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

A Maine lawmaker is pushing to mandate that hayrides be inspected after a girl was killed. 17 year old Messalonskee student Cassidy Charette died and over 20 others were injured when a Halloween-themed ride crashed last year. Rep. Robert Nutting of Oakland told the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee that someone who pays for a hayride should be able to expect that the ride has been inspected and judged to be safe. Maine State Fire Marshall Joseph Thomas said his office, which oversees the inspection other amusement rides, doesn't have the expertise to also inspect hayrides. (AP)

Gas prices have risen 5.7 cents in Maine in the past week. Gasoline price-monitoring website GasBuddy.com reports Monday that the average cost of a gallon of gas in Maine is $2.52. Maine gas prices are 15.8 cents per gallon higher compared to a month ago, and about $1.21 lower per gallon than at this time last year. The price per gallon in Maine 2 cents lower than the national average. (AP)

A group of Maine lawmakers is introducing legislation that would force Gov. Paul LePage to release voter-approved bonds. Lawmakers and environmental groups have said that LePage's decision to withhold $11.5 million in voter-approved bonds is putting dozens of planned land conservation projects at risk. LePage administration officials have said that he's withholding the funding in order to gain support for his plan to boost funding for programs that help residents reduce their heating costs by increasing timber harvesting on state-owned lands.(AP)

A man is dead after deputies say he got pinned under his dump truck. It happened in Bowdoin Monday. The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office says the victim, a 65-year-old man, was working underneath his dump truck on the transmission when it rolled on top of him. A passerby found his body. (WGME)

What started as fight between two ex's and it ended in a brawl and stabbing in Waterville Sunday night. Police have recovered the knife, but the man who used it is claiming self-defense. Police say the 37-year-old stabbing victim is in critical condition, but is expected to survive.  According to WGME, the victim did not want to press charges against the man who stabbed him. No one has been arrested or charged with a crime, so they're not releasing any names.  (WGME)

Baltimore has plummeted into chaos, hours after the funeral for a black man who mysteriously died of a severe spinal injury he suffered while in police custody. Rioters have torched a pharmacy, set police cars on fire and are throwing bricks at officers. At least 15 officers are hurt. Two dozen people have been arrested. The governor has declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard, but there are still pockets of unrest. A 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew begins Tuesday night. (AP)

Soldiers in Nepal are getting food, water and other emergency supplies ready to be loaded onto helicopters near the epicenter of Saturday's powerful earthquake. Officials have now put the death toll at 4,400, which also includes several dozen people in neighboring India and Tibet. Nepal is facing a humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands left homeless by the earthquake are living in the open without clean water or sanitation. The family of Dawn Habash of Augusta, know communication in Nepal is difficult, they are still waiting hopeful she will be found safe.(AP/centralmaine.com)

Police seized $58,500 in cash from the home of longtime Anson tax collector during an investigation into unaccounted for excise tax revenues at the town office. According to the KJ, the money was discovered at the home of Claudia Viles when police executed a search warrant at her home. It is related to a weeks-long investigation into $77,000 in excise tax receipts unaccounted for on the town’s books. No charges have been filed in the case and it remains under investigation. Viles says she had done nothing wrong and her attorney says they will show the money is hers. (centralmaine.com)

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