May 30, 2008
At 8 a.m., it was 50 degrees and sunny in downtown Portland.

Another sunny day today with nice temperatures in the upper 60s expected. Much less of a breeze than yesterday. Clouds move in after dark and bring us rain, mostly in the form of scattered showers, tomorrow.

From Bill in ROCKLAND: Another idyllic 5:30 in Rockland: 45 degrees, cloudless, and calm. I gather the situation is going to deteriorate, but for now it's a nice day.
From James in CAPE ELIZABETH:At 6:15, it was 52 here in Cape Elizabeth. Very calm and bright blue skies.
From Shawn in YARMOUTH: This morning in Yarmouth, it is 45 degrees, another crystal clear blue sky, very slight breeze. Wow, what a stretch of weather. Wish I could spend the day outside.
From Mark in BRUNSWICK: 48 degrees at 7:00 a.m. this morning and it looks like another fantastic day. Such a shame to be working inside today.

ON THE ROAD:

• Beginning at 9:30 a.m. today, the southbound lanes of the bridge that carries the Maine Turnpike over the Eagles Nest Road (mile 61 in Gray) goes under repairs.

The road will be down to one lane until June 2, which will more than likely cause traffic delays, even though travel on this portion of the turnpike, officials tell us, is lower on the weekend than during weekdays.

Officials also say two lanes of traffic will be restored no later than 6 a.m. Monday.

ON THE OCEAN:

The winds out there have settled down, making for a much nicer, calmer day on the ocean. The wind comes from the north today, blowing 5 to 10 knots, then coming in from the south at 10 to 15 knots this afternoon. Seas are timid at 1 to 2 feet.

High tide at 6:01 p.m. Low tide at 11:40 a.m. and then again around midnight.

High tides at 7:16 a.m. and at 7:46 p.m. Low tide around 1:26 p.m.

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AUBURN (AP) — A former state legislator has agreed to plead guilty to multiple misdemeanor theft charges stemming from improper use of public campaign money.

According to court documents, 36-year-old William Walcott of Prentiss will plead guilty at a court hearing next week. Felony theft charges will be dropped as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Walcott formerly lived in Lewiston and was indicted last year on charges that he spent $4,874 in campaign money for personal use and lied about how it was spent. Walcott represented Lewiston in the legislature for four years before resigning last August.

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BREAKING NEWS: BOSTON (AP) — A seven-alarm blaze in downtown Boston destroyed James Hook & Co. this morning, a landmark wholesale and retail seafood business on the waterfront, and a large worldwide distributor of Maine lobster.

The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m and quickly reached seven alarms. Three hours later, firefighters continued to pour water on the smoky wooden structure, which extends on pilings over the harbor.

Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said 130 firefighters were working to contain the fire, which continued to burn in the building, particularly in rooms full of corrugated cardboard boxes used for shipping seafood. Firefighters had to battle the blaze from outside the building, after being ordered out for fear it would collapse.

Debris floated in the water and the building listed to one side at 6 a.m. Fire Chief Kevin MacCurtain said he feared the building would fall into the water. A dive team was put into the water as a precautionary measure in case a firefighter fell into the harbor, he said.

There was no report of injuries, and no immediate indication of how the fire started.

James Hook & Co. has been in business since 1925, when the Hook brothers started trucking their catch of lobsters from Maine and Canada to Boston's fish piers and selling them directly to the city's top restaurants. The business now ships 50,000 pounds of lobsters a day, according to its Web site.

One of the owners, Ed Hook, told WHDH-TV that he saw smoke on the way into the city at 4:30 a.m. and knew there was trouble.

"It's hard for me to even look at the building," said Hook, who added the business is now run by third and fourth generations of his family. "I just can't believe the condition it's in. It's devastating."

No one was in the building when the fire broke out.

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MILLINOCKET — Gov. John E. Baldacci is planning a visit to this town today to discuss the announcement by Katahdin Paper Co. that it plans to close its facility.

Baldacci is tentatively scheduled to meet with Town Manager Eugene Conlogue at 1 p.m. at Town Hall.

Closing the mill will put 208 people out of work. The indefinite closure will be effective on July 29.

Fraser Paper, which operates Katahdin's mills, cited high energy prices Thursday for the closure. Fraser CEO Peter Gordon says fuel costs have doubled over the past 12 months. Last year, the Millinocket mill consumed more than 400,000 barrels of oil.

Paper produced at the Millinocket mill is used in the magazine, catalog and retail-insert industries. Katahdin's East Millinocket mill, which produces paper used in telephone directories, is not affected.

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BANGOR — A veteran pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to collecting disability while at the same time earning an income.

According to U. S. Attorney Paula D. Silsby, Robert W. Hall, 59, of Bradford, a disabled veteran, began receiving non-service related pension benefits monthly in 1986. By August 2007, he was getting the maximum $910 in benefits and was claiming no income.

However, court records revealed that Hall was earning income from rental payments and the sale of livestock. He was, according to court records, hiding large sums of cash in a safety deposit box at a branch office of Camden National Bank. When it was opened on a search warrant, officials found $110,000 in cash.

The money was seized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and will be used to pay the government back for Hall's fraudulent benefits.

Hall made his plea in U.S. District Court in Bangor. He faces up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced at a date to be determined.

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PORTLAND — A Standish man is at the Cumberland County Jail this morning after a standoff with police at his home that lasted for hours.

Daniel Wolfe, 26, was arrested at his home on Quail Ridge Road sometime after midnight after police were called there at 4 p.m. for a report that a man had threatened family members. The family left the house and authorities negotiated for hours with the man to give himself up.

Deputies evacuated nearby homes and the Edna Libby school, where a parent-student meeting was scheduled.

Wolfe threatened officers at times, and did have a gun, but did give up peacefully after officers used tear gas to get him out of the house.

Wolfe is being held at the Cumberland County Jail on charges of domestic violence and criminal threatening.

More information will be available after police have a chance to put a press release together about the incident.

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