It has been a challenging and emotionally draining last several weeks. We’ve been encouraged to stay at home to keep each other safe and many of us have been relegated to that same (in my case tiny) space for work. Day after day. It got old. Quickly. I had no idea how much it had dampened my outlook on things -- until I went fishing.

More and more, the government’s nationwide COVID-19 mitigation measures are resembling a fictional nightmare from the pages of “1984,” George Orwell’s dystopian novel about oppressive government run amok.

As expected, the popularity of eight-player football will continue to transform the Maine high school landscape for the 2020 season. The Maine Principals’ Association has approved several proposed football classification changes, including two divisions to accomodate 26 eight-player teams. That’s an increase of 16 programs from the state’s implementation of the alternative format last year.

Maine's annual moose permit lottery, which was to have been staged live in front of a large crowd in Jackman in June, has been switched to a 'virtual' format instead due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Baxter State Park will be closed to camping, vehicle access and travel above tree line until further notice, with a target opening date of July 1.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Three Rivers Kiwanis has canceled this year’s Sebec River Canoe Race.

To the constantly growing list of events that won't be staged this year, add this: Trout Unlimited's national meeting, which was to have been held in Bangor in August, will instead be staged in the Queen City in 2021. The meeting had been scheduled for Aug. 19-23 and would have drawn hundreds of volunteers to Bangor for a variety of meetings and recreational events.

If you have never hunted wild turkeys, you are missing a wonderful opportunity, not only to  enjoy the spring woods in Maine before bug season, but to hunt a very plentiful game bird.

Dexter senior Nathan Richards, twirling the net after the Tigers won the Class C North title in February, is one of 25 players from across five classes to earn BDN All-Maine Schoolboy Basketball Team Honorable Mention recognition.

For the past 18 years, the BDN has partnered with registered Maine guide Dan Legere to give away what many winners called the trip of a lifetime: A daylong drift down one of Maine's classic fly-fishing rivers. This year, unfortunately, we won't be holding that trip after all.

The Maine Principals’ Association, citing continued concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and a recommendation by the Maine Commissioner of Education, decided Thursday, April 9 to cancel outright the 2020 spring high school sports season.

A pair of defensive linemen from the region were selected for the 31st annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl, scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at Thornton Academyin Saco (the coronavirus pandemic has the game questionable at the present time). Dexter Regional High School’s Haedyn Guenther and Isaac Weymouth of Foxcroft Academy were both named to the East squad.

Meanwhile, there are several Kiwanis-sponsored events that won't happen or will be postponed. First, as you probably assumed, due to state and federal mandates, our annual Piscataquis River Race scheduled for April 25 has been canceled. Nevertheless, we greatly appreciate the sponsors of this event, most of whom decided to donate their sponsorship amount anyway. They will be recognized when we have the final tally. But our fundraising raffle has not been canceled. Renamed our “Social Distancing Community Raffle,” you have three chances to win gas cards in the amount of $300, $200 or $100.  

Tiegan Murray of Greenville High School has become the first player to commit to Husson University and head coach Amanda Cummings for the 2020 women’s soccer season.

Snowmobiling is supposed to be fun, a wintertime recreational pursuit accessible to families and people of all ages. It is not supposed to end in death or serious bodily injury. Yet in Maine, the season winding down has been badly marred by one after another snowmobiling accidents that resulted in death to the operators. Eleven people have died this winter somewhere on Maine’s 14,000 miles of trails. In almost all the crashes, the operator lost control at a high rate of speed and hit a tree.

Greenville senior Halle Pelletier is one of 25 players from across five classes to earn BDN All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball Team Honorable Mention recognition.

The Third Team is composed of seniors Lexi Mittelstadt of Mt. Blue in Farmington, Cecelia Dieterich of Oxford Hills, Windham’s Hannah Talon, Gray-New Gloucester’s Jordan Grant and junior Peyton Grant of Dexter.

Citing a continuing goal of reducing moose density in certain areas in order to cut down the effect of winter ticks on the herd, Maine biologists have proposed increasing the number of available moose permits this year by 11 percent over last year, up to 3,135.