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By Giselle Goodman October 03, 2008 09:00 AM

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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BELIEVE IT OR NOT we have almost reached peak foliage in many parts of Maine. Seems like it happened overnight. But this year is truly spectacular, as they promised us it would be. Guess there's one good side to all the rain we've had this year. If you want to get out and view nature's paint palette before it's gone for another year, make sure to click on the leaves at right. They'll link you to the state's fall foliage report. Enjoy your weekend!

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IN THE WEATHER:

At 9 a.m., it was 46 degrees in downtown Portland.

Chilly morning, huh? That's what all that wind whipping around yesterday brought us. A bit of chill to the air. The skies will start out clear this morning, but will cloud up as a disturbance move through the southwest portion of New England (and Maine). Not much rain expected, but there is a possible chance of showers for late in the day. Temperatures stay in the low 60s.

FROM THE SUNRISE HERALD WEATHER WATCHERS:

Bill in Rockland says: Extremely clear, calm, and chilly this morning at 5:40. It's 42 degrees and crisp, very nice indeed. A good lead-in to the weekend.

Shawn in Yarmouth says: It is FRIDAY here in Yarmouth and a crisp 43 degrees. The sky is brightening and making the colors in the trees glow with warmth. There is no wind this morning and no rain. There are a few high thin clouds and some heavier ones in the distance.

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ON THE ROAD:

• NEW GLOUCESTER - THE BRIDGE AT MILE 68 ON THE MAINE TURNPIKE - CLOSED for the next six weeks. The closure of the bridge began yesterday, and I'll remind you of it for a couple more days until you get used to the change. The closure, road workers tell us, is necessary to set new road alignments for paving.

Drivers will use the Bennett Road as a detour around the project. Detour signs will be posted for drivers.

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ON THE OCEAN:

• The cruise ship Saga Ruby comes to Portland this morning, pulling into the Portland Ocean Terminal sometime around 8 a.m. and departing at 7 p.m. This English luxury cruiser brings 668 passengers with her. To find out which ships are on their way to Portland through the month, click here.

Somewhat chilly and blustery conditions on Casco Bay this morning. Southwest winds blow 10 to 15 knots, with seas 2 to 4 feet. The wind picks up later though, blowing up to 20 knots.

High tide in Portland: 2:17 p.m. Low tide: 8:07 a.m. and 8:41 p.m.

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THE NEWEST NEWS:

News you need to know, now:

PORTLAND -- A spokesperson from Maine Medical Center said Raymond Wakefield was still in critical condition as of 8:45 this morning.

Wakefield was the The 74-year-old man who was struck Wednesday while operating his battery-powered wheelchair on Forest Avenue.

The driver of the pickup truck that hit Wakefield on Forest Avenue, Michael Coffill, 26, of Portland has not been charged.

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NAPLES -- Two men were arrested by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department in connection with a domestic disturbance with a weapon.

Cumberland County Sheriff Captain Donald Goulet said William Edwin Merrow, 22, was taken into custody after allegedly pointing a gun at his wife yesterday morning. The incident occurred at their home, 11 Valeriani Drive, around 6 a.m.

Merrow fled the scene but was later caught by sheriff's deputies, who arrested him for domestic violence and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

Deputies also recovered the gun, which they determined was a stolen firearm. Further investigation into the stolen firearm resulted in a second arrest, this one of Joshua A. Valeriani, who was charged with theft of a firearm. He also lives on Valeriani Drive in Naples.

Police did not elaborate on how they assume Merrow acquired the gun from Valeriani.

The two men arrested in Naples yesterday: Joshua A. Valeriani at left, William Edwin Merrow at right.

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ACTON -- A car and a motorcycle collided on Route 109 last night, near the fairgrounds, but the crash was not severe.

A state police dispatcher this morning said the crash, which happened around 10 p.m., left the motorcycle driver injured but not badly. Although the name of the motorcyclist was not readily available, but the dispatcher said his wounds were not life-threatening. No charges are expected to be filed against either driver.

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BANGOR -- A former Bangor city councilor who served five days in jail this summer for forgery and shoplifting charges was arrested again Thursday, this time on a warrant for a contempt charge connected to his failure to appear at an August court hearing.

The full report can be read by clicking this link to today's Bangor Daily News.

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HARPSWELL - A Thursday night fire in Cundy's Harbor destroyed a home and threatened to spread to other buildings, including Watson's Store.

Cundy's Harbor Fire Chief Benjamin Wallace Jr. said the home's owners, whose names were not available, were not there when the fire broke out around 4:30 p.m.

The owners of the store discovered the blaze, which required all three of Harpswell's village fire departments to respond.

Officials said the home on Cundy's Harbor Road was engulfed in flames by the time they arrived. The house burned and collapsed within an hour.

The State Fire Marshall's Office will be on the scene Friday to investigate the cause.

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