Students across Piscataquis Community Elementary School, including seventh- and eighth-graders for the first time with these grades moved up Campus Drive for 2017-18, spent several months reading as many books as possible in the hopes of winning a brand new bicycle and helmet.

Greenville Schools are well into their baseball and softball seasons, and not only are the teams performing well on the field, but they’ve been doing a lot to promote their special cause this year – suicide awareness.

Standing in the shadows of the half-light by the kitchen window, she was pointing out by the bird feeder. A large black bear was standing on all fours not 15 feet from the sliding glass door on which it had slathered its drool the night before. Having hunted bears and guided some, I’m a pretty good judge of size. This bruin was in the neighborhood of 250 pounds! He just stood there gazing calmly at the bird feeder station. He then sniffed at the pole that had held the feeder, which we had removed after the previous night’s raid.

The Moosehead Marine Museum (MMM) received a $5,000 grant from the Bangor Savings Foundation to support filming of a historical documentary film featuring steamboat wrecks in Moosehead Lake.

For the sixth consecutive year the town of Dover-Foxcroft recognized Arbor Week, observed in 2018 from May 21-25 or the third full week of the month, with a ceremonial planting on May 23. This year a pair of clethra ruby spice or summersweet shrubs were placed in front of the newly-opened The Commons at Central Hall on East Main Street.

An area of the Eastern Piscataquis Business Park off outer Park Street that once was empty has had several buildings constructed and donated to the Three Rivers Kiwanis Club of Milo/Brownville over the last few years thanks to the generosity of Milo residents Tom and Nancy Harrigan. The Harrigans have provided a Kiwanis Headquarters, auction storage facility, Harris Pond Pavilion and the Harrigan Learning Center and Museum of Fossils, Minerals, and Indian Artifacts.

ATV riders will now have access to a number of downtown businesses as the Dexter Town Council approved an ordinance opening seven town streets to ATVs during a May 17 meeting.

With each of three bids for building a Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) storage garage coming in multiple times more than the project budget, the county commissioners opted to table a decision during a May 15 meeting.

Maine’s 65 newest police officers graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy on May 18, including Officer Alyshia D. Canwell of the Dexter Police Department.

A Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant who goes above and beyond the call of duty and who gives back in other ways has been honored by the Valley Grange with the organization’s 2018 Community Citizen of the Year honor. Lt. Jamie Kane received the recognition on the evening of May 18 at the Grange Hall.

In the twilight of my life, the Boy Scouts of America – its teachings, its values, and the fun of it all – still evoke a warm glow in my overflowing storehouse of special memories.

On May 16 Dover-Foxcroft Police Department officers were called to investigate a suspicious person, associated with a domestic case of harassment and stalking. The suspect Edward Crooks, 40, of Dexter, was suspected of continued harassment of a female victim. Officers were seeking to make contact with Crooks who was believed to be intoxicated at the time and driving a silver or tan colored Chevy Trailblazer.

Four years ago residents approved an ordinance concerning private distribution corridors, including paved highways, pipelines and high-tension transmission lines. The moratorium enacted in 2014 -- meaning permits for these types of development projects cannot be granted during the timeline -- was in effect for 180​ ​days.​ ​The​ ​moratorium​ ​has​ ​since​ ​been​ ​renewed​ ​seven ​times​ ​with​ ​the​ ​current​ ​extension​ ​in​ ​place​ ​through​ ​May 25. During a May 14 meeting, the selectmen approved another 180-day extension which will be in effect from May 26 to Nov. 21.

The man accused of stealing a Dexter police cruiser while handcuffed last week and leading police on a high-speed chase down rural roads remained in jail Wednesday, May 16 after making his first court appearance earlier in the day at the Penobscot Judicial Center.

To approve a 2018-19 school budget totaling $7,087,042?

A Dexter business owner is offering a newly rehabbed restaurant space in the heart of town at a deep discount: free rent and taxes for a year. As part of a five-year lease, all the tenant must pay for during the first year is utilities.

The handcuffed man who stole a Dexter police cruiser last week was released from a Bangor hospital Monday and then charged for the theft, authorities said.

Visitors young and old were able to learn about the life of Anne Frank and think about how lessons from Europe during World War II can be applied today as the “Anne Frank: A History for Today” traveling exhibit was on display at The Commons at Central Hall from May 2-11.