Thousands of state employees could be furloughed next week if
shutdown continues  Troy R. Bennett/Bangor Daily News  The State
House in Augusta in May.  AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has cleared
his Friday schedule so he can meet with department heads to
gauge the potential damage of a prolonged U.S. government
shutdown.  The shutdown has sent hundreds of state employees and
National Guardsmen into temporary layoffs, and if it continues
into next week, “thousands” more could be furloughed, according
to LePage press secretary Adrienne Bennett.  Employees at risk
of furlough are those whose positions are funded, in whole or in
part, with federal dollars. Bennett said Friday morning that the
state has “floated” those positions this week in hopes the
shutdown would be short-lived. However, she said, the state
cannot sustain that policy indefinitely.  On Thursday, LePage’s
administration announced that 44 administrative employees in the
state Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management
had been placed on