GREENVILLE — The Piscataquis County Democratic Committee met in person on June 27 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Maine.

The Camden Conference has chosen the winners of the annual Bill Taylor Award for the high school level essay contest.

Grade eight, high honors: Lydia Gauvin, Tristan Goodwin, Rylee Heal and Mckenzie McMahon; honors: Lucas Chai, Gavin Chase, James Chenkin, Quinn Cianci, Abigail Davis, Mackenzie Fernald, Caiden Fowles, Brandy Hall and Wyatt Ladd.

Grade eight, high honors: Margarette Clarke, Heidi Clawson, Emily Greenlaw, Madyson Kimball, Eli Lane, Brianna Lawrence, Jack Murray and Cameron Pratt; honors: Shem Atwater, Emma Bither, Brooklynn Black, Leora Brochu, Shayli Cirulli, Hailey Coelho, Allison Conner, Anastasia Curtis, Ashton Day, Evalyn Fisk, Jackson Goodine, Grace Greene, Scott Greene, Alexis Heretakis, Hailey Holler, Joshua Knapp, Calvin Landry, Kennedi Martell, Serenity McCabe, Korbyn McCormick, Kael Niland, Aspen Perry, Jason Rhoda, Elizabeth Richards, Lea Schnetzer, Lochlainn Schriver, Ella Smith, Silas Topolski, Xavier Warren and Conner Watt.

HALLOWELL – The Maine Tourism Association recently polled its members about July 4 weekend business, visitor trends and how the workforce shortage is affecting business.

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News StaffChildhood friends Will Peterson, Nik Hase and Xander Keiter have shared a lot of adventures together growing up in southern Maine.

Grade 12, highest honors: Nathan Derbidge, Willow Sandy and Nick Sweeney; high honors: Kyle Bagley, Andrew Bailey, Colby Chadwick, Cassie Chambers, Louise Gerickont, Meagan Lemieux, Robert Masse, Faith Ohlson, Sarah (Max) Richards and Trey Rogers; honors: Benjamin Brasier, Connor Chase, Cole Desjardins, Elizabeth (Nox) Gray, Ted Taylor and Miranda Turner.

For the second time in three years, volunteers from around the country spent nearly a week in and around Dexter from July 5 to 9 working on 13 home projects at no cost to residents who otherwise could not afford to have the needed repairs done.

DEXTER — The Dexter Town Council gave its approval to a $6,765,114 municipal budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year during a July 8 meeting.

Grade 12, high honors: Joslyn Black, Savannah Boislard, AnnaJo Conklin, Haylee Gauvin, Destiny Golden, Salena Goodine, Zakary Mills, Angelina Roberts and Courtney Rouleau; honors: Lauren Bolstridege, Lealia Chadwick, Austin Clukey, Ethan Johnson, Tevor Saunders and Jamus Winfield.

AUGUSTA – LD 61, “An Act To Include Grandparents under Maine’s Family Medical Leave Laws,” has become law after receiving bipartisan support.

Grade 12, high honors: Lucas Ames, Sheryl Chase, Francesco Di Crescenzo, Caleb Fockens, Lorane Genot, Hunter Kemp, Kai Lun Lai, Noah Lamb, Anna Lee Morin, Ava Rayfield, Annabelle Rhoda, Lucas Ronco, Hermes Tong and Bradley Whitten; honors: Benjamin Hadley Anderson, Valentina Ballarin, Kerem Bekmez, Kelli Jo Black, Giulia Brasili, Miriam Elizabeth Cameron, Loranzo Lory D’Andrea, Martina De Lucia, Khrystofor Downing, Isaac Drury, Dayita Durachman, Kaylee Durgin, Samuel Gidman, Triston Green, Lucas Greenlaw, Siarra Hendren, Kylie Higgins, May Horton, Barrett Knapp, Izaak Krause, Samantha Lancaster, Nguyen Mai Le, Tyler Moore, Kim Ngan Nguyen, Selina Plante, Dakota Richardson, David Scott, Luke John Stedman, Makayla Talbot and Ching Ya Annie Wang.

By David Marino Jr.

By Michael Shepherd, Bangor Daily News Staff AUGUSTA — Voters will decide in November on enshrining a right to food in the Maine Constitution, which would continue the state’s pioneering efforts on the topic but likely prompt decades of discussion over what exactly such a right would allow or prevent.

BROWNVILLE — Several years ago the Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society came into possession of the basketball scoreboard from Brownville Junction High School.

ROME — Kids and adults with disabilities and their families in Piscataquis County can experience the freedom and fun of Pine Tree Camp this summer.

FALMOUTH — A loon glides  across a still lake, the white dots on its black wings appearing to sparkle in the reflection off the water.

MONSON — Camden Shakespeare Festival, Monson Arts and The Center Theatre will present the comedy “Aquitania,” written and directed by Stephen Legawiec, outdoors in Monson at 2 p.