Central Maine News: Oct 1, 2015

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

A massive rainstorm drenched parts of northern New England with more than 6 inches of rain, flooding basements, disabling cars and forcing a university to cancel classes. The National Weather Service said rainfall totals Wednesday topped 6 inches in parts Maine and 5 inches in parts of New Hampshire on Tuesday. There are reports of 6.8 inches of rain near Windham, 6.6 inches in Gorham and 6.3 inches in Lewiston.  In Maine, WCSH-TV remained on the air despite flooded basement, and a Portland day care was evacuated. The University of Southern Maine canceled classes. (AP)

A masked person robbed Casey’s Redemption Center on Wednesday afternoon in Fairfield. According to the KJ, they got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. No weapon was displayed, and the male robber was last seen fleeing around the back of the building, heading toward High Street. The suspect is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, is white and was wearing a dark blue-hooded raincoat and a red mask. Witnesses at the scene told police they had seen the man lurking around the area before the robbery. Any one with information is asked to call the Fairfield police at 453-9321. (centralmain.com)

A petition asking the Board of Selectmen not to renew Town Manager Michelle Flewelling’s contract has gathered more than 100 signatures at two businesses in town. But according to the KJ, Flewelling says it won’t affect her position. She says the petition “is just continuing drama, and it needs to stop because it’s not doing anybody any good.” That drama includes recent skirmishes between Flewelling and the town’s sewer commissioners, some of whom have clashed publicly with her. (centralmaine.com)

Maine police say a Searsport man died in a one-car crash on Route 3 in China when his car overturned on a curve. Police say 37-year-old Richard Breau died in the Tuesday accident. They say his car left the road, hit an embankment and flipped before landing on its wheels. Police say Breau was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car and it landed on him. Police say Breau was alone at the time of the noon crash. (AP)

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, three community colleges and a heavy equipment dealer are creating a program to train mechanized logging operators.  Peter Collins from Milton CAT said the heavy equipment dealer is donating $1.2 million worth of equipment. Additional support is being sought from the "Put ME to Work Program," which was enacted by the Maine Legislature and provides $1 million for the next two years to support creation of new job training programs.  Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Washington County Community College in Calais, and Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle are backing the program, establishing instruction in three of the most heavily forested regions of Maine. (AP)

The search for Thanksgiving dinner is underway in Maine. The state's fall wild turkey hunt begins Thursday and ends Oct. 30. The rules that govern the harvest of wild turkeys depend on where they are hunted. Hunters can take two wild turkeys of either sex in much of southern Maine. The hunt is limited to one turkey of any sex in parts of central and northeastern Maine. No turkey hunting is allowed in far northern Maine. Regulators say hunters should check with authorities before going out. It's legal to hunt turkeys with a bow and arrow or shotgun. (AP)

A Maine woman has pleaded guilty to charges after police say she ran a stop sign and crashed into a house while under the influence of drugs-- and with her 17-month-old daughter in the vehicle. 42-year-old Heidi Everson, of Augusta and formerly of Waterville, pleaded guilty to operating under the influence of intoxicants, endangering the welfare of a child and assault. Everson told police after the May 30 crash in Waterville that she had taken central nervous system depressants. She has been ordered to serve an initial 50 days in jail followed by two years of probation. She also received concurrent seven-day jail sentences for pleading guilty to violating conditions of release. Everson's license and registration privileges have been suspended for six years. (AP)

Officials say three people had to swim the length of three football fields after their sailboat capsized in Monmouth. Rescue crews from Winthrop and Monmouth responded to Cochnewagon Lake after receiving a call Tuesday afternoon that a sailboat had capsized and three people were in the water. Fire Chief Daniel Roy says there was no immediate indication that any of the three female boaters were injured. Roy did not know their names or ages. Roy says there were reports of a head in the water, but that they were actually items from the boat that had been bobbing in the wind-driven rain. (AP)

It is Thursday, Washington and the federal government is still running. Hours before, Congress approved a stopgap spending bill that pushes back the possibility of a shutdown until early December. Democratic support was unanimous. Some House conservatives had demanded that the budget be stripped of funds for Planned Parenthood. (AP)

Russia says its airstrikes on Syria have destroyed eight positions belonging to the Islamic State group. But U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the Russians appear to have targeted areas that did not include IS militants. There are concerns that Russia is not targeting IS, but has launched airstrikes to help Syrian President Bashar Assad, an ally. (AP)

Hurricane Joaquin is expected to strengthen in the Atlantic as it heads toward the central Bahamas. At last check, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said the Category 3 storm was centered about 80 miles east-southeast of San Salvador. Forecasters say hurricane conditions are expected to reach portions of the central Bahamas in the next few hours. The storm is then expected to head toward the East Coast of the U.S.1(AP)

Lottery officials say the winning ticket to a $310.5 million Powerball jackpot was sold in southwestern Michigan. Michigan Lottery spokesman Jeff Holyfield says the winning ticket in last night's drawing was sold at a gas station in Three Rivers. It's the second-largest jackpot this year. In February, players in North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas split a $564.1 million prize. (AP)