Family history and influential high school teachers led Joe Hennessey to a career in education.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has created unexpected costs for Maine communities and businesses.

GREENVILLE — The biggest event of the summer in the Moosehead Lake region has become the latest victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — This summer the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis annual auction will take place online in July at the annual Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Auction Facebook page.

A strike at Bath Iron Works won’t affect the company’s delivery of machines needed to ramp up production of specialized swabs used for tests for the new coronavirus, officials say.

Penobscot County Commissioners will hold an in-person public hearing in Corinna at the end of month about the $6-million bond issue on the July 14 ballot.

Mark Stitham, M.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Two Dover-Foxcroft nonprofits that have been closed since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic — the Center Theatre and Piscataquis County Ice Arena — are bringing drive-in movies to the Piscataquis County seat.

It’s a familiar story for Maine — a once-thriving manufacturing town suddenly in search of a new identity.

The East Sangerville Grange is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Don Hall Scholarship. A first-year scholarship has been awarded to Megan McLaughlin, a 2020 graduate of Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford. In addition, a renewal scholarship has been awarded to Brooke Kujawski, a 2019 graduate of Piscataquis Community High School.

The 29th annual Maine Forest Heritage Days scheduled for Aug. 6-9 has been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is scheduled to return Aug. 12-15, 2021 at the Greenville Consolidated School campus.

"This was an incredibly difficult decision to make. There were so many factors to consider," explained members of the Milo Garden Club Advisory Board. Because the Summer Fair is a major fundraiser which enables the club to donate to 14 organizations and charities, members will discuss fundraising ideas in September.

The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) announced it will begin to ease certain restrictions within correctional facilities. The decision to ease restrictions, such as those related to visitation, community restitution, work release and transfers, have been made in close consultation with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). Many of the restrictions scheduled to be lifted in the coming weeks have been in place since early March.

Recently Northern Light Health leadership announced their systemwide plan to eliminate racism and other forms of discrimination and promote a strong future for social and medical justice.

The Milo Historical Society art show, which has been held in July in past years, is among a number of 2020 events canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone knows you cannot run elections in Maine without election workers. Yet, in the midst of a public health emergency, as well as during “normal” times, finding people to staff election polls and process absentee ballots is not easy.

Twelve of Maine’s 16 counties are now reporting fewer than 10 active cases of the virus, including three -- Piscataquis, Aroostook and Washington counties -- with zero. The prevalence of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, also seems to finally be dropping in more heavily populated southern Maine counties even as the state has ramped up testing in recent weeks. 

Charles Shaffer of Sebec is announcing his candidacy for Piscataquis County commissioner, District 2, representing Sebec, Atkinson, Dover-Foxcroft, Medford and Orneville. A graduate of Quinnipiac University School of Law, he has a long history of advocacy and service to people with intellectual disabilities as well individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues. Shaffer is currently a community case manager in Bangor.