These are some of the stories central Maine is talking about today.

A legislative committee will subpoena members of Gov. Paul LePage's administration to learn more about actions that caused a private school to rescind a job offer to one of his political opponents. The Government Oversight Committee's decision, on an 8-3 vote, came after Good Will-Hinckley Chairman Jack Moore spoke before the committee on Thursday. Moore says a threat to withhold more than a half million dollars in funding would have set off a chain of events that would make the school fiscally insolvent. The panel is investigating allegations that the governor overstepped his authority in his efforts to get Good Will-Hinckley to rescind a six-figure job offer to Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves. The subpoenas will go to chief legal counsel Cynthia Montgomery and senior policy adviser Aaron Chadbourne. (AP)

The Governor's Energy Office says the average statewide cash price for heating oil rose 3 cents over the last week to $2.04 per gallon. Trends are similar in kerosene and propane. Kerosene rose 2 cents to $2.60 per gallon and propane rose 3 cents to $2.15 per gallon. Although the prices have increased slightly, forecasts for all fuels are lower this season. The highest price for heating oil in Maine was $2.50 per gallon in eastern Maine. The lowest price was $1.80 per gallon in western, southwestern and eastern Maine. (AP)

A law prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes in the same public places where smoking is banned is taking effect in Maine. The new law bans electronic cigarettes in places such as restaurants, playgrounds and beaches where traditional cigarettes are prohibited. It took effect on Thursday. Maine restaurants went smoke-free in 2004 and other areas followed five years later. Electronic cigarettes deliver nicotine and use a battery-powered vaporizer to turn liquid containing nicotine into vapor. (AP)

Advocates for expanding Maine’s background check requirement for gun purchases will begin gathering signatures around the state this weekend in an effort to put the issue before voters in November 2016. According to the KJ, the organization Maine Moms Demand Action for Gun Sensefiled initial paperwork in August for a ballot initiative that would require background checks on anyone purchasing a gun from a private seller or from non-licensed sellers at a gun show.Supporters say the expansion would close a loophole that allows individuals who are prohibited from owning a gun to avoid the federal background checks required for purchases at licensed gun dealers. Opponents claim the proposal will only affect law-abiding gun owners and do little to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.(centralmaine.com)

Howard Hill now belongs to the Kennebec Land Trust. According to the KJ, the 164 acres of undeveloped land is tucked between otherwise largely developed areas of Augusta and Hallowell. Land trust officials closed on the property last week and plan, eventually, to give it to the city of Augusta to be preserved, they hope, forever. They did so without $337,500 in voter-approved Land for Maine’s Future funds awarded to assist in the purchase but held up by Gov. Paul LePage’s refusal to issue $6.5 million in bonds approved by voters in 2010 and $5 million approved in 2012. To replace that held-up state money and still meet its deadline they had to take out a loan. Land trust hopes and expect the Land For Maine’s Future program will resume awarding money after the Legislature reconvenes in January 2016, and the trust finally will be awarded the money it then can use to repay the loan. (centralmaine.com)

California transportation officials say it could take up to a day to clear up to 5 feet of mud on Interstate 5, north of Los Angeles. Flash flooding on Thursday sent water, mud and rocks rushing across the road, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded and closing the major north-south thoroughfare. Four people and two dogs were rescued from atop one car. (AP)

There's no rain in sight as firefighters battle a wildfire in Central Texas that has burned through 6 square miles. The blaze has wiped out some three dozen homes and is threatening hundreds of others. But on Thursday winds did push the blaze away from busy neighborhoods in Bastrop County. Fire officials say about 25 percent of the fire is contained. (AP)

Nevada regulators have ordered daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel to shut down, saying the sites cannot operate in the state without a gambling license. The decision comes amid growing backlash by regulators and investigators after it was revealed employees often played on competing sites, raising questions about possible insider information being used to win. (AP)

Police in New York say it's the third time it's happened in the city in the past three months. A woman has tossed her infant out of a window, killing the child. Police say it happened Thursday, when 27-year-old Tenisha Fearon allegedly tossed her 6-month-old daughter from a sixth-floor window of an apartment in the Bronx. One neighbor says Fearon shouted, "I'm going to throw her. We're all gonna die!" Police say Fearon's three other children, ages 10, 8 and 3, weren't injured. (AP)

Authorities in North Carolina say two men died after getting into an argument on a Charlotte street and shooting each other. Local news media outlets say the deadly shooting happened Thursday afternoon in an eastern part of Charlotte that has seen an increase in violence in the past few months. Police say the two men knew each other. (AP)

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