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.

Residents and visitors to town had the opportunity to learn more about the project from Libra Foundation Chairman and CEO Craig Denekas, who spoke at the Monson Historical Society on July 15 during the annual Monson Summerfest.

The Libra Foundation recently purchased the former Brothers Chevrolet-Buick site on West Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft with plans to convert the building into an all-season indoor recreation facility with artificial turf. It will add an indoor ice rink and a connecting building that would include locker rooms and spectator space and serve as the primary entrance.

For the fourth year in a row a contingent is hiking 120 miles from downtown Monson to the summit of Mount Katahdin through the 100-Mile Wilderness along the northernmost section of the Appalachian Trail to raise funds through pledges along the way. This year’s “Miles of Memories Hike” supports the Wilderness Walk for Warriors, an organization that raises money for Maine veterans and service members and their families and honors the nation’s fallen heroes.

The Department of Labor's bill to modernize the regulations governing youth employment, LD 1564, is now law and effective immediately.

Customers stopping by the Kineo Coffee Shop for a drink and a bite to eat had the opportunity to learn more about the efforts of the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation and the Brand Leadership Team through a “Coffee Shop Talk” on the morning of July 8.

Rescuers helped an injured hiker to safety in Piscataquis County for the second time in as many days on Thursday, July 6.

A teenager who suffered a broken leg on the Appalachian Trail was airlifted off a mountain east of Greenville on Wednesday, July 5.

Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) is collaborating with the Maine Department of Education (DOE) for the 2017 Maine Hire-A-Vet campaign to offer free training for veterans interested in becoming a school bus driver.