BANGOR — Dirigo Reads, a program that aims to put a book in the hands of every Maine first-grader each month during the school year by 2025, is announcing the addition of 20 schools that will participate in the program during the next school year.

AUGUSTA — A Maine judge ruled Monday that the state Republican party gathered enough valid signatures from voters to put a challenge to a new ranked-choice voting law on the November ballot, preventing the method’s use in this presidential election.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer pressure gauge testing at the UMaine Extension office, 165 East Main Street.

The Maine Teachers of the Year Association, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education, has created a special “teacher to teacher” back to school message to help kick off the 2020-21 school year.

AUGUSTA — Small businesses and nonprofits can begin applying on Friday for a share of $200 million in aid under a new program rolled out by Gov.

AUGUSTA – Gov.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Last month the previously anonymous identify of a benefactor — the Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union in making the largest contribution in its 54-year history — providing the $145,000 to enable the county to purchase the former Key Bank building on Hudson Avenue in downtown Guilford to be the new home of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office patrol and investigation divisions was revealed during a presentation at the site.

More people who want to know if they have the coronavirus even if they don’t have symptoms will now be able to get tested at 10 sites across Maine run by Northern Light Health, the state’s second-largest hospital system, as a result of a state effort to provide medical providers with more resources to surveil for the virus.

BREWER — Northern Light Health has received a $1 million federal grant to support community efforts toward establishing or enhancing opioid use prevention, treatment and recovery services in rural communities served by the healthcare system.

A federal judge who has upheld Maine’s ranked-choice voting system once before reiterated his view that the method is constitutional Friday, Aug.

GUILFORD — Piscataquis Community Secondary School and Piscataquis Community Elementary School students will be back in the building at least four days per week depending on the school — a remote learning option will be available for families choosing this method of instruction — when classes resume Sept.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the election several months aways, U.

Maine has among the lowest response rates of any state for the U.

Maine Conservation Voters (MCV) Action Fund released a new round of endorsements for the election on Nov.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Piscataquis County, 165 East Main Street, will reopen its office to the public at 8 a.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Representatives of the county’s fire and police departments are in agreement that long-term solutions to communications issues in the region need to be addressed, such as getting around the hilly terrain and upgrading or replacing antiquated equipment.

A court-appointed receiver will now oversee the recently shuttered Hampden waste plant that owes tens of millions of dollars to a mix of contractors and creditors, including the bondholders that originally provided $52 million for the construction of the facility, according to recent court filings.

AUGUSTA — Maine cities and towns are expected to lose a collective $146 million in revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic by the end of this year, according to a projection released Aug.