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By Giselle Goodman October 15, 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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An early bedtime means I didn't get to observe any of last night's baseball game. But it looks like I didn't miss much, with the Rays stinging the Red Sox, 13-4. As members of the Red Sox Nation know, there is always hope... _____________________________________________________________

IN THE WEATHER:

At 9 a.m., it was 48 degrees in downtown Portland.

Unseasonably warm for this time of year. As much as I hate to admit it, the temperatures should be in mid to upper 30s, not 40s, early in the morning. But who's complaining, right??

Today remains mild. Not as windy, mostly sun, temperatures in the upper 60s.

FROM THE SUNRISE HERALD WEATHER WATCHERS:

Bill in Rockland says: Scattered high clouds illuminated by a still high and bright full moon are drifting in from the north and west at 5:45 this early
morning. The temperature is 49 degrees and the wind, so far, is a mere breath.

Shawn in Yarmouth says: It is 45 degrees here in Yarmouth this morning. We have a clear sky with a bright full moon illuminating the dark morning. No wind, no rain!

James from Cape Elizabeth says: At 5:45 it is 46 and crystal clear in Cape Elizabeth. Ursa Major is low on the horizon to the east northeast and Orion is in the southwest sky. Looks like a great day!

Mark in Brunswick says: A drier start to the day and markedly cooler here in Brunswick as we have scattered clouds among the blue skies and 45 degrees.

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ON THE ROAD:

• TWO SERVICE PLAZAS ALONG THE TURNPIKE ARE CLOSING PERMANENTLY with the anticipation of a new service plaza in West Gardiner opening its doors.

The northbound service plaza at mile 96 in Litchfield is closed already. On Oct. 19, the southbound plaza at mile 83 in Lewiston will close.

The new service plaza in West Gardiner, which offers a greater variety of food options than the old plaza, is scheduled to open Nov. 17. Until then, portable toilets will be set up at the parking lots of the old facilities for travelers, although food and fuel will not be available.
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ON THE OCEAN:

• The cruise ship Royal Princess arrives in Portland this morning, pulling into the Portland Ocean Terminal sometime around 10 a.m. and departing at 6 p.m. This vessel brings more than 700 passengers with her. The cruise ship season is nearly ending, with only a few more calls to port left. Click here to see what's left.

Meanwhile: Expect a less blustery day on the ocean today than yesterday. Northwest winds blow 5 to 10 knots, becoming easterly late this morning and afternoon, seas 2 to 3 feet.

High tide in Portland: 11:41 a.m. and around midnight. Low tide: 5:29 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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THE NEWEST NEWS:

News you need to know, now:

NEW ENGLAND -- Tomorrow might be a good day for picking a president.

If you live in New England and haven't quite decided who to vote for next month, there are some rare opportunities to hear both sides in person.

In Maine, as we've reported, Republican John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin will drop in for a visit tomorrow, attending a rally beginning at 11 a.m. in Hangar 11 at Bangor International Airport. (She is making some stops in New Hampshire today - at Dover High School, Weirs Beach in Laconia and Salem High School in New Hampshire.)

But also in New England tomorrow will be Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. He will hold a rally in a Londonderry, N.H., apple orchard, Mack's Apples. The time has not been set, but the gates will open at 10 a.m. You must have a ticket to attend - available on a first-come, first-serve basis - by contacting Obama's campaign headquarters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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STATEWIDE -- Want to know where the best place is to work in Maine?

According to the Society for Human Resource Managements (SHRM) Maine State Council, Norway Savings Bank in Norway and Jotul North America in Gorham are the places to work.

The two were named at the council's Best Places to Work in Maine awards and recognition dinner in Augusta last night. The assessment process, administered by the Best Companies Group, evaluated each company's employee policies and procedures as well as responses from the company's employees. In August, a list of the 26 companies that made the overall Best Places to Work was released.

Last night, the top three rankings for the 26 companies on the list were announced to a packed house. They are:

• IN THE LARGE BUSINESS CATEGORY: (250 plus employees)
1. Norway Savings Bank, Norway
2. Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, Lewiston
3. Unum, Portland

• IN THE SMALL/MEDIUM CATEGORY: (15 to 249 employees)
1. Jotul North America, Gorham
2. Manpower, Auburn
3. Memic (Maine Employer's Mutual Insurance Company), Portland

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NEW ENGLAND -- Today, the U.S. Coast Guard puts into effect new security measures at port facilities, requiring any port worker at Boston and other ports in New England to have a new biometric ID card.

The information, also known as the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), contains a person's biographic and biometric information - or, in other words - fingerprints and digital photos. Anyone who applies for the TWIC must past a stringent TSA security threat assessment.

All of this has been put in place to protect the public from terrorists or other threats from sneaking their way into any of the busy ports of New England.

Those who work on any of Maine's ports should know that random and unannounced checks will begin today.

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SKOWHEGAN -- A fire forced the evacuation of seven employees at KFC/Taco Bell at about 4 p.m. yesterday and closed the fast-food restaurant until further notice.

The blaze was first discovered as smoke coming from the ceiling. When firefighters cut a hole in the back of the building near the electrical box, fire and smoke came pouring out.

Firefighters quickly subdued the flames, but the building was heavily smoke-damaged.

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EAST MILLINOCKET -- Here's an interesting story out of today's Bangor Daily News about Pamela McLain, the cold murder case of her daughter Joyce, and People magazine.

Also in today's Bangor Daily News is a story about the concerns foresters have about the increasing demands for firewood and wood pellets.

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OF NOTE TODAY:

Events coming up you might want to know about:

IN PORTLAND -- A ceremony will be held today to award $5,000 Bank of America Charitable Foundation grants to 40 nonprofit organizations from across Maine (that's a total of $200,000).

The ceremony is at the Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. Gov. John Baldacci plans to attend the awards presentation. It is not an event for the public, however. But tomorrow morning, if you are interested, I'll post the names of the 40 groups here.

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IN YARMOUTH -- Help yourself to a home-grown meal from 5 to 8 p.m. at Yarmouth High School.

This harvest supper comes from vegetables grown through the summer in the Yarmouth Community Garden, such as marinara sauce (tomatoes) and pesto sauce (basil). Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12.

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IN PORTLAND -- Disability Mentoring Day begins at 8:30 a.m. today at the University of Southern Maine's Glickman Library.

Disability Mentoring Day is a national program that promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities.

In Portland, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today, the library will bustle with a keynote speaker, job shadows, employment workshops for participants, an employer panel, individuals with disabilities sharing their stories, and a hands-on public transportation workshop. Participation is expected to be over 100 people.

It's not too late to sign up by calling James Howard at 1-800-315-1192 x409 or sending him a message at James.E.Howard@maine.gov. You can learn more about other events going on in Maine, or learn more about getting involved BY CLICKING HERE.

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IN PORTLAND -- If you need the help of an architect but can't afford to foot the bill, there is an opportunity for you to get some aid today.

The Portland Society of Architects tonight at O'Natural's Restaurant in Portland offers "The 10-Minute Architect."

The free design clinic, which is pretty self-explanatory, is offered to homeowners and business owners considering renovation or building projects. Experienced architects will be at the restaurant from 4 to 7 p.m. sharing their knowledge.

It's not too late to sign up. Visit the Portland Society of Architects website.

Organizers of the event say it may be called the 10-minute architect, but usually, attendees get more like 45 minutes with an architect. Enough time to eat something and build something, too.

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