Senator talks economy, healthcare during Skype session with Hall-Dale students.

In the first year tablets have been an option in the 11-year-old Maine Learning Technology Initiative, schools are finding students adapt.

After five years, the new classroom is finally complete and will be used for reading time, science lessons and the school’s annual plant sale.

Lori Smail, who was named elementary school principal of the year last spring, is headed to the nation’s capital, where she and other top principals from around the country will be honored.

The percentage of last year’s juniors who met or exceeded standards rose from 39.3 to 52.6 in math, from 39.9 to 54.3 in reading and 36.4 to 48 in writing on the college entrance exams.

Thomas Devoy, missing since Oct. 6, was found in a wooded area near his home Friday, but not where searchers had been focused, police said.

Eighteen exhibitors, representing both government agencies and private businesses, set up in the museum to talk about a variety of earth science topics: rocks and minerals, renewable energy, weather, water and archaeology at the annual Maine Earth Science Day.