Work on roads in Blanchard, Moosehead Junction, Big Moose and Elliottsville townships is set to be taken care of over the next three years under a proposed 2018-20 paving schedule approved by the Piscataquis County Commissioners during a Sept. 5 meeting.

BAXTER STATE PARK -- Baxter State Park Rangers were assisted by the Maine Forest Service in the evacuation of a hiker from Mount Katahdin on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 9.

M. Michelle Hood, FACHE, president and CEO of EMHS announced that Teresa “Terri” Vieira, MHA, FACHE, has been named president of Sebasticook Valley Health (SVH) and Charles A Dean Memorial Hospital. Vieira has led SVH since 2013 and has been acting president at C. A. Dean since 2017.

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.

Exact percentages vary, but news from Texas consistently paints a bleak picture regarding the number of homes protected by flood insurance – with the vast number of homes impacted by Hurricane Harvey reportedly uninsured.

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.

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

Steve and Diana Hobart have made a lifetime commitment of being land stewards through forestry and farming at Breakneck Ridge Farm. The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District is pleased to present the Hobarts with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their decades of contributions to natural resource stewardship and for sharing their knowledge and guidance with so many others over the decades.

The 2017 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at the Augusta Armory, 179 Western Avenue, in a statewide effort to commit at least 100 employers to hire at least 100 veterans and military family members during the 100-day period.

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 bottom line is this: At a critical time in Maine’s deer recovery the state has ostensibly been without a seasoned, experienced deer research leader for far too long. It’s a typical bureaucratic situation: sudden departure, slow replacement.

Non-union, full-time county employees will be receiving a 2 percent wage increase in the 2018 county budget after a motion for the increase was approved by the Piscataquis County Commissioners during an Aug. 8 meeting. The raise matches the 2 percent the county’s union employees will receive per their contract starting on Jan. 1, 2018.

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.

Secretary of State Matt Dunlap says he’s refusing a second request by the Trump administration’s election fraud commission to turn over Maine voters’ personal information.

Acting on authorization from Congress, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently hired four private debt collection agencies to pursue overdue federal taxes. Unfortunately, this new activity has prompted some scammers to contact taxpayers, including Maine residents, pretending to be collectors working on behalf of the IRS, and demanding immediate payment.