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

A Maine legislative committee is recommending the state add five species to its list of threatened and endangered species. A bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Tom Saviello of Franklin would add the cobblestone tiger beetle, frigga fritillary butterfly, six-whorl vertigo snail, little brown bat and Northern long-eared bat to the endangered list. It also adds the Eastern small-footed bat to the threatened list and changes the black-crowned night heron from threatened to endangered status. The legislature's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee recommended passing the bill and it could now come up for a full vote. Environmental officials say the bats need to be added to the list because of the impact of white-nose syndrome on the population. The state last updated its list of threatened and endangered species in 2007. (AP)

Maine's agriculture department says the number of farmers markets in the state is on the rise. The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry says there are currently more than 125 farmers markets in Maine, up from 100 in 2012 and 63 in 2007. Commissioner Walt Whitcomb will visit the Viles Arboretum Farmers Market in Augusta on Friday to mark the beginning of the spring farmers market season and discuss their growth in Maine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that more than 8,000 markets are listed in its national Farmers Market Directory, up from 5,000 in 2008. (AP)

Unity College is hosting its Third Annual Cardboard Kayak Race with a challenge to teams to create kayaks using only six supplies. Entrants in Friday's kayak race can use only cardboard, tape, utility knives, markers, personal flotation devices and a paddle. Teams will spend an hour building the kayaks and then race them on the college's pond. Teams of four people will participate in what the college calls "a true experiential education activity." Prizes will be awarded for most creative and fastest race time. There will also be an award for most enthusiastic, which is also listed as "most epic fail." (AP)

Two bomb threats were found written in bathroom stalls at the McMahon Elementary School in Lewiston on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but the school didn't inform parents about either until Thursday afternoon. According to WGME , the police were called and they determined the threat was made by a child and that no one was in danger. Some parents say the school took too long to inform them. The superintendent said because the district knew there was no danger; they decided it was best to wait to notify parents until they knew exactly what had happened. (WGME)

The families of missing children and murder victims are calling on Maine lawmakers to fund a cold case unit to help them find justice and closure. Trista Reynolds, the mother of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds, joined other parents at the Statehouse Thursday, as lawmakers began to examine the proposal to create a $500,000 squad within the attorney general's office dedicated to investigating unsolved homicides. Reynolds said she's still learning how to cope with the loss of her daughter, who was 20 months old when she vanished in 2011 and is presumed dead. Reynolds said she hopes that by lending her voice to the effort, lawmakers will finally take action this year. Gov. Paul LePage signed a bill to create the unit last year, but the Legislature failed to fund it. (AP)

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