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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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IN THE WEATHER:
Say good-bye to summer this morning, as it ends today at 11:44 a.m. That is when fall officially begins, although the temperatures of late have been giving us reminders of it already.
A warmer morning than usual. You'll notice the ground is a little wet, as some scattered showers moved through overnight. Cloudy with some clearing, temperatures in the low 60s.
From Bill in Rockland: It's 52 cloudy degrees here at 5:50 this morning. Only a very slight breeze stirs the leaves. So far, not very much to watch or note, though the air does feel a little damp. One might say clammy, were it warmer.
From Shawn in Yarmouth: Well Fall is here, but it felt more like fall on Saturday morning. Brrrr...my heat, though turned all the way down, actually came on. Glad it is not that cold today. It is 54 degrees here in Yarmouth this morning, no wind the sky is cloud covered.
From James in Cape Elizabeth: At 6 a.m. it was a mild 53 and cloudy. There is an Easterly breeze. It appears as though it will be a dark and sleepy day.
From Mark in Brunswick: Dark clouds amidst some blue sky this morning, and even though the thermometer says 50 degrees, there's a bite to the air when you step outside.
ON THE ROAD:
ON THE OCEAN:
High tide in Portland: 5:01 a.m. and 5:17 p.m. Low tides: 10:57 a.m. and 11:52 p.m.
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THE NEWEST NEWS:
SOUTH PORTLAND -- Two people were injured yesterday when the car in which they were traveling went off the road and crashed into a house on Broadway, leaving a hole in the home.
Police say William Schneider of Falmouth was driving a silver Honda CRV westbound on Broadway when he fell asleep and went off the road. The car then crashed into a house at 620 Broadway (Letter A in map below represents general location).
Schneider, 18, came away with "non-incapacitating" injuries, although he was transported to Maine Medical Center as precaution. His passenter, Shelby Stowell, also 18, address unknown, received a leg injury.
The crash occurred around 4:20 p.m.
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AUGUSTA -- Governor John E. Baldacci today announced that 2008 World Champion Celtics players Tony Allen, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine will accompany the Larry O' Brien Championship Trophy to the rally being held in Portland on Wednesday
Also joining the trophy at events in Portland and Orono will be Celtics legend JoJo White.
"I am pleased to roll out the 'green' carpet for in the State of Maine for 2008 World Champions Tony Allen, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine. These three players handled themselves with great class and dignity on the court all year and have earned the respect of their peers and fans alike. It is an honor to have them in Portland," Baldacci said in a statement. "It is also exciting to welcome JoJo White to our State. He is a basketball great who had a tremendous career with a legendary NBA franchise."
The NBA Championship Trophy will first be on display to the general public at The Expo in Portland. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. with events scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Following a short rally at noon, fans will be invited to see the trophy between 12-2 p.m. The event is being sponsored by TD Banknorth.
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MILLINOCKET -- Brookfield Asset Management's failure to commit to a restart of the Katahdin Avenue paper mill in 2009 will likely force more workers than necessary to leave the area, union officials said Sunday.
By the conclusion Thursday of negotiations centered on the effects of the mill shutdown, union and mill officials had agreed on a number of points regarding the laid-off workers.
But Duane Lugdon, a representative for three United Steelworkers International unions at the Millinocket and East Millinocket paper mills, said the mill owners have failed to abate skepticism about Brookfield's claims that it is in negotiations with a third party to restart the mill next year, if the numbers add up, with a biomass boiler.
Want to know more? Click here to read the full report from the Bangor Daily News.
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PORTLAND -- A jury is expected to hear closing arguments this morning in the manslaughter trial of Robert LaPointe in Cumberland County Superior Court.
LaPointe, 39, of Medway, Mass., is charged with manslaughter, aggravated drunken driving and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
He was operating his 32-foot boat on the night of Aug. 11, 2007, when he ran over a 14-foot motorboat on Long Lake in Harrison. Terry Raye Trott, 55, of Harrison and Suzanne Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick were killed. The trial began with jury selection on Sept. 8.
Both sides have presented their cases, including testimony from LaPointe in his own defense on Friday. Closing arguments are today and Portland Press Herald Reporter Trevor Maxwell is covering the proceedings. He will bring updates through the day, so stay tuned.
To read Maxwell's latest story on the case, click here.
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PORTLAND -- Today is the day the new Mercy Hospital on Fore River opens its doors to all patients.
The hospital held a celebratory opening on Sept. 10, but today is the day the $49.5 million facility overlooking the Fore River becomes a fully functional medical center for ambulatory surgery, some inpatient surgery, maternity services and imaging services.
The Fore River campus has been in the works for almost a decade and frees many Mercy employees from the cramped confines of their World War II-era hospital on State Street. The new building was the first half of a two-phase project that will fully replace the outdated hospital by 2015, hospital officials say.
Until phase two is completed, emergency room, outpatient cardiology and critical care services will remain at the State Street facility.
The new Mercy Hospital Fore River campus as seen in this Portland Press Herald file photo, taken Sept. 9.
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WESTBROOK -- All is well this morning at the Namco building at 100 Larrabee Road, where a chemical spill last night closed down the road and brought out hazmat teams from the area.
Two people who work at the pool store, where the spill was reported, were transported to the hospital for observation. Their names and conditions were not available this morning.
Officials said at least four separate chemicals spilled around 5:45 p.m. inside the Namco building at 100 Larrabee Road. The two employees, who were apparently the only people in the business at the time, experienced breathing difficulty and were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
The road was closed during the incident, but is open and safe for travel this morning.
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JEFFERSON -- A 20-year old man from Jefferson died in an accident late Saturday night in Jefferson.
Members of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to the scene of an accident involving a vehicle hitting a pedestrian at 11:58 p.m.
Rescue personnel confirmed the man was dead when they arrived at the scene.
Preliminary investigation revealed the man was lying in the roadway and the vehicle was unable to avoid him.
Assisting the sheriff's department were the Jefferson Fire Department, Jefferson Rescue and the Maine State Police accident-reconstruction team.
The accident is under investigation and the name of the victim has not been released.
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OF NOTE TODAY:
IN WESTBROOK -- The city council tonight will take a final vote on a plan with a waste hauler that will give residents free curbside recycling next year.
The 20-year agreement calls for Casella Waste Systems to provide free recycling services in exchange for the city's agreement to make infrastructure improvements that would facilitate Casella's plans to build a facility on County Road. The facility would process demolition materials taken from buildings. Improvements include adding a turning lane on County Road.
Before the vote tonight, the council plans to hold an open forum on the issue beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Building at 570 Main St.
Copyright 2008 Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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