Rep. Paul Stearns, R-Guilford has announced his intention to run for the Maine House of Representatives for a fourth term. House District 119 is made up of Abbot, Beaver Cove, Bowerbank, Greenville, Guilford, Monson, Parkman, Sangerville, Sebec, Shirley and Willimantic plus the unorganized territories of Blanchard Township, Northeast Piscataquis (including Barnard and Elliottsville Townships) and Northwest Piscataquis.

The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) is in the process of a website upgrade, and we need your help.

Last week’s cold snap covered many lakes and ponds in ice, but with the warming temperatures this week, the Maine Warden Service is urging people to use caution before venturing out onto any ice covering Maine’s waterways.

Rep. Paul Stearns, R-Guilford, left, and Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville presented the Greenville Fire Department with a Legislative Sentiment for voluntary undertaking a rigorous safety program.

Earlier this month the executive committee of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) announced the resignation of Executive Director Christopher Winstead, who after joining the council in 2015 has accepted the new position of director of workforce development at Eastern Maine Community College. The Piscataquis County Commissioners learned more from Winstead during a Dec. 17 meeting.

The town of Cambridge and almost three dozen residents from the other communities that collectively own Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft have filed a lawsuit trying to block its pending merger with Northern Light Health.

Maine Senate Republicans have given their full support to Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville for reelection.

Visitors and local residents using their smartphones, tablets and other devices to access the internet in downtown Greenville and beyond have received an early holiday gift -- free Wi-Fi service. The gift is courtesy of Bill Varney, a well-known Maine businessman who branched out from car sales and insurance to fiber-optic and broadband information delivery a decade ago. Varney

On Nov. 19 the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program board voted unanimously to allocate $105,000 to the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation’s (MLREDC) project to acquire the last remaining greenspace in downtown Greenville to conserve it as a permanent public park with direct access to Moosehead Lake for everyone to enjoy. The LMF’s commitment brings the MLREDC’s fundraising campaign to $216,000 on the way toward its goal of $250,000 to purchase the 3 Lakeview Street property and develop the site and the docking system plus an additional $40,000 goal to establish a reserve fund for annual maintenance.

Business owners and other stakeholders from around the Moosehead Lake region gathered at the Trailside Restaurant on Dec. 10. Attendees at the Destination Moosehead Lake annual meeting got updates on the relatively new organization’s progress. Guests also heard from Steve Lyons, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, and keynote speaker Carolann Ouellette, director of the state’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation.

A $4.8 million-plus Piscataquis County budget for 2020, along with a $1,804,670 Unorganized Territory budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, were both formally approved and signed by the county commissioners during a Dec. 10 meeting.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine announced their nominees to the United States military academies. Among the nominees is Greenville High School senior Halle Pelletier to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Greenville Fire Department will be recognized for receiving the Maine Department of Labor’s Safety and Health Award for Public Employers (SHAPE) at a selectmen’s meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The award will be presented to Chief Matthew St. Laurent at the town office, 7 Mindon St.

The executive committee of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) is saddened to announce the resignation of Executive Director Christopher Winstead. On Dec. 4 Winstead notified the board of the PCEDC that he has accepted a position with Eastern Maine Community College. Winstead joined PCEDC in 2015, and served as executive director.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has announced his bid for reelection in Senate District 4.

The Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation has expanded the public Wi-Fi system in downtown Greenville and extended it to Greenville Junction. The high speed Wi-Fi system now has three hotspots in the downtown, which serves nearly the entire downtown and a hotspot serving Greenville Junction.

For more than six months, the Maine Department of Transportation’s director of freight knew that a large portion of train track that runs through Maine was going to change hands. Recently news broke that one of the largest rail operators in North America would buy the 481 miles of track in Maine and Quebec run by Bangor-based Central Maine and Quebec Railway. The sale to Calgary, Alberta-based Canadian Pacific Railway is expected to close by the end of the year.

Piscataquis County sets aside a day or two in early December to celebrate the wonder of Christmas and the magic of the holiday season. This year Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville (on Saturday, Nov. 30) Guilford, Milo, Monson, Sebec and Dexter are participating.