June 06, 2008 At 9 a.m., it was clammy, raining lightly and 57 degrees in downtown Portland.

Be prepared for some rain this morning, even a possible thunderstorm or two. Cool and clammy through the a.m., but as the day moves on, so do the clouds and rain.

It is followed by some serious heat, and by tomorrow Maine might be seeing humid temperatures in the 80s or even, in some spots, the 90s.

From Bill in Rockland: 50 degrees at 5:30 a.m. in Rockland under overcast skies with no wind. I understand it's going to get oppressively warm later today or tomorrow: not there yet.
From James in Cape Elizabeth: 55 in Cape Elizabeth at 5:45. Cloudy but a hint of breakup so I think the rain is over for a while.
From Karen in Steep Falls: Still cloudy here at 6:30 a.m., not a breeze to be found and the temperature sits at 57 degrees. The deck is dry so I'm assuming it didn't rain too much more last night. Happy Friday!!! Sounds like a great weekend on tap!
From Shawn in Yarmouth: Here in Yarmouth, it is 56 degrees and a brighter gray than yesterday. There seems to be a light breeze through the trees and a bit less humid.

ON THE ROAD:

• Between mile 57 in Cumberland and mile 65 in Gray, southbound lane closures are scheduled from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. for pavement rehabilitation and guardrail improvement. Fifty mph work zone speed limits are in effect.

• Between mile 27 in Kennebunk and mile 35 in Saco, north and southbound lane closures are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for road work.

ON THE OCEAN:

Southern wind blows 5 to 10 knots and increase through the day, with gusts of up to 20 knots expected. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Patchy drizzle and fog this morning with a chance of showers, too.

High tide was at 1:10 a.m. and returns at 1:59 p.m. Low tides at 7:41 a.m. and 7:51 p.m.

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PORTLAND (AP) — One of the teenagers injured last week in a train accident near the New Hampshire-Maine border says she didn't hear the horn of the oncoming train or the screeching of its brakes.

Fourteen-year-old Rachel Brown of Lebanon lost the top of her right foot, and 13-year-old Destiny Phaneuf lost part of her left leg when they were struck by a train May 28. Both remain at Maine Medical Center, where Brown described the accident Thursday.

She says she and her friend had stayed up late during a sleepover the night before and decided to skip class. They were lying down on the tracks to hide themselves from cars and neighbors when they fell asleep while resting and talking.

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PORTLAND — Check the news updates here later today to find out the latest on the development of the Maine State Pier.

Portland City Councilor Cheryl Leeman and Attorney James Broder are holding a press conference at 10 a.m. to update where talks stand regarding the Maine State Pier.

The talks were expected to be completed already, but they have been delayed for undisclosed reasons until early August, Leeman has said.

Broder is the attorney hired by the city to help negotiate lease terms with Olympia Cos. for the $100 million project.

In December, the city council chose Olympia to develop the Maine State Pier. Olympia plans to fix the deteriorating pier and erect a hotel there, and construct an office building and park on the abutting shore. The project also includes building a berth for large cruise ships.

But in early April, a legislative committee killed a bill that would have allowed the city to lease submerged state-owned land under the state pier for a longer period than currently allowed under state law. The city plans to sub-let the land to Olympia.

The state owns all submerged land between the low-tide mark and the three-mile limit. However, Portland officials believe the city obtained rights to the submerged land under the state pier in 1981 when it bought the port facilities as part of an economic development project involving Bath Iron Works.

Olympia officials argued that the bill's passage would help them win more favorable terms for financing the project because it would lower risks for lenders. They did not argue that failure to win the bill's passage would kill the project, however.

Representatives from both sides have met six times since the city council authorized negotiations with Olympia over terms of the lease and the development plan.

Negotiations began Jan. 22, and agreeing on financial terms, a development plan and a schedule was expected to take 60 to 90 days.

Today, we should learn more about what's taken place since then. Stay tuned...

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PORTLAND — A spokeswoman for Maine Medical Center this morning said Deanna Legere, the girl who was critically injured in a tragic pony-cart accident this week, has been discharged from the hospital.

Deanna Legere, 7, was flow to Maine Medical Center after receiving critical injuries from an accident Tuesday, in which her 9-year-old sister, Grace Legere of Auburn, was killed.

The two girls were riding in a pony-drawn cart along Route 117 in Bucksfield around 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, when they were struck by a pickup truck. Sheriff Wayne Gallant said the girls were thrown from the buggy. The man driving the cart, Philip Trundy, 64, of Buckfield, suffered a broken leg.

The driver of the truck was identified as Loren Shackford, 55, of Buckfield. He was also given a routine blood test, but there was no evidence alcohol was involved in the accident, police said. Police surmised that Shackford was temporarily blinded by the setting sun.

One of the miniature horses pulling the cart escaped injury but the other had to be put down at the scene.

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PORTLAND — A man from Poland will spend the next 71 months in prison for having a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Paul Parker Jr., 48, received the federal sentence yesterday in U.S. District Court.

He was arrested Aug. 28, 2007 for "possession of a firearm while subject to a protection order and after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence." The penalty for the crime, nearly 6 years in prison, was severe due to the history of Parker's case.

Before his arrest, according to court records, Parker stalked his estranged wife from the woods outside her Poland home. Not long after, according to court records, he broke into the home, stole a gun and used it to shoot and kill a family dog.

The next day, Parker was found passed out drunk behind the residence in possession of the firearm and over 400 rounds of ammunition.

Parker wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the home that August day. A protection order was issued against Parker on behalf of his estranged wife in June 2007 which also prohibited him from having firearms under federal law.

The domestic violence conviction was for another, separate case stemming from Aug. 9, 2007, for an incident involving his son. That conviction also came with a "no firearms" law.

Parker pleaded guilty on Feb. 6 to possession of a firearm while subject to a protection order and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Judge D. Brock Hornby gave Parker the heavy sentence, which is, according to court records, "an upward departure from the guideline range provided by the Unites States Sentencing Guidelines by 25 months."

And it doesn't end there for Parker. He still faces additional charges from another incident that arose while he was in the Maine state court system last year.

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