By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff Winter has not officially arrived, but Mainers who enjoy fishing on hard water are already at it.

Observer photo/Keri Foster FIND THE SHOP LOCAL TREE WINNER — Bill Cleaves of Sangerville is the grand prize winner of the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Shop Local Tree contest.

By David Marino Jr.

VASSALBORO — On Friday, Dec.

BEAVER COVE, Maine — A company with a permit to build two single-family houses in Beaver Cove will have to pay a $6,150 fine and restore vegetation, leaving the Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission members to wonder how to better thwart violations such as these.

Grade 8, high honors: Lili Bisson, Thomas Day, Corey Goodwin, Jenna Hartford, Samantha Kinney, and Madison Sands; honors: Zaid Abed Elnoor, Prudence Bridge, Kameryn Coelho, Teagan Conrad, Alli Cook, Marion Deitz, Sabrina Douglass, Payson Hall, Joseph Knapp, Hailey Nutter, David Richards, Garrett Rogers, Aiden Sickler, Joshua Sinclair, Julia Smith, Kristin Thomas, and Maddox Weidman.

PORTLAND — The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called Correct the Dots, a call to action for individuals to check their addresses on new federal internet maps and to file a challenge if the information is incorrect.

WASHINGTON, D.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — For the first time in nearly four decades, a person other than Joe Guyotte will serve as Dover-Foxcroft fire chief.

Photo courtesy of Dexter Regional High School STUDENTS OF THE MONTH — Dexter Regional High School is pleased to announce the November Students of the Month as selected by the faculty and staff for being exemplary students.

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff When Eben Sypitkowski stepped down in February as the director of Baxter State Park, the state immediately began a national search for his successor.

Maine officials have approved a land use agreement that designates nearly 1,040 acres in the Moosehead Lake region as areas for future housing and commercial development.

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff The Atlantic Salmon Federation’s work to help restore the fish to the Penobscot River will receive a big boost thanks to a $7.

Many older Mainers are worried about having to make tough choices concerning the purchase of food and fuel to heat their homes.

Grade eight, high honors: Violet Chai, Ashley Ladd, Logan Small, and Anna Smith; honors: Connor Badger, Max Cook, Abbygail Ellis, Shyanna Gauvin, Krista Graves, Kolbie Guthrie, Peyton Herbest, Jaylynn Horne, Donovan McEwen, Christopher McGuinness, Paul Moulton-Gray, Charles Nagle, Jessa Plummer, Joshua Ray, Nichollas Small, and Darlyn Young.

The Maine Community Foundation Animal Welfare Grant Program has awarded 25 grants totaling $342,884 to organizations and projects across the state that advance animal welfare.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — It will cost Piscataquis County $5,940,331 to operate next year, plus $2,205,199 to run the unorganized territories.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County’s economic development group recognized William “Bill” Thompson — a Guilford resident, teacher and longtime Select Board member — as this year’s Warren “Pete” Myrick Award winner.