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

IN THE WEATHER

At 9 a.m., it was 52 degrees and sort of cloudy in downtown Portland.

On and off clouds today, but no rain expected as the week wraps up. At the beginning of this week, today was supposed to be a washout, and tomorrow, too. But it looks like the weekend gives us just chances of showers with temperatures in the 60s.

From Bill in ROCKLAND: Some high thin clouds off to the east and west, but clear overhead with a slight breeze and 49 degrees at 5:30 a.m. this last day of the work week. From Mark in BRUNSWICK: 47 degrees this morning with a few streaks of clouds overhead. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the weather this weekend.
From Shawn in YARMOUTH: Here in Yarmouth this Friday morning, it is 46 degrees, no wind and a blue sky with a few light puffy clouds. Another nice day!

ON THE ROAD:

• Between mile 60 and 61 in Gray a southbound lane closure is scheduled 24 hours a day from 9:30 a.m. for bridge work and will continue until 5:30 a.m. Monday, May 19, at the Eagles Nest Road Bridge. Traffic will be down to one lane and a 50 mph work zone speed limit is in effect.

ON THE OCEAN:

A gentle day in Casco Bay, with a north wind blowing 5 to 10 knots and seas 1 to 2 feet. The wind will switch from the north to the east as the day goes on.

Hopefully, the sea will remain tame today so the Maine Marine Patrol can continue searching for the body of Kittery lobsterman Christopher Tobey. Tobey is presumed drowned after his boat capsized near the Isles of Shoals on Sunday.

Sgt. Rick LaFlamme said 11 Maine State Police and marine patrol divers yesterday searched the area around Duck Island, near where Tobey's boat, Sav-A-Buc, capsized.

But sea conditions became too dangerous for divers to continue, LaFlamme said. Authorities will resume air searches today and continue through the weekend, he said.

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High tide today in Portland is at 9:35 a.m. and then again at 9:52 p.m. Tide will be lowest at 3:36 p.m.

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STATEWIDE — Don't wear your seatbelt that often?

Monday might be a good day to start. On that day law enforcement officials from 72 agencies will begin a two-week crackdown on seatbelt violations across the state. In other words, just about every police department in the state.

The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety will announce the enforcement effort tomorrow at a new conference on the front lawn of the Maine Department of Public Safety in Augusta.

Director Lauren Stewart and representatives from several police departments will talk about The "Click It or Ticket It" campaign that runs through June 1.

The campaign also coincides with many police departments' traffic safety efforts surrounding Memorial Day. The news conference begins at 12:20 p.m.

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PRESQUE ISLE — It's a busy weekend for The University of Maine System trustees, who will open a two-day meeting Sunday to set tuition rates and campus fees for the next academic year.

UMS Chancellor Richard Pattenaude said the university system has made efforts over the past two years to cut costs and improve efficiency and that the new budget he will present to trustees will reflect significant cuts and savings.

But he also said the system must address major increases in the cost of fuel, utilities, food and other expenses affecting the operation of the universities and their 45,000 students.

State funding constitutes roughly half of the UMS general operating budget, with student tuition and fees making up the other half. Trustees also will consider approval of a bachelor's degree in nursing at the University of Maine at Augusta.
(AP)

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AUGUSTA — Now that Cabela's is open for business, The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wants outdoor lovers to know that the store is a MOSES licensing agent

MOSES (Maine Online Sportsmans Electronic System) the department's online licensing system, is available at approximately 240 locations statewide and on the DIF&W Web site, www.mefishwildlife.com.

"By offering the computer-based licensing system, MOSES agents not only provide a better licensing service to our customers, they also help the Department save significant time and money that instead can be used to protect our valued outdoor resources," said DIF&W commissioner Dan Martin.

Martin said all Wal-Mart locations statewide also are MOSES agents.

Click here to catch the Portland Press Herald report on the opening of Cabela's.

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SCARBOROUGH — Bird is the word today and tomorrow as Audubon's annual Birdathon gets under way.

Starting at 6 tonight, teams of experienced birders will venture out to count as many birds as they can find and as many different species as they can find, while also raising money for the Maine Audubon Society.

The teams raise funds through pledges. They include the Mighty Marsh Muckers, who are raising money for repairs at Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, the Belted Kingpishers, a team of teenage birders led by Maine Audubon staff naturalist Eric Hynes, and the GrossGeeks.

They are all still accepting donations, which may be made by logging on to Maine Audubon's Birdathon page.

Team member or not, Maine Audubon from 7 to 9 a.m. tomorrow will host a free “birders’ breakfast” of coffee, juice and bagels at Portland’s best birding hot spot, Evergreen Cemetery. Want to learn more about "birding"? Follow the signs from the cemetery entrance on Stevens Avenue to the ponds.

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A regular Sunrise Herald feature, combating the harmful rays of too much bad news. Get your daily dose of the good stuff here.

PORTLAND — A Portland High School senior graduates this spring with the distinct honor of being named one of a handful of Dell Scholars.

Bosco Oringa, a participant for three years in USM’s Upward Bound program joins 253 other students from around the country to be noticed by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s Dell Scholars Program.

He is the only Maine student to be named a Dell Scholar in the 2008 competition.

As a Dell Scholar, Oringa will receive $20,000 to continue his higher education for the next six years. In addition, the Dell Scholars Program provides its students with technology, resources and mentoring to ensure they have the support they need to obtain a college degree.

“We are very proud of Bosco Orgina for this exciting recognition from a prestigious, national scholarship program,” said Laurie Davis, executive director of the USM Upward Bound program. “Bosco is very focused in his determination to succeed. He has been an active participant in the Upward Bound program at USM, both during the academic year and the six-week residential summer programs. He will continue to use the skills learned in Upward Bound as he pursues a college degree at the University of New England to realize his career goals.”

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