Bill in Rockland says:This morning at 5:50, it's 8 degrees under clear and starry skies. Thankfully, practically no wind stirs the air. So far a welcome hiatus before tomorrow's anticipated snowfall.

Shawn in Yarmouth says: It is COLD this morning. The thermometer is sitting at 16 degrees. Fortunately there is no wind to add wind chill. The sky has a few scattered clouds, covering the starry sky. I know that when I walk out, the snow will squeak, it's that cold! Remember those hats, gloves and warm coats when you leave your homes.

James in Cape Elizabeth says: Brrrrr....Winter is just about "calendarly" upon us but it seems like it this morning. At 5:45 with calm winds and 16 degrees, the freshly fallen snow is sticking around a bit. Hope everyone has their shovels, blowers, plows, plowers, all ready to go. Looks like an interesting weekend ahead of us. Seven shopping days left......

Mark in Brunswick says: 16 degrees and a stillness in the air this morning. About three inches of snow in Brunswick yesterday, and gray skies overhead.

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ON THE ROAD:

Also, Maine Turnpike crews continue removing the old bridge beams at the Mayall Road Bridge at mile 67.5 in Gray, which means lane closures during the day and a number of TROOPER-ASSISTED TRAFFIC STOPS tonight 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Stoppages may last up to 25 minutes.

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ON THE OCEAN:

• High tide in Portland: 3:33 p.m. Low tide: 9:19 a.m. and 9:53 p.m.

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THE NEWEST NEWS:

BANGOR (AP) -- The state of Maine will soon be out of the business of providing direct institutional care to people with severe mental retardation.

The state-owned-and-operated Elizabeth Levinson Center in Bangor, the last of several former state-operated programs for children with mental retardation, will be run by a private nonprofit organization starting on March 1. On Tuesday, the state awarded the contract to United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Maine.

The nonprofit's executive director, Bobbi Jo Yeager, says it can do a good job running the Levinson Center while saving the state money.

The Levinson Center, which opened in 1971, is the last of several former state-operated programs for children with mental retardation to be turned over to the private sector.

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MIDCOAST -- Six Catholic parishes in the midcoast area will merge under the umbrella of one new parish beginning Jan. 1, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced yesterday.

The new St. Brendan the Navigator Parish will include the churches of St. James, Thomaston; St. Francis of Assisi, Belfast; Our Lady of Good Hope, Camden; St. Bernard, Rockland; St. Mary of the Isles, Islesboro; and Our Lady of Peace, North Haven (and Catholics who attend Union Church on Vinalhaven).

The plan has been in the works for about a year.

Bishop Richard J. Malone said Fr. Mark Reinhardt will be administrator of the parish and Fr. Joseph Koury will be parochial vicar. Fr. Reinhardt has been serving the Rockland area since 1999 and Fr. Koury has been serving the Belfast area since 2005.

A statement released by the diocese said the change will centralize the administrative organization. The churches will also share the priests due to the declining number of clergy.

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PORTLAND -- A Portland man was indicted by a federal court yesterday for his role in conspiring to transport illegal aliens to Maine.

According to a statement released by United States Attorney Paula D. Silsby, Carlos DaSilva was charged with a count of transporting illegal aliens for commercial advantage and financial gain. The claim says that during 2007 and 2008, on at least eight separate occasions, DaSilva transported or assisted transporting illegal aliens for profit.

If convicted, DaSilva faces a maximum prison sentence of ten years on each of the nine counts of the indictment.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt but rather a grand jury decision that there is enough evidence to prosecute.

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THE POWER OUTAGE REPORT: Today's power outage report is there are virtually no power outages to report!

After six straight days of working nearly non-stop, line workers and others have restored service to 99 percent of the 220,000 customers who were without power after the ice storm Friday, reports Gail Rice, Central Maine Power spokeswoman.

She said many of the mutual aid crews will pack up and head south today to help New Hampshire get its power back to people down there. But, Rice said, there is one order of business still to care for.

"Crews from Nova Scotia Power, touched by the hardship they witnessed while working in southern Maine, decided to donate a portion of their per diem pay to York County Food Rescue, which coordinates donations to area 43 food pantries and meal programs, many of which lost perishable items in the aftermath of the storm," Rice said in the release.

Those crews will gather 8 a.m. Thursday at CMP's Canco Road facility to present York County Food Rescue with their donation before heading south.

FROM OUR NEWS PARTNERS:

• The Bangor Daily News reports today about a Hampden man under arrest for sexually abusing a minor. That story can be read if you click this link.

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