In 2016 the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) was awarded $120,000 for broadband internet planning from the Office of the Maine Attorney General, with the funds coming from consumer settlements the office reached with several wireless carriers. The monies helped the PCEDC work with Axiom Technologies of Machias to conduct a survey of the region to help develop a regional technology plan aimed at economic and community development.

Game wardens are urging anyone accessing Maine’s lake and ponds to exercise extreme caution. Following the Jan. 17 rescue of three people from Long Pond in Southwest Harbor, at least nine more people reported breaking through thin ice on snowmobiles in a 24-hour period.

An escaped prisoner who left his home confinement on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 16 was reportedly captured later that night, according to police.

Once a month students in kindergarten through grade 4 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School are honored with the presentation of HERO awards during the school-wide morning meeting on the first Friday of each month.

Communities have the ability to opt out of the retail aspect of recreational marijuana -- residents can still use recreational and medicinal marijuana within the law -- and the town of Dexter now has an emergency moratorium ordinance regarding retail recreational marijuana in place for 60 days through March 12.

With the start of the new year students at Piscataquis Community Elementary School have a pair of new weekly educational extracurricular activity options.

With the position of SAD 4 superintendent currently being advertised in education publications and soon in the state’s daily newspapers -- the application deadline is Friday, March 2 -- Interim Superintendent Raymond Freve presented the school board with a draft search committee proposal during a Jan. 9 meeting.

Despite the subzero temperatures and a raging blizzard, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) wildlife biologists and a helicopter-based aerial capture crew located, captured, and collared 83 moose last week and this week in northern and western Maine.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — What today is a 25-bed critical access hospital and health system with five rural health clinics across the region, provides emergency medical services for all of Piscataquis County, psychiatry and counseling services as well as various surgical specialties, in April Mayo Regional Hospital will mark 40 years since first opening its doors to patients.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the land use ordinance committee continuing its work to update the document to be voted on by the public later in the year on the November ballot, a summary of the group’s efforts was reviewed by the selectmen during a Jan.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — As part of the regular rotation for replacing older department vehicles the Piscataquis County Commissioners approved the purchase of a 2017 Ford Police Interceptor for $28,041 from Quirk Ford of Augusta, during a Jan.

With the first 2018-19 academic year budget meeting set for the end of the month, RSU 68 officials are awaiting financial figures from the Maine Department of Education.

Foxcroft Academy boys soccer and wrestling coach Luis Ayala, who teaches health and physical education at the secondary school, was recognized as the U.S. Cellular Most Valuable Coach on Jan. 4 during the 11th annual Under Armour All-American Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

A missing Dover-Foxcroft man with dementia has been found safe, police said.

Santa Claus had some help this year from the staff at Piscataquis Community Elementary School in making sure about two dozen students received a needed item of winter clothing and had something fun for Christmas.

Before athletes from around the world will be representing their countries in PyeongChang, South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics in February, students at Piscataquis Community Elementary School will be representing their county against schools from across Maine in the inaugural WinterKids Winter Games.

A month after meeting with representatives from RealTerm Energy -- which has contracted with about two dozen Maine communities and other towns across the U.S. and Canada -- the selectmen discussed having a proposed uniform plan for upgrading municipal street lights, during a Dec. 18 meeting.

In early February bids will be due for a pair of projects on the Piscataquis County campus. The first is for renovations to provide for more room at the district attorney’s office on the first floor of the courthouse and the second bid is for the construction of a roof enclosure over the exercise yard at the Piscataquis County Jail.