Maine game wardens were busy responding to a number of serious snowmobile accidents last weekend, and with substantial snow in the forecast for the coming days, wardens say focusing on snowmobile safety makes a lot of sense as more sledders will be hitting the trails.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has sponsored legislation, LR 514 “An Act To Give the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the Authority To Adjust the Black Bear Hunting Season and Bag Limit,” to give state wildlife biologists more control in the management of Maine’s growing black bear population.

The Center Theatre announced recently that Ashlie McLeish, who joined the Theatre in 2016, has been promoted to Theatre operations manager. According to Patrick Myers, the Center Theatre's executive director, the new position better describes what McLeish's role in the Theatre has become during the past year.

Those affected by abuse and domestic violence throughout Piscataquis and Penobscot counties are able to receive a wide variety of information, support, and services from Partners for Peace. Starting next month a change in office hours for the 8 Mechanic Street location will help Partners for Peace advocates to get out and reach more people and increase the agency’s presence in the community.

A proposal to change how development is allowed in Maine’s Unorganized Territory still is being met with some vocal opposition, despite some minor changes that a state planning body has made to the draft policy.

Earlier this week, in what has become an annual ritual, Maine political insiders began posting links to the initial lists of legislative bills -- by title only -- that have been introduced. A quick glance turned up more than a few bills worth paying attention to among those that deal with Maine’s fish, wildlife and wild places.

Following 102 words across 14 rounds for 14 participants, eighth-grader Adam Taylor stood as the last speller during the ninth annual SeDoMoCha Middle School District Spelling Bee on the evening of Jan. 10.

County officials are making preparations for Atkinson to join the Unorganized Territory (UT) on July 1 -- the community voted 187-19 (nearly 91 percent) at the November referendum to deorganize. Many of the plans for how municipal services will be provided by the county have been set, but a few are still to be finalized prior to the start of the 2019-20 fiscal year when Atkinson joins the UT.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has been appointed to serve as a member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, the State and Local Government Committee, and the Government Oversight Committee.

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to highlight Maine’s outstanding teachers, nominations are now open for the 2019 County Teachers of the Year and 2020 Teacher of the Year. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students. Nominations can be made through the Maine Teacher of the Year website through Feb. 4.

The Dover-Foxcroft Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating family members of a Steadman’s Landing Road resident whose body was discovered on his front porch by a neighbor on New Year’s Day, after apparently being there for days.

Spruce Mill Farm & Kitchen owner Natasha Colbry delivered what she believed to be the largest order in the history of her establishment when she dropped off 100 freshly-baked baguettes at the Augusta Civic Center on Thursday. The long, skinny loaves of French bread were destined for Gov. Janet Mills’ Inauguration Celebration on Friday evening.

The body of a Steadman’s Landing Road resident was discovered on his front porch by a neighbor on New Year’s Day and had apparently been there for days, Dover-Foxcroft Police Chief Ryan Reardon said on Wednesday morning.

A man with a history of escapes from state correctional facilities is one step closer to trial for his latest escape. The Penobscot County grand jury late last week indicted Arnold Nash, 65, for his September escape from Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston when he had just 14 months left on his sentence. An indictment is not a finding of guilt, but rather a determination that enough evidence exists to bring a case to trial.

Mayo Regional Hospital and the Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC) collaborated for the groups’ second annual Gadget Drive during the months of October and November. Employees and community members collected more than 125 gadgets and raised $148 to purchase additional kitchen gadgets for clients of area food cupboards.

The speaker of the Maine House of Representatives has appointed Rep. Norman Higgins, I-Dover-Foxcroft to the IDEA –- Innovation, Development, Economic and Advancement -- Committee. The IDEA Committee was recently established to increase the focus on statewide economic initiatives, innovation, and workforce development.

Debbie Young, left pictured with the Piscataquis Observer’s Keri Foster, is the winner in the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Shop Local Tree Contest.

Last month three referendum questions concerning the town land use ordinance -- a revised ordinance, an ordinance concerning transportation corridors, and an ordinance on large-scale water extraction -- were each voted down. In the weeks since the Dover-Foxcroft Planning Board has met and devised a series of recommendations, which were presented to the selectmen during a Dec. 17 meeting.