Each winter the state holds a free fishing weekend, during which people are invited to enjoy a day on the water without a fishing license. That weekend is upon us, and on Feb. 15 to 16 anyone who hasn’t otherwise had a license suspended or revoked can fish for free.

Greenville is gearing up for one of its most popular winter events on Sunday, Feb. 16 -- the annual Chocolate Festival. This year the festival, which was created 16 years ago by former Moosehead Chamber Executive Director Bob Hamer and his wife Susan as a fundraiser for the chamber, tips its hat to Maine’s 200th anniversary. 

The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) Executive Committee is pleased to announce the hiring of a new executive director, John Shea.

Earlier this week, Maine’s conservation agencies -- the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, issued some safety tips that deserve a second look.

Piscataquis County Democrats gathered to prepare for the upcoming March 8 caucuses on Jan. 18 at party headquarters on North Street. April Thibodeau from the Maine Democratic Party provided training to conveners from virtually every town in the county.

Mayo Regional Hospital has announced a “Ski Day” for its employees and families in February. The first 100 employees to register are able to ski for free. Officials at the hospital say that this is to encourage employee wellness while calling attention to American Heart Month, which is recognized throughout February.

The people who are trying to develop the Moosehead Lake region into more of a tourism hub have spent years waiting for timber giant Weyerhaeuser to deliver on its plans to build two resorts, 1,000 second-home lots, a golf course and other attractions in the area.

If you drive north of Greenville on the road to Kokadjo you might notice a modest sign on the right hand side with an image of a plane and the words B52 Memorial. It commemorates an event that took place almost 60 years ago on January 23, 1963, when a hulking, 185,000-pound B-52 Stratofortress took off from Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts as part of an Air Force test of the eight-engine jet’s ability to handle low-level flight. 

It is with deep regret that organizers announce that this year’s Wilderness Sled Dog Race will be canceled, the event had been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1.

For more than 20 years -- since I first caught the fly fishing bug and began traveling up to the East Outlet of the Kennebec River every chance I got -- I’ve looked forward to regular visits to downtown Greenville, and to the fly shop that sits just a few long casts from Moosehead Lake.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine recently spent the day in Piscataquis County to visit small businesses, speaking with folks at the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, and learning more about the Piscataquis Regional Food Center in Dover-Foxcroft.

Everybody, and everything, loves a smelt. The sleek, silver fish -- officially known as a “rainbow smelt” -- is prevalent in many lakes and ponds, and is the preferred food of landlocked salmon and other larger fish. In streams, they might be gobbled up by opportunistic mammals or birds. And humans? Well, if we’re not using them as bait to catch other fish, we eat ‘em, too.

There’s a new brewpub coming to the area this spring. Threshers Brewing Company, based in Searsmont, plans to open a pub in the vacant building across the street from the Greenville Junction Post Office.

Citing a desire to step away from running a retail establishment, the owners of the Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville have announced plans to sell their business.

A 56-year-old New Hampshire man died Sunday, Jan. 19 after breaking through the ice on his snowmobile on a treacherous area of Moosehead Lake.

State regulators have cleared the way for Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft to join Northern Light Health, the Brewer-based health system that includes nine other hospitals stretching from Portland to Presque Isle.

Maine’s ATV task force, created by Gov. Janet Mills to address opportunities and issues associated with increasing ATV registrations, submitted a report and recommendations to the governor, which include limits on ATV sizes and weights and recognizes the importance of private landowners who allow public use of their land.

The Maine Department of Transportation released a three-year road and bridge funding plan on Tuesday, Jan. 14 that will use more money to fund fewer projects, a symptom of rising construction costs and chronic underfunding of the state system.