The people who are trying to develop the Moosehead Lake region into more of a tourism hub have spent years waiting for timber giant Weyerhaeuser to deliver on its plans to build two resorts, 1,000 second-home lots, a golf course and other attractions in the area.

A lease agreement between the town of Dover-Foxcroft and the Maine Highlands Senior Center, on the first floor at The Commons at Central Hall, was amended to assist the organization in applying for a kitchen grant. The adjustment from 15 to 20 years as of March 1 was approved during a Jan. 27 selectmen’s meeting.

Eleven pupils in grades 5-8 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School are January Students of the Month. The honorees were presented with certificates in front of their peers and teachers during an assembly in the cafeteria to start the day on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

A new childcare center has opened in Dover Foxcroft, Little Organics Learning Center.

A Milo man accused of killing a cat and shooting at his fleeing wife and kids in December  has pleaded guilty. ABC affiliate WVII reports that Frank Foss Jr. 25, pleaded guilty Monday to domestic violence terrorizing with a dangerous weapon and cruelty to animals, among other charges.

If you drive north of Greenville on the road to Kokadjo you might notice a modest sign on the right hand side with an image of a plane and the words B52 Memorial. It commemorates an event that took place almost 60 years ago on January 23, 1963, when a hulking, 185,000-pound B-52 Stratofortress took off from Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts as part of an Air Force test of the eight-engine jet’s ability to handle low-level flight. 

Have you heard the news? Foxcroft Academy is an IB World School. Our inaugural first semester is in the rearview mirror and we are on to the second semester filled with challenging learning and new experiences. If you’re interested in learning more and possibly joining the program, there will be an informational meeting for students and parents/guardians about the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at 6 p.m. n Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Foxcroft Academy in Room 211 (the Washburn Parkman Room).

On Monday, Jan. 27, Brownville Elementary held a Winter Carnival as part of the last week of activities for the WinterKids Winter Games competition.

Henry David Thoreau, beholding Moosehead Lake for the first time, wrote this: “a gleaming silver platter at the end of the table.” If only he could have seen the lake from the air! The first time that I saw the big lake from the air in a north-bound ski-plane my jaw dropped. The expansiveness, not only of the lake itself, but the entire north woods watershed, presents a panorama like no other.

It is with deep regret that organizers announce that this year’s Wilderness Sled Dog Race will be canceled, the event had been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1.

Shortly before noon on Saturday, Jan. 25 a snowmobile collided with a sled dog musher just north of Brownville Junction. The musher was taking part in a sled dog race that shared part of its route with snowmobile trail ITS 110.

Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville visited the home of Phyllis and Harlan Spaulding of Dover-Foxcroft and presented him with an Honorable Service Coin and a certificate from the State of Maine.

Eighth-grader Izzy Story earned top honors at the 10th annual SeDoMoCha Middle School District Spelling Bee on the evening of Jan. 23. Story will now go on to represent Piscataquis County at the Maine State Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Portland Press Herald and scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, March 21 at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.

For more than 20 years -- since I first caught the fly fishing bug and began traveling up to the East Outlet of the Kennebec River every chance I got -- I’ve looked forward to regular visits to downtown Greenville, and to the fly shop that sits just a few long casts from Moosehead Lake.

Dover-Foxcroft native Jesse Havea -- best known among her many fans as the high-energy New York City drag queen Brita Filter -- is among the 13 queens announced for season 12 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” set to premiere Feb. 28 on VH1.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine recently spent the day in Piscataquis County to visit small businesses, speaking with folks at the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, and learning more about the Piscataquis Regional Food Center in Dover-Foxcroft.

Everybody, and everything, loves a smelt. The sleek, silver fish -- officially known as a “rainbow smelt” -- is prevalent in many lakes and ponds, and is the preferred food of landlocked salmon and other larger fish. In streams, they might be gobbled up by opportunistic mammals or birds. And humans? Well, if we’re not using them as bait to catch other fish, we eat ‘em, too.

The Piscataquis County Commissioners approved the hiring of two people to fill open positions with the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office during a Jan. 21 meeting.