Central Maine News: July 28, 2015

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

A Texas company is pushing forward with an effort to build a massive wind power project in northern Maine that would be the largest of its kind in New England. Katie Chapman, project manager for EDP Renewable's Number Nine Wind Farm, said her company hopes to begin building the 250-megawatt project near Bridgewater next year. If all goes according to plan, she says it would begin operating in early 2017 and would power up to 70,000 homes. First, the company must get the green light from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. It submitted its application earlier this month.  Chris O'Neil, spokesman for the anti-wind development group Friends of Maine's Mountains, said some people are already raising concerns about the impact the up-to-119-turbine project would have on the area. (AP)

Gas prices in Maine have fallen 4 cents per gallon in the past week. The average retail gas price in Maine was $2.71 per gallon on Sunday. The figure is based on a GasBuddy.com survey of 1,228 gas outlets in the state. The national average price remained fell 3 cents to $2.73 per gallon.Maine gas prices were 93.6 cents less per gallon than the same day in 2014 and 8.5 cents lower than a month ago. The national average price is 79.1 cents cheaper than a year ago and 5.2 cents less per gallon than a month ago. (AP)

Two boys are accused of starting a fire at the former Cascade Woolen Mill in Oakland Friday afternoon. Firefighters say the boys used sawdust to start the fire inside a 55-gallon drum in one of the buildings on the property. Flames were contained quickly and nothing was damaged. Police say the boys were spotted nearby riding bicycles a short time later. They were both charged with arson. (WABI)

A Cape Elizabeth woman shared what she called a disappointing response from Governor Paul LePage. The woman wrote him and asked him to resign. She said she was shocked when she got a letter back.  The governors hand written replay said  “I bet you would like to see me resign. You live in the south who exploit those who are not so fortunate or understand the level of corruption that southern Mainers ignore and welcome."  With a PS of “It’s not going to happen” (WGME)

A proposed downtown Waterville boardwalk along the Kennebec became more of a reality after the Waterville Rotary Club made a large donation. According to the KJ, the Waterville Rotary Club gave a $150,000 grant to the Kennebec Riverwalk at Head of Falls to celebrate the local group’s centennial anniversary. The Kennebec Riverwalk project, which the city has been discussing for several years, was selected after five proposals, including the Riverwalk, were presented to the club. (centralmaine.com)

The efforts to help the residents and businesses in the downtown Gardiner buildings damaged by a fire nearly two weeks ago have raised around $13,000 so far. According to the mayor of Gardiner the best way to support the effort is to donate directly to the United Way of Kennebec Valley, , because all of the money will go to the victims of the fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Investigators with the Office of the State Fire Marshal said they’re looking to speak with four residents of 235 Water St. (centralmaine.com)

The lead singer of a band whose pyrotechnics caused a fire that killed 100 people in Rhode Island is performing in New England for the first time since the blaze. Jack Russell's Great White is performing Aug. 15 at Harvest Hills Farm in Maine, which suffered a tragedy of its own during a fatal hayride accident last October.  Russell was the lead singer for Great White in 2003 when the fire broke out at The Station night club in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Pyrotechnics ignited soundproofing foam on the club's ceiling and walls, causing a fire that killed 100 people. Stan Miller, CEO of North East Concerts, which is promoting the show, told the Sun Journal that the event provides an opportunity for healing. (AP)

Authorities in Thailand are upset about being blacklisted by the U.S. for the second year in a row for failing to do enough to combat modern-day slavery. The State Department said Monday that labor abuses in the Southeast Asian country's seafood sector are persistent, abusive and largely ignored by the government. Thailand's prime minister says his country is working on solving the issues. (AP)

Turkey has called a meeting of its NATO allies for Tuesday to discuss threats to its security, as well as its airstrikes on the Islamic State group in Syria. Meanwhile, Turkey and the United States are working on a plan to rout the Islamic State group from a strip of Syrian territory along the Turkish border. If finalized, the plan could open the possibility of a safe haven for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians. But it also could set up a potential conflict with U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces in the area. (AP)

Turkey's energy minister is suggesting that Kurdish rebels are to blame for an explosion on a natural gas pipeline between Iran and Turkey. The blast caused a large fire and shut down the flow of gas, but it was quickly brought under control. The attack late Monday comes after Turkey last week launched raids against Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq, while at the same time cracking down on the Islamic State group. (AP)

The president of the Boy Scouts of America, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, says the blanket ban on gay adult leaders had "divided and distracted us" for far too long. On Monday, the Boy Scouts ended its ban. But the Mormon church, which sponsors more Scout units than any other organization, says it's "deeply troubled" by the decision. Church-sponsored Scout units can continue to exclude gay troop leaders for religious reasons. (AP)

A New York prison employee accused of helping two murderers break out by smuggling in tools is due in court Tuesday for arraignment. Joyce Mitchell, who was a tailor shop instructor at Clinton Correctional Facility, is accused of providing hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch tool and a screwdriver to prisoner Richard Matt. Authorities say Mitchell was supposed to be the getaway driver, but she backed out. Matt was shot and killed three weeks after he escaped. Fellow escapee David Sweat was captured. (AP)