Maine Senate Republicans have given their full support to Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville for reelection.

The Commons at Central Hall will be introducing four new programs in January.

Visitors and local residents using their smartphones, tablets and other devices to access the internet in downtown Greenville and beyond have received an early holiday gift -- free Wi-Fi service. The gift is courtesy of Bill Varney, a well-known Maine businessman who branched out from car sales and insurance to fiber-optic and broadband information delivery a decade ago. Varney

Christmas is coming, and you’re not ready. You’ve still got a few holes on your shopping list, and you just don’t know what to do. Don’t worry. My elves have you covered. At least, if you’re trying to find something for an outdoorsy friend or relative, you’re in luck. I’ve got a few suggestions that may just turn you into a holiday hero.

Louise and Stephen Rhoda have watched a number of riveting things happen outside their back door, which faces the Piscataquis River in Milo: deer trying to cross the ice, flooding and, over the last three years, baby eagles. But on Tuesday morning, Dec. 17 they woke to something they had never seen before: a spinning disc of ice that nearly spanned the entire width of the river.

The United Methodist Church of Dover-Foxcroft will hold a Christmas dessert pie sale starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24, until sold out, with many varieties of delicious homemade fruit and filled dessert pies.

Nine pupils in grades 5-8 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School are December Students of the Month. The month’s honorees were presented with certificates in front of their peers and teachers during an assembly in the cafeteria to start the day on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

On Nov. 19 the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program board voted unanimously to allocate $105,000 to the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation’s (MLREDC) project to acquire the last remaining greenspace in downtown Greenville to conserve it as a permanent public park with direct access to Moosehead Lake for everyone to enjoy. The LMF’s commitment brings the MLREDC’s fundraising campaign to $216,000 on the way toward its goal of $250,000 to purchase the 3 Lakeview Street property and develop the site and the docking system plus an additional $40,000 goal to establish a reserve fund for annual maintenance.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Friday night was opening night for The Center Theatre and the Slightly Off-Center Players’ production of “Little Women the Broadway Musical.

Dexter Regional High School Students do their part to help save lives. Students recently donated blood at a drive with the American Red Cross and sponsored by Dexter Regional High School student government.

Embracing new technology, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and the Maine Forest Service are in the process of purchasing up to 20 drones to help monitor and map the state’s natural resources.

Business owners and other stakeholders from around the Moosehead Lake region gathered at the Trailside Restaurant on Dec. 10. Attendees at the Destination Moosehead Lake annual meeting got updates on the relatively new organization’s progress. Guests also heard from Steve Lyons, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, and keynote speaker Carolann Ouellette, director of the state’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation.

The SAD 41 school board learned more about PVAEC programs during a presentation by PVAEC Director Thelma Regan during a Dec. 11 meeting at the Penquis Valley School. Next month the directors are set to vote on continuing district membership in the cooperative for another year.

The town of Monson has received a $7,000 grant from the Broadband Initiative of the Maine Community Foundation to bring downtown Wi-Fi to Monson to continue the recent growth.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $635,688 in funding to Sebasticook Family Doctors and another $1,492,719 to Greater Portland Health.

Sniffling and sneezing? Seemingly suffering from back-to-back cold symptoms through winter? Winter allergies may be the culprit.

Upcoming events around the region.

Eastern Maine Community College is proud to announce the hiring of the new Director of Workforce Development Chris Winstead. He comes to the college having most recently served as the executive director for Piscataquis County Economic Development Council since 2015.