SAD 41 residents in Brownville, LaGrange and Milo approved a $9,639,532 budget for 2019-20 during the June 27 referendum by a combined total of 152-37. In the Brownville the numbers were 35 in favor with 15 opposed, 16-5 in LaGrange and 101-17 in Milo.

A Shirley Mills man charged with attempting to share child pornography made his first appearance Monday, July 1 in U.S. District Court in Bangor. Eugene Murray, 25, was not asked to enter a plea because he has not yet been indicted by a federal grand jury.

The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) is now able to offer additional parking for and access to the Law Farm thanks to a generous land donation from Pleasant River Lumber. The donation includes six acres of land that abuts the Law Farm and on that half dozen acres, there is a cleared parking area, fruit trees, perennials and much more.

Skowhegan Savings announced that it will celebrate its 150th anniversary with 11 customer appreciation events between July 11 and Oct. 4. Each event will be held at one of the bank’s 11 branch locations or a nearby venue, including in Dexter from 4-7 p.m. on Sept. 18.

Joe Siccardi, a recent mid-Maine transplant, has completed his third book “My Name is Sam…. and Heaven is Still Shining Through.”

The Sebec Village Associates will have a day of events on the Fourth of July next week, with proceeds benefiting the Reading Room. The day on Thursday, July 4 starts with a breakfast at the Sebec Village Community Christian Church at 7:30 a.m.

On Friday, June 28 Gov. Janet Mills signed into law legislation that will allow Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft to move forward in merging with the statewide health care organization, Northern Light Health.

One of the nicest traditions in Greenville during the summer months are the concerts, whether they be at the Gazebo or the Thoreauly Entertaining! series at the Artisan Village. There’s something magical about being beside one of the largest lakes east of the Mississippi on a summer evening listening to some great music. This summer's series has been scheduled on Thursday and Friday evenings beginning July 4 and 5.

After years working in the field, Miss A’s Childcare owner/director Alex Barden had the opportunity to open her own facility last fall in the former Guilford Primary School building at 31 High Street. Not only did Barden accomplish a goal with the opening of Miss A’s Childcare, her business is helping meet a need for working parents/guardians.

The Sebec Village Associates will be operating the community library at the Reading Room, 665 Sebec Village Road, again this summer. There are no fees to borrow books and media from the library which boasts an extensive collection of fiction and nonfiction.

Earlier in the month Dexter residents voted down five non-binding advisory questions on marijuna businesses which were developed through a community task force comprised of town officials, business owners and citizens. The group held its first post-election meeting with a forum on June 25 to discuss possible next steps with about two dozen attendees present.

Bangor Savings Bank had a big year in 2018, bringing in record-breaking earnings, acquiring a New Hampshire bank and completing the construction of a new campus on the Bangor waterfront, where about 400 people now work. Bangor Savings Bank has area branches in Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft and Greenville.

It was a sweet day in Maine as 7,500 people attended the 10th anniversary edition of the annual Maine Whoopie Pie Festival on Saturday, June 22. Those passing through the entrance gates celebrated the taste of tens of thousands of whoopie pies, enjoyed other food, games, live music and hundreds of artists, crafters and vendors.

The Piscataquis County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded $30,949 in grants to six nonprofits.

A week after a $11,784,238 RSU 68 budget for the 2019-20 academic year was approved by a combined count of 249-50 across the four district communities, the school board set the assessments for Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft and Monson and Sebec during a June 18 meeting at the SeDoMoCha School.

After a long and exhaustive search, Greenville has hired a new town manager. His name is Michael Roy, and he hails from Winslow. He and his wife Wendy purchased a camp overlooking Moosehead Lake seven years ago and shortly thereafter decided that Greenville would be their forever home after retirement. Roy is retiring from a long held management position at FedEx and will take over as town manager on July 1. His contract is for three years with an annual salary of  $68,000.

All children under the age of 18 will again be able to enjoy free summer meals across town, with no sign up required. The summer meals schedule is as follows:

This summer’s work on stretches of 10 town roads as part of the 10-year paving plan will be done by Hopkins Landscaping & Paving of Hermon as the selectmen approved the company’s low bid of $387,940 during a June 17 meeting.