The Maine attorney general’s office has asked a federal judge to dismiss an ex-police officer’s lawsuit against the Penobscot County district attorney on the same grounds that an appeals court threw out a similar lawsuit in 1992 against the man who was then the county’s top prosecutor. 

The American Red Cross of Maine and the Dexter Fire Department  are teaming up to make town residents safer by installing free smoke alarms in their homes, helping them create escape plans and providing other fire safety tips.

A game warden and members of Millinocket Fire Department responded and located the subjects on the west side of the lake. The Sutchs were taken by rescue sled to an awaiting ambulance and transported to Millinocket Regional Hospital where they were treated for mild hypothermia. Both are recovering and have been released from the hospital.

A former police officer in Penobscot County has sued the county’s top criminal prosecutor, claiming she relied on false information in putting him on a list of police officers who are potentially unreliable trial witnesses.

Should a disaster strike the region when Piscataquis County Emergency Agency Director Tom Capraro is out of town and/or on vacation, the response may not be delayed as Deputy Director Debra Hamlin can now step up and fill in.

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.

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.

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.

A 56-year-old New Hampshire man died Sunday, Jan. 19 after breaking through the ice on his snowmobile on a treacherous area of Moosehead Lake.

After more than two weeks of searching, divers from the Maine Warden Service and State Police found the body of a missing man in the Sebec River in Milo on Tuesday, according to Milo police.

Cpl. Dana Gatcomb was honored as the Dexter Police Department Officer of the Year during a Jan. 9 town council meeting.

The details, including where the necessary funding would come from, are still all to be determined but officials in SAD 41 are considering creating a resource officer position to work across the three district schools. The possibility was a topic of discussion during a Jan. 8 school board meeting at the Penquis Valley School.

Through his research, Piscataquis County Manager Michael Williams cannot determine if the county has ever had an official shield and if so what the image may have looked like. While Williams is continuing his efforts, county officials are considering holding a design contest -- such as for high school students and/or artists living in the region -- to create an official shield in recognition of Maine’s Bicentennial in 2020.

I’m not one of those guys who starts every new year with a list of resolutions that I’ll begin ignoring on Jan. 3. In general, I’m one of those guys who works more generically, and tries to screw up less than I did the year before. I keep a few goals in mind, I admit, but rarely do I resolve to achieve them. Instead, I hope to get better, then plod onward, doing the best I can.

The Harmony man who allegedly shot at police and wounded a Waterville officer during a multitown pursuit two weeks ago has been charged with aggravated attempted murder. Richard Murray-Burns, 29, has been hospitalized at Eastern Maine Medical Center for gunshot wounds since the Dec. 22 shootout. He was arrested this afternoon as he was released from the hospital and transported to the Somerset County Jail, according to a press release from Maine State Police spokesperson Stephen McCausland.

The Harmony man who allegedly shot at police and wounded a Waterville officer during a multi-town pursuit remains hospitalized with injuries, but a Maine State Police spokesman said Monday morning that no charges have been filed against him.

Last week’s cold snap covered many lakes and ponds in ice, but with the warming temperatures this week, the Maine Warden Service is urging people to use caution before venturing out onto any ice covering Maine’s waterways.

Rep. Paul Stearns, R-Guilford, left, and Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville presented the Greenville Fire Department with a Legislative Sentiment for voluntary undertaking a rigorous safety program.