Brook trout are among the state’s most treasured natural gifts, and Maine is lucky to have more places to catch wild brookies than any other state in the lower 48. And according to a state fisheries biologist, anglers on the state’s largest lake have been hauling in some huge brookies of late.

Gabrielle Heuttener and Susannah Heuttener of Monson, Tyler Libby of Parkman, Ingrid Halvorsen of Guilford, and Tyler Judd of Athens served as honorary pages in the Maine Senate on Jan. 31. They were visiting the Statehouse with the 4-H Youth Development Program and they met with Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville.

Nikki Hamilton has always been an athlete. When she was a kid you’d likely see her exploring the woods, playing sports or riding her horse Blackjack. No sitting around indoors for her! One winter when she was 12 years old her dad, Kirk, encouraged her to consider ice racing.

The 12th annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby with Ricky Craven is in the books. The event is organized by the Natural Resource Education Center at Moosehead (NREC) to raise funds for programming. Anglers from all over made the trek north to Maine’s largest lake for the action. As would be expected, Mainers make up the vast majority of participants, but organizers also sold tickets to folks from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec, and Florida

Moosehead Marketplace is celebrating its fourth year in business and Janet Richards Chasse, who owns and runs the online operation, couldn’t be happier. The Marketplace has been pretty much a one-woman show since its inception.

Mayo Regional Hospital has announced the closing of its primary care office in Guilford. The official closure date for Guilford Medical Associates, which is housed via lease from the town at the C.H. Lightbody Medical Center on Park Street, will be Friday, April 5.

In an effort to help recruit and retain quality officers for several positions within the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, the Piscataquis County Commissioners approved a request from Sheriff Robert Young to adjust hourly pay rates for part-time patrol deputies, dispatchers, and corrections officers during a Jan. 22 meeting.

Greenville is going to the dogs on Saturday, Feb. 2 -- sled dogs that is. It’s an exciting time of year to be here – watching enthusiastic dogs and their mushers pulling sleds through the snowy, wooded trails around Greenville in the Wilderness Sled Dog Race. Amy Dugan and John Osmond of Shirley began this event more than a dozen years ago. This is the eleventh time this event has occurred – there were a few years in between where conditions were prohibitive and the race was not held.

Deep in the Maine woods, crews of biologists, technicians and interns are busily “recruiting” new subjects who will help state wildlife officials better understand the role that winter severity plays on white-tailed deer mortality.

The sound of skates cutting into the ice, pucks bouncing off the boards and glass, and more will be heard starting this summer according to the plan for opening the Piscataquis County Ice Arena on West Main Street at the former Brothers Chevrolet property. The $5 million project is being funded by the Libra Foundation, and the arena will be managed day-to-day by Foxcroft Academy.

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.

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.

Although the short snowy days of winter are upon us, the Greenville Recreation Department has all kinds of things going on inside and out that enhance staying around the area this time of year.

A Maine snowmobiler drove his sled eight miles Friday night, Jan. 11 with a fractured leg after he was involved in a chain reaction snowmobile accident started by a moose, game wardens said.

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.

Rep. Paul A. Stearns, R-Guilford has been appointed to the 129th Maine Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as the lead Republican. The committee is among the most sought after legislative assignments, because its jurisdiction encompasses several Maine pastimes, traditions, and important parts of the Maine economy.