Bill in Rockland says: Very clear here with lots of stars and a diminished moon at 5:40, but it's only 17 degrees and a slight westerly breeze doesn't warm you up much. I'm unreasonably glad not to be going to a football game
tonight or tomorrow. Have a warm weekend, if you can.

Shawn in Yarmouth says: Wow..can you say cold? It is 18 little degrees here in Yarmouth this morning. The sky is clear and there does not appear to be a breeze, but I did not stay outside in my robe for very long. Guess I need to dig out the hat and gloves before I go outside. Layers is the word for the day!

James in Cape Elizabeth says: Well, it is Friday! At 6:15 here in Cape Elizabeth it is 12, yes TWELVE degrees, with clear skies, no wind and just plain COLD! There have been rumors about falling white stuff and with temps the way they have been, it would not be surprising at all!! I hope everyone has a GLORIOUS weekend. Stay Warm!

From Mark in Brunswick 17 degrees here in Brunswick with a few scattered clouds and plenty of bone-chilling cold.
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ON THE ROAD:

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ON THE OCEAN:

Today, a northwest wind blowing 5 to 10 knots with seas 1 to 2 feet. Tonight, winds increase, gusting up to 25 knots after midnight.

High tide in Portland: 5:47 a.m. and 6:10 p.m. Low tide: 11:56 a.m. and 11:25 p.m.

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THE NEWEST NEWS:

BANGOR -- Three people were given jail time by a federal judge yesterday, after they pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor for use of false identification documents.

A release prepared by U.S. Attorney Paula D. Silsby identified the men as Ildefonso Zamora-Davila, 24; Rigoberto Figueroa-Aguilar, 28 and Ruben Figueroa-Gutierrez, 27, all of Mexico. They were were sentenced to 119 days in jail, although Silsby said they have already served that time, and two years supervised release. The court also ordered that all three men be deported.

The three men were working in Maine at the Flood Farm in Clinton when the Immigration and Customs Enforcement AGency learned that they were using fake ID cards to work there. Upon investigation, each of the men were found to have a card that was not issued to him, but rather to another person.

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BANGOR -- A federal jury yesterday found former Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribal Governor Robert Newell guilty on all but one of 30 charges, including misapplication of tribal and federal funds and making false statements to government agencies.

The jury of 11 women and one man also found the tribe's ex-finance manager guilty on 11 of 21 similar counts.

The Bangor Daily News covered the trial and provides a full report in today's edition. You can read it by clicking on this link. The photo at right is of Newell, taken by Bangor Daily News Photographer Gabor Degre.

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WATERVILLE -- Five people were arrested early Thursday at an Elm Plaza nightclub amid chaotic fights that included assaults on police officers and the smashing of a cruiser window, according to Deputy Police Chief Charles Rumsey.

The melee started around 12:50 a.m. Thursday, when police responded to a report that a large fight had broken out at Champions Club, Rumsey said.

Officer Robert Boulet arrived and found a man, Alexander J. Jewell, 21, of Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, refusing to leave the club and fighting with one of the bouncers, he said. Jewell ultimately was charged with criminal trespass and assault.

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At that moment, Officer Brian Gardiner and Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Jesse Duda arrived and went upstairs into the club, Rumsey said, where they were assaulted by a man who climbed on top of one of the large speakers and jumped on the officers.

They used a Taser on Emmanuel Reynolds of Winslow and then arrested him.

As if that wasn't enough, as they made their way out, Gardiner again was assaulted by a female who repeatedly grabbed him and his equipment and tried to divert his attention, Rumsey said.

Gardiner arrested that person, too, Yvette Colon, 21, of Augusta and charged her with assault, obstructing government administration and refusal to submit to arrest or detention.

The chaos did not stop there, according to Rumsey, who said another man, Tyrone Howell, 25, of Augusta, grabbed officer Gardiner's arm, trying to get Colon out of the car.

Gardiner then arrested Howell with help from Champions bouncers, Rumsey said. Winslow police Officer Haley Fleming arrived to help and they put Howell into the Winslow cruiser, where he kicked out the window and bent the frame. That added more charges to his card. Ultimately he was charged with assault, refusing to submit, obstructing government administration and criminal mischief."

