Scuba divers Ryan Robbins and Matt Kane swam along the ship’s railings, descending slowly to the stern of the vessel, more than 40 feet below the surface. The two divers were capturing footage for a historical documentary “Sunken Steamboats of Moosehead Lake.” This summer, the Moosehead Marine Museum received two separate $10,000 grants from the Libra Foundation and the Fisher Charitable Foundation to support production of the film, which will include underwater footage and other imagery, combined with stories told by local residents.

A day after a $6,879,013 SAD 4 budget for the 2017-18 academic year was approved -- via a count of 251 to 244 across the six district communities -- the school board set the town assessments during a special meeting on Aug. 30 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School (PCES).

A man who helped engineer some of the largest public land conservation deals in state history has died. Alan Hutchinson, 70, died at his Orono home on Sunday, Aug. 26 according to an official at Brookings-Smith Funeral Home of Bangor.

With Piscataquis County government department heads making their initial requests for the 2018 budget -- the county fiscal year follows the calendar year -- the county commissioners are getting ready to put the budget advisory committee in place so the group can start its work in October.

Three girls will reign as Miss Maple in their respective age groups for the next year after being crowned during the third annual Miss Maple Pageant on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 26 at the 130th Piscataquis Valley Fair.

A proposed $6,879,013 budget for the 2017-18 school year was approved during a district budget meeting on Aug. 24 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School. The near $6.88 million budget is now moved to a referendum in Abbot, Cambridge, Guilford, Parkman, Sangerville, and Wellington on Tuesday, Aug. 29 with residents of the half dozen communities voting either “yes” or “no” to make a district-wide decision on the 2018 budget.

The Maine Highlands Senior Center, to be housed on the first floor of Central Hall on East Main Street, has received two grants.

Earlier in the summer the former Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance announced a name change to Partners for Peace. The organization, which provides support services to anyone affected by domestic abuse and violence in Piscataquis and Penobscot counties, celebrated its new identity with an open house and free barbecue at the 8 Mechanic Street resource center on Aug. 18

Throughout the year the Piscataquis County Democratic Committee is holding a series of non-partisan information forums on various issues facing the region. The most recent “Ensuring the Success of Our Youngest Mainers: A Conversation about Children and Families in Piscataquis County” during the afternoon of Aug. 2 at Mayo Regional Hospital examined related challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, and barriers in accessing care, and the discussion featured Maine Speaker of the House of Representatives Sara Gideon, D-Freeport.

Lightning flashed in the distance and rain began to fall, each drop forming a tiny bubble on the surface of Moosehead Lake. We’d watched the dark clouds gather during our short paddle, and with a few words, we agreed it was time for us to turn our kayaks around and get back to Seboomook Wilderness Campground, where we were staying.

The purpose of the meeting is assessing public sentiment regarding six proposed industrial wind projects and CMP’s Maine Clean Power Connection 145-mile high voltage transmission corridor.

The 2017 Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming parade on Saturday, Aug. 5 celebrated the 95th anniversary of the union of the towns of Dover and Foxcroft and representing the municipal merger was engaged couple Kylie Sands and James Watson. The mid-morning procession was the first in town since 2014 and Homecoming organizers hope to now bring the parade back every five years.

A proposed 2017-18 SAD 41 budget of $8,500,571 was approved with all 12 articles passing, without any discussion, over 17 minutes during a district budget meeting on Aug. 2 in the cafeteria at the Penquis Valley School. The $8.5 million total is now moved to a referendum in the district towns of Atkinson, Brownville, LaGrange, and Milo on Thursday, Aug. 10 for a “yes” or “no” vote.

In June SAD 41 residents - approved an approximate $474,000 loan from Maine’s school revolving renovation fund for sprinkler and elevator upgrades at the Penquis Valley School. Under the program the state covers 70 percent of the costs, meaning a little more than $142,000 would be paid back by the district over five years at zero percent interest.

With pre-kindergarten through grade 8 students at the SeDoMoCha School scheduled to have their first day of classes on Tuesday, Aug. 29, the RSU 68 board of directors had its last meeting of the summer on Aug. 1 to prepare for the 2017-18 academic year and learn more about the summer lunch program which is running through Friday, Aug. 18.

On June 21, 2016 Laurie Muzzy opened the Kineo Coffee Station atop Indian Hill coming into Greenville near the south end of Moosehead Lake. Muzzy and her staff serve coffee and homemade breakfast and lunch menu items Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with residents and visitors to the region alike stopping to enjoy food and refreshments.

Following discussions at several meetings, during a July 25 session the Piscataquis County Commissioners signed a renewal agreement with the town of Greenville to enable residents of Moosehead Junction, Harfords Point, and Big Moose townships to use the Greenville solid waste transfer station for another two years.

A little more than a month after the first version of the 2017-18 SAD 41 budget was voted down -- by a combined total of 270 to 68 across the district communities of Atkinson, Brownville, Milo, and LaGrange -- a revised spending plan will be brought to voters at a district budget meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at the Penquis Valley School.