When employees at Northern Light Health locations in the county arrived on Friday, April 17 they were greeted with signs featuring messages of encouragement amidst the coronavirus pandemic such as “heros work here” and “you are champions.” The healthcare workers soon learned the gratitude messages had been posted during the early morning hours by Makayla Goodrich, 12 of Monson.

The proposed RSU 68 budget for the 2020-21 academic year is up slightly to a figure of $11,970,877, as presented by Superintendent Stacy Shorey during an April 14 school board meeting at the SeDoMoCha School streamed live on Youtube. The $11.97 million figure represents an increase of 1.58 percent from the current year’s budget of $11,784,238.

SAD 4 and other districts across the state are now educating students remotely through the end of the academic year. School board members learned more about the current methods of instruction during an April 14 meeting held via video conference and conference call.

Following last week’s recommendation by Maine Department of Education (MDOE) Commissioner of Education Pender Makin, with the support of Gov. Janet Mills, regional school districts are extending remote learning plans until the end of the academic year.

With public gatherings such as town meetings prohibited under an executive order from Gov. Janet Mills in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual town meeting in Dover-Foxcroft will not be taking place on Saturday morning, April 25. With the Governor also moving the state primary from June 9 to July 14 the Dover-Foxcroft referendum will not be held on the second Tuesday of June. Instead town officials are looking to push back the schedule for remaining work on the 2020-21 municipal budget, as they discussed this during an April 13 meeting held via Zoom. 

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.

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.

With students learning remotely through at least the end of the month, SAD 46 staff are working hard to serve the pupils during the coronavirus pandemic. SAD 46 school board members learned more during an April 1 meeting conducted via Zoom, a web-based video conferencing system.

Milo Police Chief/Town Manager Damien Pickel passed away unexpectedly at his home on Monday evening, March 30.  He was 51.

To provide an extra measure of protection for employees at Northern Light Mayo Hospital, and a safeguard for others working out in the community during the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers have gotten together remotely via Facebook to sew protective masks.