Welcome to the Sunrise Herald with Giselle Goodman, the place to go to get the news from overnight and beyond...

We start the day with our "On the Road" report instead of the weather, because it
probably is the most important news of the morning:

ON THE ROAD:

• A number of roads in Portland will be closed for the next few hours as the funeral procession of Portland Police Sgt. Robert Johnsey makes its way through the city for the 11 a.m. services at Woodfords Congregational Church, 202 Woodford St. The schedule is as follows:

Stevens Avenue between College Street and Forest Avenue will be closed beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Woodford Street between Forest Avenue and Stevens Avenue will be closed beginning at 9 a.m.

Rolling road closures will take place along Stevens Avenue beginning at 10 a.m. as the procession moves from the armory to the church.

Stevens Avenue will reopen at approximately 11 a.m.

Woodford Street will reopen at approximately 12:30 p.m.

The flags of the United States and Maine on Portland municipal buildings will be flown at half-staff Friday to honor Johnsey, a highly-respected police officer who died this week when his service weapon accidentally discharged.

IN THE WEATHER

At 9 a.m., it was 54 degrees and sunny in downtown Portland.

Today is opposite day, at least when it comes to the weather. Take the opposite of yesterday and you pretty much have it. The day will start warm and sunny, but will slowly give way to rain as some heavy clouds move in from the south. Rain will be heaviest along the coast and will stay with us through early tomorrow.

From Bill in Rockland: Practically calm and 44 degrees at 5:39. Blue sky overhead, but a high white haze off to the west. My neighbor has an early start on walking her dog, but no wildlife about. From James in Cape Elizabeth: We are showing 47 degrees at 6:15 a.m. Skies are a milky blue and the sun is shining. Great day to work in the outside. From Shawn in Yarmouth: It is 48 degrees this Friday. The sky is blue with some light wispy clouds. The wind from yesterday seems to have calmed. A great start to the day. From Mark in Brunswick: 49 degrees here, and while the sun was out earlier, it is now hiding behind a blanket of clouds. The blossoms on the cherry tree popped out yesterday, and it looks like the pears won't be far behind. From Karen in Steep Falls: Brrr!! It's a chilly 48 degrees this morning and the winds have stopped. Black flies have been out in full force since Tuesday. Tis' the season, I guess. Happy Friday!

ON THE OCEAN:

A small craft advisory in effect from late tonight through the weekend. Wind is 5 knots this morning but will build. If you are going kayaking, go this morning.

High tide at 3:10 p.m. Low tides at 8:51 a.m. and then again at 9:03 p.m.

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A FORMER UNIVERSITY OF MAINE STUDENT was sentenced to 364 days in jail, with all but 33 days suspended and three years probation for his role in the alcohol-related death of a fellow student.

Sean Meehan, 22, of Portland received the sentence through a plea agreement with prosecutors on charges of furnishing a place for minors to consume liquor. The agreement also merged separate assault charges against Meehan involving his girlfriend and another man.

The charges stem from the death of 19-year-old Adam Baxter of England, a student at the University of Maine who played on the soccer team with Meehan.
Baxter died during a school break after drinking and choking on his vomit in the basement of Meehan's parents' home in Portland. (AP)

VIRGINIA POLICE SAY THEY WILL CHARGE Randall Lee Smith, 54, with two counts of attempted capital murder, grand larceny and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after he allegedly shot two male hikers along the Appalachian Trial Tuesday.

Lt. Ron Hamlin of the Giles County Sheriff's Office said Smith was taken to a Roanoke hospital after he crashed a pickup truck belonging to one of Tuesday's shooting victims as he was being followed by a state trooper.

Police did not immediately release the names of the victims, who were hospitalized after the incident.

Smith is no stranger to this kind of crime. He already spent many years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the 1981 deaths of Ellsworth social workers Susan Ramsay and Bob Mountford.

Smith was released in 1996. The area of the latest shooting is in the Dismal Creek area, just a few miles from where Mountford and Ramsay were killed. (AP)

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A RETIRED STATE POLICE lieutenant who died of a heart attack at his Brunswick home will be honored as the Legendary Trooper for the year.

Lt. Larry Gross, who died at age 59 two years ago (May 8 , 2006), will be given the esteemed honor for his years dedicated to the Maine State Police Department. Mr. Gross served with the State Police from 1968 until his retirement in 1992 as head of internal affairs. He then served as executive director of the Maine State Troopers Association until his death.

His widow, Julie, will receive his plaque at the annual State Police Awards ceremony at 1:30 PM on Friday, May 16, at the Public Safety offices in Augusta.

Also coming up in Maine's public safety news will be the honoring of 82 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

A service for them will be May 15, at the 20th annual observance of the Maine Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial on State Street in Augusta.

Some of the officers honored on the memorial died in the 1800s. The ceremony takes place at the memorial, which is adjacent to the State House, at 11 AM.

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