Central Maine News: Nov 17, 2015

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

The Waterville High School principal accused of asking a student to have sex with him has been fired. The Waterville Board of Education voted 6-1 Monday to dismiss Waterville Senior High School principal Don Reiter. Reiter showed no emotion. He has 30 days to appeal. Reiter was accused of asking a student for sex on Aug. 27 in his office. His lawyer says evidence will show the allegations are false. Police have been talking to former students of Reiter a high school in New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Waterville police says one of the students said she had a sexual relationship with him just before or after she graduated. The school board voted without considering the new evidence, which could've delayed the vote. (AP/WGME/centralmaine.com)

A Rockland man who shot an intruder after buying a gun to defend himself is suing his landlord over an apartment complex policy that bans weapons. The lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of Harvey Lembo, who shot an intruder in the shoulder at his Rockland home Sept. 1. The alleged burglar recovered and has been charged. Lembo, who uses a wheelchair, said he bought the gun after several break-ins. But the property management company said tenants are prohibited from having firearms. Lembo's attorney, Boston-based Patrick Strawbridge, says the lawsuit in Knox County Superior Court aims to ensure that people like Lembo are allowed to "enjoy their full constitutional rights." He says that includes the "right to lawfully possess firearm in self-defense." There was no immediate response from Lembo's landlord. (AP)

Maine state police say a threat made via Instagram by someone claiming to be a student at Camden-Rockport Middle School actually originated from overseas. Students were required to stay in their classrooms during a lockdown on Monday morning. But the day continued normally 90 minutes later after the threat was investigated. The Instagram message contained an implied threat. An investigation by the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory found that the message actually came from outside the U.S. (AP)

Bath police say they responded to the Shaw’s parking lot for a reported gunshot victim Monday afternoon. According to WGME officers found the woman with a gunshot wound to the head.  She is currently at Maine Medical Center. Officers say the suspected shooter was immediately identified. The suspected shooter is an acquaintance of the victim. Initial indications are that the shooting was accidental. No arrests have been made at this time. (WGME/centralmaine.com)

Gov. Paul LePage joined several Republican governors Monday who said they would not allow Syrian refugees to be admitted into their states after Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. According to the KJ, the governor wrote ‘to bring Syrian refugees into our country without knowing who they are is to invite an attack on American soil just like the one we saw in Paris last week and in New York City on 9/11’. States cannot dictate federal immigration policy, so it’s unlikely any governor would be able to stop the federal government from settling refugees. (centralmaine.com)

France has fired new airstrikes on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, days after deadly attacks in Paris linked to the group. A military spokesman says the early Tuesday strikes destroyed a command post and training camp. France conducted sweeping raids Sunday night on Raqqa and the French president is calling for stronger international coordination against IS.

French President Francois Hollande says he'll present a bill Wednesday for an extension of a state of emergency in France. It would grant police and the military greater powers of search and arrest, and local governments the right to ban demonstrations and impose curfews for another three months. A temporary state of emergency was put into effect following last Friday's terror attacks in Paris that killed 129 people. (AP)

President Barack Obama says the U.S. will transfer two ships to the Philippine Navy as part of an effort to boost maritime security in the Southeast Asian nation. Obama is in the Philippines, attending the annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group. The U.S. has tried to boost security ties with the Philippines in a bid to check China's territorial ambitions in disputed waters of the South China Sea. (AP)