As officers were preparing to take those arrested away, another fight broke out between two females in the parking lot, he said, and ending in another arrest, Regina Goins, for failure to disperse.

Officers then took those arrested to the Police Department, but some of the suspects were still a bit feisty.

"In the police department booking, Yvette Colon again became unruly and combative and was charged with criminal mischief for damaging a wall in the booking room," Rumsey said. "She threw a shoulder into the wall and broke a chunk of plaster out of the wall."

Goins and Jewell were released on bail and Howell and Colon were taken to Kennebec County Jail in Augusta, according to Rumsey. He said he assumed Reynolds also was taken to the jail by the sheriff's department, as he had been arrested by Duda.

Amy Calder of our sister paper The Morning Sentinel has a full report in today's edition which can be read by clicking here.

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AMESBURY, Mass. -- A Maine man reportedly fled Massachusetts state troopers and dumped bags of drugs out of his car before being apprehended in New Hampshire, according to police reports.

The Daily News of Newburyport has this report in today's edition: A Massachusetts trooper attempted to stop Aaron Fickett, 23, of Topsham, on I-495 near exit 54 Wednesday night. Fickett drove away, dumping bags out his window, and merged onto I-95. He then pulled over into the rest stop just over the state border and was arrested by New Hampshire state troopers.

To read the full version of the story, visit the Daily News by clicking on this link.

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LIMERICK -- Police have not yet identified the man who crashed his car into a house in Limerick, giving the woman who lived there a terrible scare.

Maine State Police said the car crashed through a wall, entering the woman's bedroom. The woman, Marion Barnhart, was in another part of the house.

Barnhart and the driver were not injured.

The cause of the accident, which took place at 4 Watson Hill Road shortly after 10 p.m., remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.

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PORTER -- Firefighters and the Maine Fire Marshall responded to a garage fire early this morning, although it is unclear how the blaze began.

A passerby noticed the fire around 4 a.m. and called 911 to report it. State police sent a fire crew to the scene right away. The owner of the garage, the kind used for storage, has not yet been found.

The building is located at the corner of Bickford Pond Road and Route 25. There are no injuries reported.

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FROM OUR NEWS PARTNERS:

• The Bangor Daily News has a story today about a Frankfort man who was killed in a car crash on Route 9. That story can be read by CLICKING HERE:
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OF NOTE:

IN HARTLAND AND PALMYRA -- Gov. John Baldacci ordered flags to fly at half-staff Saturday in these two towns to honor Hartland firefighter Mike Snowman who collapsed at a house fire in Detroit Monday and later died at the hospital.

His funeral is to take place at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Hartland First Baptist Church. Snowman, 49, was a volunteer with the Hartland Fire Department for the past 25 years. He is the fourth Maine firefighter to die in the past eight years.

The Fire Marshal's Office says an overheated electrical outlet was the cause of the Detroit fire.

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AT USM -- There will be a rally against hate at 5 p.m. today at the Woodbury Campus Center on the University of Southern Maine's Portland campus.

Representatives from the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence, Maine Civil Liberties Union, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People-Portland Branch, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion, and Mayor-Elect Jill Duson and other organizations and individuals will speak to the recent events in Standish, Gray-New Gloucester, and Mt. Desert Island.

Gov. John Baldacci is also expected to attend the event.

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THE GOOD NEWS:

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS WAS HONORED during a ceremony at the Bangor Civic Center last night, as the Katahdin Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America presented her with its 2008 Distinguished Citizen Award.

The award recognizes an "individual who has gone beyond the expected and dedicated a great deal of time to helping others in their community. Those chosen are not necessarily Boy Scout volunteers, but rather people who personify what the Boy Scouts stands for -- good citizenship, outstanding moral fiber and a dedication to others," according to a press release from Sen. Collins' office.

It was a true honor for the recently re-elected Republican Senator from Maine.

"To be recognized for citizenship by an organization dedicated to fostering the values of citizenship is deeply gratifying," said Sen. Collins.

Copyright 2008 Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.