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By Giselle Goodman December 02, 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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ON THE ROAD:

• MOST OF THE BLACK ICE FROM THE EARLY MORNING HOURS has melted away due to sunshine or salt. But it is worthwhile to note that roads did freeze this morning and were the cause of a number of crashes, not serious or fatal.

As always, drive careful and "think ahead."
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IN THE WEATHER:

At 9 a.m., it was 37 degrees in downtown Portland.

A break in the weather! It's just what we need and it is on tap for today. A partly sunny day with temperatures in the mid to high 40s, although it does come with a stiff western breeze blowing at about 18 mph, gusting at times up to 30 or so.

If there is something you've been wanting to do outside, "before it freezes" (say, a compost pile that you've needed to turn, but have been putting off for months .. just for for example) today's the day!

THE SUNRISE HERALD WEATHER WATCHERS REPORT:

Bill in Rockland says: Many stars are still visible despite what is either a light mist or a heavy dew. A mild southwesterly breeze stirs the 38 degree air at
5:40 this morning.

Shawn in Yarmouth says: This morning in Yarmouth it is 37 degrees and clear. There is still lingering snow around the neighborhood where the plow pushed it to the edges ... guess winter is really coming.

James in Cape Elizabeth says: Wow!! Clear skies. Perhaps we will be able to see Venus' smile this evening. In any event, it is 36 with a slight SE breeze blowing. It will be nice to see the sun today. Enjoy the warmth as I feel temps are plunging towards the end of the week! Good Day all!
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ON THE OCEAN:

The blustery winds, as noted above, make for a small craft advisory this day with winds blowing 15 to 20 knots and gusting up to 30 knots. Seas 4 to 7 feet.

High tide in Portland 1:40 p.m. Low tides 7:29 a.m. and then again at 8:06 p.m.

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THE NEWEST NEWS:

News you can use to get your day under way:

PORTLAND (AP) -- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is speaking out on President-elect Barack Obama's nomination of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security.

Collins is the ranking minority member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee and spoke with Napolitano after Obama announced her nomination Monday.

Collins says as governor of a border state, Napolitano understands the importance of developing policies that will not impede legitimate travel and trade, but will also keep the nation's enemies from entering the country.

The Maine Republican says the Department of Homeland Security requires a leader who can direct one of the largest departments in government and is committed to working in a bipartisan manner on homeland security issues.

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BANGOR -- A man from Guatemala was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 87 days in prison for obtaining work in Maine using a fake id.

Angel Mario Guzman-Reyes, 23, was discovered in September, after he was found working in Easton under a false social security card and a false permanent resident card.

Guzman-Reyes entered the United States without inspection in August 2005, according to court documents.

After he serves his sentence, officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department will begin deportation proceedings.

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GREENBELT, Md. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say a Maine man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for his involvement in a scheme to distribute cocaine and marijuana from Arizona to several states.

Fifty-eight-year-old Timothy Moody of Warren, Maine, was sentenced to a total of 12 years and five months on Monday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt for conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana (that's 2200 pounds).

Prosecutors say Ruben Lopez led the conspiracy that sent hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and thousands of kilograms of marijuana from Arizona to Maryland, Ohio, Georgia, Maine and elsewhere.

They say Lopez sent a sample of about 125 pounds of marijuana to Moody in Maine in 2004 under a load of watermelons, but one bale was accidentally delivered with watermelons to a food bank in Maine. Prosecutors say on other occasions Moody helped deliver drugs and collect money for Lopez.

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LEBANON -- The Lebanon Rescue Department is trying to help a family whose 15-month-old child died Friday at their Lebanon home.

The death of Ty Gilpatrick is under investigation, as is policy in Maine which investigates the death of any child under the age of three.

But Lebanon Rescue Chief Samantha Cole said his loving mother, Kristen Desmarais and his grandfather, Stephen Kelly, with whom the baby lived, are devastated.

The family, she said, does not have the money to have a full funeral and cremation.

"They had just enough money to provide Ty with a warm and loving home and to raise a great child who will be missed by his many relatives who loved little 'Ty Ty,' she said.

The Lebanon Rescue Department has set up a fund to help the family pay for the funeral expenses.

"We just want to help the family be able to remember Ty and all the brightness he brought to the family. I have met with the entire family. His parents are exceptional people who would do anything in the world for their child," Cole said. "We feel it is our duty to help them in any way we can."

Checks can be made out to: Lebanon Rescue Corporation and mailed to:

Lebanon Rescue Department
Ty Gilpatrick Fund
323 Depot Road
Lebanon, ME 04027

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FROM OUR NEWS PARTNERS:

• The economy is hitting even the canoe business hard as Old Town Canoe recently slowed its production schedule, cutting hours for some workers. Company spokeswoman Lana Phillips said Monday that fewer canoes and kayaks were manufactured over the week of Thanksgiving than usual, a move designed to reduce inventory and overhead. For the full story, visit the Bangor Daily Newspaper website by clicking here.

• The Bangor Daily News has a report today about a Belfast man who was jailed early Sunday after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, walking off with their baby and biting a police officer who tried to arrest him.

The story about Lee Vernon Williams, 21, can be read by clicking this link.

• In the Lewiston Sun Journal, you can read a story about a Farmington man who is accused of assaulting and injuring a pregnant woman. That woman ended up in the Franklin Memorial Hospital emergency room on Sunday.

That story can be read by clicking this link.

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THE GOOD NEWS:

A Sunrise Herald feature, combating the harmful rays of too much bad news.

BRUNSWICK is getting some money from the government to help cushion the blow from the closing of the Brunswick Naval Air Station.

Gov. John E. Baldacci said yesterday in a press release that the Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) will be giving Maine two grants: specifically, a $85,000 grant to support a regional economic development marketing plan and a $1.025 million grant to be used for long-range transportation planning in support of the reuse of the Air Station.

The air station's eventual closure is scheduled for 2011.

"While we have made significant progress in the planning for the redevelopment of Brunswick Naval Air Station, these grants will take us to the next stage to prepare the region for the significant changes to come with the base closure," said the Governor. "With these resources, the state and the region will be better prepared to successfully redevelop the mid-coast economy."

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NORTHEAST HARBOR will also be given a financial helping hand from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help rebuild after the destructive fire of July, which devoured many businesses and the homes of people who lived in their buildings.

According to a press release, Gov. John E. Baldacci said the state's request for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Declaration has been approved, meaning the affected businesses may borrow up to $2 million with a maximum interest rate of 4 percent to help them cover normal operating expenses through the disaster recovery period.

As a result of the fire, three businesses were closed for at least five days. Two other businesses remain closed.

"Small businesses are critical to Maine," Baldacci said in a prepared release. "The July Northeast Harbor fire was devastating to five such businesses. While the loss was great, the Economic Injury Disaster Loans will help those who were affected have the chance to reopen and get back to work as quickly as possible."

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