Legislation to allow hunters to wear red if their religion prohibits them from wearing orange earned support in the Maine House on Thursday, May 11. The bipartisan vote was 120-27.

Maine Department of Education (DOE) Commissioner Robert Hasson has approved a one-year extension for all certificates with an expiration date of July 1, 2017. All teachers, educational specialists and administrators with certificates expiring on July 1, 2017 will be issued a one-year certificate that will be mailed to their home address on file with the Maine DOE.

A need for more law enforcement officers across the region was a key finding of a recent countywide task force. While the issue has been identified, there are no easy answers to addressing the shortage, according to county officials who discussed the task force report during a May 2 meeting.

The Maine Broadband Coalition recently highlighted a number of legislative initiatives to increase Maine’s connectivity to the world.

Downtown Monson is undergoing a transformation thanks to the Portland-based Libra Foundation as the non-profit organization has purchased several buildings and is in the process of replacing these structures as part of its mission of making significant contributions to worthy causes across Maine.

Hearings were held at the State House Monday on a number of bills that would make changes to Maine’s social services programs, particularly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. There were at least 10 bills related to TANF on the public hearing docket and they covered a broad spectrum of proposals.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is tracking Maine lake “Ice-Out.” This annual effort provides boaters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts with information, data and resources to help plan outdoor adventures on Maine lakes. It is available for spring 2017 and for previous years on an Ice-Out webpage maintained by the Department. The public is invited to assist this effort by reporting ice-out dates for water bodies throughout the state.

Deer yards, or deer wintering areas, are a critical component of deer survival in Maine. Nearly 15 years ago, in an article about the status of Maine’s deer yards, I wrote this: As state biologists prepare Maine's next 15-year plan for deer management, which is due to be approved early this year, deer wintering habitat (deer yards) has become the focal point. Over the past decade, there has been a marked decline in deer wintering areas, especially in Northern and Eastern Maine where deer populations are down.

Are we about to see another state tax transfer millions of Maine cigarette smokers’ dollars into government programs said to help Mainers stop, or not start, smoking cigarettes? Maine legislators sponsoring LD 945 "An Act To Reduce the Burden of Tobacco-related Illness by Increasing Revenue from the Cigarette Tax for Use for Tobacco Cessation" want to increase state taxes to $3.50 on each pack of 20 cigarettes, effective November 1, 2017.

Mayo Regional Hospital has signed an interim agreement with Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS). This non-binding agreement follows a substantial amount of work completed since August when Mayo Regional Hospital submitted a letter of intent with the Brewer-based health system.

State Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville has introduced legislation to protect law enforcement officers in the line of duty with LD 990 “An Act To Protect Law Enforcement Officers by Creating the Crime of Aggravated Assault on an Officer.”

PORTLAND — FairPoint Communications has announced the completion of broadband expansion projects in 14 communities in Piscataquis County that extend and enhance FairPoint’s approximately 18,000 mile fiber optic network, which is the largest, fully-owned and managed fiber-based network in northern New England.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The morning after Brownville residents voted to defund the community’s police department after the end of March — at town meeting citizens amended the proposed $167,620 budget line item to $35,767 or the estimated cost for the first three months of the year — county officials discussed the future of law enforcement services in eastern Piscataquis County during a March 21 commissioners’ meeting.

AUGUSTA – State Senator Paul Davis (R-Sangerville) has introduced legislation to protect law enforcement officers in the line of duty with LD 990 “An Act To Protect Law Enforcement Officers by Creating the Crime of Aggravated Assault on an Officer.

AUGUSTA — Maine Senate President Michael Thibodeau, R-Waldo, has announced his appointments to the Maine Legislature’s “Task Force to Address the Opioid Crisis in the State.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis County government and RHR Smith and Company of Old Orchard Beach will be working together for another three years as the firm will continue to provide auditing services for the county, unorganized territory and jail budgets.

AUGUSTA — The Maine State Archives and Maine State Library launched the Digital Maine Transcription Project http://www.

Piscataquis County’s delegation to the 128th Maine State Legislature continues its work this session.