Subscribe
Sunrise Herald is the early morning news update feature at
pressherald.com. It is updated at 6, 7, 8 and 9 on weekdays.
Welcome to the Sunrise Herald with Giselle Goodman, the place to go to get the news from overnight and onward...
–––––––––
IN THE WEATHER
A spectacular sunrise over South Portland this morning promises us that we'll see plenty of sun today, with thin high clouds.
Temperatures in the upper 70s, mid 80s. Low humidity, a breeze keeps it cool at the coast. Just lovely. Grab the sunblock. Ditch the umbrella.
From Bill in Rockland: A delightfully crisp clear morning here at 5:30 a.m. with 58 degrees of much dryer air under a mostly blue sky. Some high wispy clouds seem to be dispersing. From James in Cape Elizabeth: Where did the humidity go?? A gorgeous morning here in Cape Elizabeth. At 6:30, it was a delightful 59 degrees; birds singing and clean, dry air in abundance!!
ON THE ROAD:
Pan Am Railways recently got in touch with the Maine Department of Transportation to tell them that an inspection of the railroad tracks showed a serious problem that needed immediate attention.
The road will be closed from 9 a.m. today until the problem is fixed, possibly into the early morning hours on Wednesday.
A detour route will be set up and signs will direct drivers. It includes Route 4 Blackberry Hill Road and the Town Road.
Click on the map below to see the area enlarged to plan an alternate route.
ON THE OCEAN:
High tide in Portland was at 10:11 a.m. and will be again at 10:13 p.m. Low tide was at 4:01 a.m. and will be again at 3:57 p.m.
_________________________________________________________________
THE NEWEST NEWS:
BRUNSWICK –&ndash Southern Maine Community College will unveil plans today for a campus at Brunswick Naval Air Station.
The presentation will be made this morning to the board of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority at the college's Maine Advanced Technology Center, formally the Brunswick Times Record building, 6 Industry Road.
To fuel the economic development of the region, the college will train manufacturing workers in conjunction with private enterprises on the re-developed base. It will also educate nurses and medical technicians using a functioning health clinic already on the base as a training facility.
It is estimated that 7,000 jobs will be lost in the region by 2012 with the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station.
"The Brunswick community and the redevelopment authority have made us feel very welcome and we look forward to a strong partnership in building this new campus," said James Ortiz, college president. "It is our mission as a college to educate the workforce and contribute to the economic development of the region. We are very enthused about this opportunity."
Developing the SMCC campus on the base will cost an estimated $2.1 million, college officials said. A new campus could exceed $24 million, they said.
The cost of the SMCC campus in Brunswick would be the least expensive of any of the existing campuses of the Maine Community College System since all administrative costs will be shared by the South Portland campus.
"The mid-coast needs a comprehensive college program to meet the demands of the region's businesses. The community college's presence is a fundamental step in helping our area thrive," said John Richardson, a Brunswick resident and state commissioner of economic and community development.
There is no comprehensive public college campus in the Brunswick area, which is currently served by extension programs alone. In addition to health science and advanced manufacturing training, the new campus of SMCC will offer general education programming to serve the needs of local communities.
College officials estimate it will serve at least 1,500 students at BNAS by 2014.
Update provided by Portland Press Herald Reporter Kelley Bouchard
–––––––––
EAST BOOTHBAY –&ndash Gov. John Baldacci will be in town around 1 p.m. today, to view the wreckage of the Washburn & Doughty Associates boatyard, destroyed by fire on Friday.
The governor plans to meet with Washburn & Doughty officials and members of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and the Maine Department of Labor. During the meeting, the officials will discuss what might be done to help employees of the company, now virtually shut down by the blaze.
Meanwhile, officials have determined that the fire was caused by the sparks from a cutting torch.
Click here to read the latest Portland Press Herald report on the boatyard inferno, brought to you by Staff Reporter Noel Gallagher.
–––––––––
SOUTH PORTLAND –– Two men are at the Cumberland County Jail this morning after being charged with robbing a home off Ocean Street yesterday.
Marc Webster, 28, of Portland, and Jason Weymouth, 32, a transient (seen below) were charged with felony Class A robbery charges after police caught them on Revere Street in Portland.
Police began searching for the perpetrators around 3:14 p.m. yesterday, after a 20-year-old woman, a 19-year-old male and a 21-year-old male called 911 and reported they had been robbed of cash at knife point, while inside an apartment on the 300 block of Ocean Street.
After launching a full search that included Portland police officers, the two suspects were caught.
Police say they believe this was not a random act, as they believe the victims and suspects were acquainted.
_________________________________________________________________
THE GOOD NEWS: (It's been a while since I've posted this Sunrise Herald feature, combating the harmful rays of too much bad news. But, at long last, a healthy dose of good news for you.)
A BENEFIT RUN IN HONOR OF A SLAIN WELLS WOMAN raised nearly $7,000 over the weekend, money that will go to help victims of domestic violence.
Nicole's Run, which was held at Mother's Beach in Kennebunk on Sunday, was held in honor of Nicole Oliver, who was murdered in Wells by her husband last July. Her husband committed suicide after shooting his wife to death, leaving behind two little boys and a grieving community.
Friends, neighbors, even strangers were horrified by the killing and sought to make sure Nicole Oliver, known as a vibrant, caring and generous woman, was never forgotten.
The run, organized by Amanda Vanasse, Nicole's life-long friend, will be an annual event in her name.
The inaugural run/walk brought out over 350 walkers and runners, raising nearly $7,000 through registration fees, t-shirt sales and raffle tickets.
All that money will go directly to Caring Unlimited, a York County-based support system for women and children seeking sanctuary from domestic abuse.
Click here to view or add comments on this story