The Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District is excited to announce they are entering into a three-year contract with the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy that focuses on implementation of stream restoration and aquatic organism passage projects.

Observer photo/Keri Foster FIND THE SHOP LOCAL TREE WINNER — Bill Cleaves of Sangerville is the grand prize winner of the Piscataquis Observer’s annual Find the Shop Local Tree contest.

By David Marino Jr.

PORTLAND — The Maine Connectivity Authority has launched a critical public education campaign called Correct the Dots, a call to action for individuals to check their addresses on new federal internet maps and to file a challenge if the information is incorrect.

WASHINGTON, D.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — It will cost Piscataquis County $5,940,331 to operate next year, plus $2,205,199 to run the unorganized territories.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County’s economic development group recognized William “Bill” Thompson — a Guilford resident, teacher and longtime Select Board member — as this year’s Warren “Pete” Myrick Award winner.

It starts with a few sniffles, a scratchy throat, and a couple of sneezes.

By Mehr Sher Mainers learned earlier this year that the state is approximately 75 percent carbon neutral, based on a first-of-its-kind analysis of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Grade 12, highest honors: Emma Calnan, Gabriella Clark, Samantha Goodwin, Kendall Kimball, and Norah MacMahon; high honors: Cadence Clukey, Maximilian Daehn, Jarren Grant, Jennifer (Jordy) Lonergan, Christina Maguire, Saia Miles, Gavin Richards, Hunter Ronco, Gracie Talbot, and Meriel Willey; honors: Tyrus Cobb, Connor Gebo, Sydney Grenier, Abigail Herrick, Alexandria Maguire, Christopher Maguire, Julia Munson, Joshua Oldham, Maria Fernanda Pinheiro Velame, Abbey Ricker, Brylee Ricker, Dawson Simpson, Molly Sipple, and Anna Zimmerman.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff A major company that runs testing sites and medical laboratories across the country will take over much of Northern Light Health’s lab services operation next spring.

By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff Maine is on track again to see a record number of overdose deaths by the end of the year.

Abbot resident Walter Boomsma was recognized at the 156th annual National Grange Convention in Reno, Nevada as a Cultivator of the Year by the National Grange Membership and Leadership Development Department.

By Kathleen O’Brien, Bangor Daily News Staff After working with Bangor’s homeless population for nearly 20 years, Jen Weatherbee no longer trudges through snow looking for unsheltered people to offer them help.

GUILFORD — Piscataquis Community Elementary School students will demonstrate their skills as classes, groups, and individuals using their voices, instruments, and movement on two separate nights this holiday season.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County’s commissioners agreed to raise the daily boarding rate for prisoners from outside the county during a meeting Tuesday.

DEXTER  — A new adoption program that aims to boost the well-being of seniors who live alone pairs them with cats in need of homes.

Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the promotion of Maria Wooten from her current role as executive vice president to president beginning in January.