Department of Conservation: Maine Forest Service entomologists, using a method reminiscent of an old-fashioned husking bee, will hold a bark-peeling workshop later this month to look for evidence of the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect threatening Maine’s forests. The workshop will be held Tuesday, January 24, at the Maine Forest Service in Augusta. For more information, please click here.

Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management/Maine Emergency Management Agency (DVEM/MEMA): The DVEM/MEMA will be offering a cyber-security course in Augusta on February 15 from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. This basic awareness course will explore cyber security in a community context while demonstrating how cyber-attacks can impact, prevent, and/or stop business operations and emergency responses.

It is an awareness level course for participants who are interested in how cyber-attacks can affect a community, and what role everyone plays concerning this threat. The discussion-based course builds basic terminology and will help to identify fundamental cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures that can influence an individual, organization, and/or locality. For more information, please click here.

Department of Education: Commissioner Stephen Bowen unveiled his much-anticipated plan, “Education Evolving: Maine’s Plan for Putting Learners First,” at a Capital Area Technical Center press event in Augusta. Under the plan, students will play a more active role in organizing their own learning and have more choice, i.e. internships, inter-disciplinary classes, independent study, and vocational education, in how they learn and achieve standards. The plan is the product of Bowen’s statewide tour to listen to children, parents, and educators for the purpose of formulating a strategy to improve Maine’s education system. For more information, please click here.

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and is the leading cause among non-smokers. It is naturally occurring in Maine's bedrock and soil.

Radon is a scentless and tasteless carcinogenic gas that can seep into our homes and water, putting our health at risk. With January being National Radon Action Month, and with our homes sealed up for winter weather, now is the best time to determine if remedial action is needed to address this problem.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a Web page (Maine CDC Radon Page) dedicated to radon testing and mitigation, as does the Environmental Protection Agency (US Environmental Protection Agency Radon Page).

Maine Revenue Services: It is tax season once again, and Maine Revenue Services has all the forms and information you need conveniently posted on their Web site. The site contains an array of facts that may be of assistance, including what you need to file your individual income taxes, the ability to check the status of your refund, details about recent and upcoming changes to tax laws, as well as answers to your business and property tax questions.

Department of Labor: A new SafetyWorks! Safety Training Institute was dedicated in Augusta in an effort to improve workplace safety training services for workers and businesses. The Safety Training Institute has classroom space for SafetyWorks! safety and health courses and includes a large indoor facility where workers can get hands-on training on a variety of different topics, including fall protection, confined spaces, forklift operation, scaffolding, electrical hazards, ergonomics, and ladder safety. For more information, please click here.