A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former police officer against the Penobscot County district attorney because the complaint was filed too late.

The Dexter Police Department and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency have announced the arrest of a Dexter couple for Class A aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and three others for unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.

Maine State Police have charged a man from Plymouth with robbing the AE Robinson convenience store in Corinna early Friday morning. Mark Dunlop, 43, was taken into custody at his home early in the afternoon. He is charged with robbery and was transported to the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor.

The Maine court system on Wednesday extended many of the emergency deadlines set because of the coronavirus pandemic. It also expanded the list of cases and proceedings that may be scheduled and heard and implemented additional safety precautions for those entering courthouse facilities consistent with orders issued by Gov. Janet Mills.

In recognition of Correction Officers Appreciation Week, Piscataquis and Penobscot County District Attorney Marianne Lynch said she would like to extend her deep appreciation to all the hand working correction officers in the two counties and all those serving in the capacity across the state.

During the second week of April, a snow storm dumped over a foot of heavy, wet snow on Piscataquis County, bringing down limbs and trees and knocking out power to much of the region and beyond. County officials are looking to recoup some of the costs for the storm damage as the commissioners learned more during a May 5 meeting conducted via conference call.

Minority Republicans in the Maine Legislature want to reconvene and end the coronavirus state of emergency declared by Gov. Janet Mills, which would allow all businesses to reopen but would require unlikely Democratic support.

Amid criticism of her plan to reopen Maine’s economy from hospitality and other businesses, Gov. Janet Mills on Friday stood firm on allowing businesses to restart in stages over the next few months.

State courts remain open to the public but hours are limited. Grand jury sessions were not held in April and have been canceled in May. Criminal and civil jury trials scheduled in April and May have been continued indefinitely.  

Certain Maine businesses can reopen on Friday as part of a gradual plan to lift coronavirus-related restrictions, though many hospitality businesses could remain closed deep into the summer, Gov. Janet Mills said Tuesday.

More than 4,700 people lost power late Monday night in Corinth and nearby communities. The outage affected Alton, Atkinson, Bradford, Charleston, Corinna, Corinth, Dexter, Exeter, Garland, Glenburn, Hudson, Kenduskeag, Levant, Newburgh and Orneville Township, according to Emera Maine.

The Maine Warden Service, working with the Maine Border Patrol, Maine Forest Service, West Forks Fire and Rescue, Upper Kennebec Ambulance and civilian volunteers, rescued an injured hiker who had to be Lifeflighted after he slipped and fell 30 feet down an embankment into Moxie Gorge on Monday.

Maine Department of Corrections client Clinton Freeman Rhoades has been brought back to DOC supervision. On Tuesday an alert for the whereabouts of Rhoades was issued after he failed to report to his probation officer, as required.

Two overdue canoeists paddling the Kennebec River were located alive and well on Monday afternoon at the Family Dollar Store in Madison when they were able to recharge their cell phone and notify family members. Jake Cyr, 22 of Guilford, and Tyson Bell, 31 of Dixfield, began their canoe trip on the Kennebec River Saturday evening in Bingham. Cyr and Bell camped Saturday and Sunday night on the river, portaging both the Solon Dam and the first of two Madison dams.

After nearly a year on the job, Guilford Town Manager David Wilson will be leaving the position in several weeks to become director of campus security at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor. Town Treasurer/Deputy Town Clerk Johanna Tuner will serve as interim town manager through the March 2021 annual town meetings as part of a shift in several municipal positions.

Investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal have arrested Quinton King, 61 of Monson, and charged him with arson in connection with fires in Monson that occurred Wednesday morning, April 8.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has spent a month modeling how the new coronavirus might spread. The scenarios are wide-ranging. 

Despite a lack of recorded cases of the coronavirus in Piscataquis County as of Tuesday morning, county officials are still exercising caution in daily operations with facilities on the East Main St. campus mostly closed to the public and limited staff working on site. Gov. Janet Mills announced stricter limits on public gatherings last month, including banning gatherings of more than 10 people, the Piscataquis County Commissioners met via teleconference for the April 7 meeting.