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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...
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OF NOTE TODAY: RED SOX 9, YANKEES 2 A win for the kings of Fenway. Red Sox end the New York Yankees' eight-game winning streak with a 9-2 victory. Read about the game in today's Sports report.
IN THE WEATHER:
Another wicked batch of thunderstorms moved through the state last night and didn't leave until about an hour ago. Gone, but not forgotten, mostly cloudy skies remain, with a chance that the sun may break through now and again.
But a better chance for today will be another batch of boomers paying a visit. Temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. And muggy, of course.
From WEATHER WATCHER Bill in Rockland: Sixty-two degrees here at 5:30 a.m. under what seem to be clearing skies with little wind here on the ground. It's getting harder to tell
what's going on overhead at this hour as the sun rises later and later.
From WEATHER WATCHER Shawn in Yarmouth: What a beautiful weekend! This morning it is 61 degrees here in Yarmouth. There are clouds in the sky, but they seem thin and there is blue behind it. The rain ended early this morning, I think. No wind. Another nice summer day here in Maine.
From WEATHER WATCHER James in Cape Elizabeth: At 6:30, it was 68 and partly cloudy here in Cape Elizabeth. It seems drier this morning and I recorded 0.17 inches from the t-storms last night. Have a great Monday.
ON THE ROAD:
-- Striping will begin at 10 p.m. each night, Sunday through Thursday and finish by 7 a.m. the following morning.
-- Night-time striping is scheduled for the divided highway portion of U.S. Route 1 in Brunswick and Bath; I-295 and its access ramps between Brunswick and South Portland; U.S. Route 1 in Kittery; and 1-95 between Hampden and Stillwater.
-- Although the road will not be closed overall, rolling lane closures will occur as crews put down the paint and wait for it to dry.
ALSO:
• WEST GARDINER MAINE TURNPIKE SERVICE PLAZA TAKING SHAPE
The $11.2 million plaza, which is scheduled to open in November, will closely resemble the service plaza in Kennebunk. Named as possible tenants in the new facility are Starbucks Coffee, Burger King, KFC, an ice cream vendor and Z-Market, a convenience store.
The project engineer for the Maine Turnpike Authority says Route 126 traffic continues to flow in both directions, but lanes may be narrowed during construction.
ON THE OCEAN:
South winds blow around 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. A chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Unlimited visibility.
High tides in Portland: 7:34 a.m. and 7:53 p.m. Low tide at 1:30 p.m.
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THE NEWEST NEWS:
GREENVILLE -- A 79-year-old Millinocket man drowned Saturday morning while walking alongside his boat in waist-deep water in Lower Wilson Pond, according to the Maine Warden Service.
Wardens say Richard T. Thaxter had retrieved his boat from one location on the pond around 8:30 a.m. Saturday and apparently was walking it to a second location approximately 30 feet way when he lost his footing on rocks in the water, according to Warden James Babiarz.
"He had one arm on the boat but was struggling to get his footing on the rocks," Warden Babiarz said.
Thaxter tried to regain his balance but was unsuccessful. His wife called out for help, and neighbors came over to assist her with getting her husband out of the water and start resuscitation.
Greenville Fire and Rescue and an ambulance crew from C.A. Dean Hospital in Greenville tried for about an hour to revive Mr. Thaxter. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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AUGUSTA -- Today is the day Democrats, Republicans and Greens must select new candidates for vacated ballot slots, of which there are quite a few.
The state election officials' list on July 14 had two Democrats, five Republicans and two Greens dropping off the Senate candidate roster.
On the House side, according to the same list, there were 11 Democratic withdrawals, 16 Republicans dropping out and five Greens folding up their campaigns.
While some candidates who filed to run originally may have been mere placeholders, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said others drop out for personal reasons.
''It's a lot to do to run for office,'' said Dunlap, a former House member.
The parties have until 5 p.m. today to nominate the new candidates for the vacated spots.
The current Legislature which expires in December adjourned in April and is not scheduled to return, although Gov. John Baldacci and House and Senate leaders have not ruled out a special session sometime this summer or fall.
As it stands now, Democrats hold 90 seats in the 151-member House, leaving Republicans with 59. There are two House independents.
In the Senate, Democrats hold a 19-16 edge over Republicans due to a temporary GOP defection.
Meanwhile, also regarding activity at the statehouse, Maine's Supreme Court is expected to rule Monday on Democrats' efforts to remove Senate-hopeful Herbert Hoffman's name from the November ballot.
The secretary of state already ruled that Hoffman collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot, and a Superior Court justice agreed. But the Democratic Party appealed to the state's highest court.
The party contends Hoffman violated rules because he was not present when three registered voters signed one of his petitions. Democrats fear Hoffman could draw votes away from their party's nominee, Rep. Tom Allen, who's attempting to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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PLEASANT POINT (AP) -- A company that hopes to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on Passamaquoddy tribal land in eastern Maine is suspending quarterly payments to the tribe.
Quoddy Bay LLC, one of three developers seeking to build an LNG terminal in Maine, will forgo quarterly payments of $46,875 while the federal and state permit reviews are on hold.
Donald Smith, president of Quoddy Bay LNG, says the payments were never a requirement. He says they were voluntary because Quoddy Bay is not obliged to begin making payments until the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has given its final approval to the project.
The company has paid the tribe nearly $800,000, which has been split between the two tribal governments at Pleasant Point and Indian Township.
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THE GOOD NEWS: (A Sunrise Herald feature, combating the harmful rays of too much bad news. A healthy dose of good news for you.)
AUGUSTA -- Maine's popular Senior FarmShare program is getting more federal money, which means more low-income seniors will be able to sign up for $50 of fresh, locally grown produce this season.
The $120,000 in additional federal funds will allow over 2,000 low-income seniors to get access to the fresh vegetables offered by farmers from around the state. 
The additional federal dollars will bring this year's funding to nearly $1 million, the highest ever.
"Senior FarmShare has proven its worth over the past seven years. Not only does it provide seniors with nutritious fruits and vegetables, it provides farmers with a reliable income stream," Agriculture Commissioner Seth Bradstreet said Friday. "This is another measure of the Baldacci administration's commitment to ensuring the food and fuel security of all Mainers and especially for our senior citizens."
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