeting at The Commons at Central Hall on March 21.

For the last several months eighth-graders at SeDoMoCha Middle School have been developing projects, on their own or in pairs, for the annual science fair. On the evening of March 27 the students presented their findings to the public with their projects on display in the cafeteria.

Enter: Abby Moore. “There were qualified applicants with great job experience and stability, with management or marketing backgrounds; but Abby stood out to me; she was well-rounded and capable in every area specific to the job, [she is] a local who loves this area and knows everything about it; she demonstrated her amazing personality in the first five minutes of our conversation, and I knew she had the right temperament for the job,” said Buzzelli.

A Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant who has served as the DARE officer in area schools for more than two decades, goes above and beyond the call of duty and who gives back in other ways is now the Grange Northeast Region Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Lt. Jamie Kane received news of the honor during a surprise presentation by Valley Grange Lecturer and Program Director Walter Boomsma during a morning grade 5 DARE class on Friday, March 29 at Piscatquis Community Elementary School.