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.

After a decade of efforts to preserve and rebuild the more than 135-year-old Central Hall on East Main Street, the new look and renamed The Commons at Central Hall was formally opened to the public with a ceremony on the afternoon of May 12. The facility will now house an event center on the upper level and senior center and adult day services center is planned for the future on the first floor.

The hunt for an armed 22-year-old man who stole a marked Dexter Police Department cruiser during the late morning on Friday, May 11 ended that afternoon when the suspect got behind the wheel of another car and crashed, authorities said.

The Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation has awarded Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s largest hunger-relief organization, a $200,000 grant to fund strategies for eliminating food insecurity in Piscataquis County and central Maine, including Dexter.

A proposed budget totaling $11,559,908 and 11 budget warrant articles making up the spending plan were approved by the RSU 68 school board during a May 8 meeting at the SeDoMoCha School. The directors also scheduled the annual district budget meeting for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29 with an information session right before at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria/multipurpose room.

Greta Schroeder of Biddeford has been hired as the new director of library services for the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. Schroeder, who starts in her new position on May 18, will replace Helen Fogler, who is retiring after serving for 21 years in that role.

Paving on stretches of roads in Blanchard and Moosehead Junction will be done this summer by Vaughn D. Thibodeau II, Inc. of Bangor after the company’s low bid of $146,160 was approved by the Piscataquis County Commissioners during a May 1 meeting.

On the morning of Saturday, April 28 hundreds of participants took part in the Abbot-based JD Foundation’s third annual 5K Walk/Run to Wake the Silence, raising funds for the organization, honoring those who have died by suicide and supporting survivors and families impacted.

Mayo Regional Hospital has selected Cerner, a global leader in health care technology, to implement a new integrated electronic health record (HER) and revenue cycle solutions across it acute and ambulatory facilities. This agreement provides the hospital with sophisticated health care technology that will support Mayo doctors, nurses and staff as they work to streamline operations and improve patient care.

Two days before Memorial Day and the annual mid-morning parade through downtown Dover-Foxcroft, American Legion Post 29 will honor the service and sacrifice of veterans with the inaugural five kilometer (3.1 miles) Warrior Race & Fun Run at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 26.

All seven items passed as written during the 2018 annual town meeting on the morning of April 28 in the gymnasium at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building. The articles making up the 2018-19 municipal budget will now go to a referendum vote on Tuesday, June 12.

On April 27 SeDoMoCha Middle School art teacher Bobbi Tardif of RSU 68 in Dover-Foxcroft was presented with the 2018 Maine Art Education Association's Outstanding Service Through the Profession honor during a ceremony at Lewiston Middle School.

To advance compromise on a critical issue of the legislative session, House Independents have proposed a tax conformity package combining the most practical, workable elements of each party’s proposed solution, with a view to a tax code that will provide stability and predictability for businesses and increase tax returns for low income Mainers.

“We have before us the moratorium again and the need for a public hearing,” Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr said during a April 23 selectmen’s meeting. The board then signed the notice to hold a public hearing on an extension, which would run for another 180 days from May 26 to Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 14.

Several years ago many Maine municipalities made a choice for waste disposal, with most opting to either remain with the Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC) or go with the forthcoming Fiberight facility in Hampden. For the county facilities in Lily Bay and Orneville townships, county officials voted to continue the relationship with PERC.

The town of Atkinson, nestled between Dover-Foxcroft and Milo, is one step closer to deorganizing, now that Gov. Paul LePage has signed a bill to authorize the effort. Gov. LePage signed LD 1484 on April 12, which represents the state’s approval of the deauthorization of the Piscataquis County town. The final step will be a townwide referendum in November.

The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) recently awarded a $4,226,000 challenge grant from the Maine Technology Asset Fund 2.0 program to the Pleasant River Lumber Company. The $4.2 million will be used toward a $12 million expansion at Pleasant River Lumber’s mill on the Milo Road and a larger $20 million initiative between the Dover-Foxcroft location and the company’s Moose River Mill in Jackman.

They may not be as large or produce as much meat, milk or eggs as quickly as their mainstream counterparts, but for those farmers and homesteaders who love them, heritage breeds fill a unique niche in Maine.