June 10

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

IN THE WEATHER

At 9 a.m., it was 70 and muggy in downtown Portland.

The day starts partly cloudy and mostly humid. The humidity sticks with us until a cold front arcs in late today, pushing out the mucky air. That cold front means thunderstorms, strong at times, likely through the late afternoon and evening. In short: Today ... Hot again with highs near 90 expected inland. Tomorrow ... Relief.

The Sunrise Herald WEATHER WATCHERS report.

From Bill in Rockland: 64 degrees here at 5:40 a.m.; no wind and some scattered high clouds.
From James in Cape Elizabeth: Hot and hazy here in Cape Elizabeth already with 69 degrees showing at 6 a.m. No breeze at all. Here's hoping a sea breeze will kick in this afternoon.
From Shawn in Yarmouth: Another summery morning here in Yarmouth. It is already 63 degrees at 6:30, hazy sunshine and no wind.
From Karen in Steep Falls:At 7:15 a.m., the temperature is a nice 71 degrees with clear skies. Another hot one on tap for today but it doesn't feel as "still" as it did yesterday morning. Have a great day!

ON THE ROAD:

• All that construction on Western Avenue in South Portland is nearly coming to a close. Final striping and pavement marking begins tonight, scheduled from 8 p.m. until sunrise the next day. Flaggers and traffic directors will be guiding people through the busy area.

• Night paving is also planned at the reworked I-295 Exit 3 entrance ramp, at the area of Westbrook Street and West Broadway in South Portland. The paving begins at 7 p.m. and continues through the night. It should be finished by 6 a.m.

• Postal Service Way in front of the U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Scarborough will be closed today from 6 p..m to 9:30 p.m. as the center runs a biohazard exercise drill to test emergency responses to anthrax.

ON THE OCEAN:

During the day: Southerly wind blows 5 to 10 knots. Seas 1 to 2. A chance of thunderstorms and showers through the day and into the evening. Tonight: Seas build a little and the chance of thunderstorms grow strength.

High tide was at 5:06 a.m. and returns at 5:48 p.m. Low tide at 11:26 a.m. and then again at 11:56 p.m.

_________________________________________________________________

THE NEWEST NEWS

PORTLAND (AP) More than 20 lawsuits stemming from a massive security breach of Hannaford Bros. Co.'s computer system have been consolidated and assigned to a federal court here.

According to a decision announced Monday, the case will be heard by U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby in Portland.

The decision means that lawsuits already filed in Maine, New Hampshire, Florida and New York will be consolidated into a single case under the federal court's multi-district litigation program.

The breach last winter allowed hackers to access more than 4 million credit and debit card numbers used at 165 Hannaford stores in the Northeast and 106 Sweetbay stores in Florida. In all, the breach has generated 14 lawsuits in Maine, seven in Florida and one each in New Hampshire and New York.

––––––

LIVERMORE FALLS (AP) — A 19-year-old Livermore man has been charged with arson for allegedly tossing Molotov cocktails at two schools and a paper company property in Livermore Falls last month.

Allen Buzzell was issued a felony summons yesterday.

Buzzell is accused of tossing glass jars filled with substances designed to ignite and burn on the properties. Police said the incidents were random and that the buildings weren't targeted for any particular reason.

There was no damage to the properties.

––––––

BETHEL — Can you believe it? Even with these sweltering 80-degree days, there is still some snow in Maine.

It's a dirty pile of snow, surrounded by green grass — all that remains of what was once the tallest snow woman in the world.

Folks at the Bethel Chamber of Commerce who created Olympia, the 122-foot-tall snow woman, expected her to be gone by June 9. Her predecessor, 'Angus, King of the Mountain,'' who was 10 feet shorter, melted by June 10 in 1999.

But Olympia Snowwoman lingers on. At last measure, seen in the photo below taken a few days ago, she was still 25-feet tall. Although the past couple 80-degree days have helped move her in the direction of Frosty in the greenhouse, those who bet "by June 10" in the Bethel "when will she melt" 50/50 raffle, are definitely not winning the pot.

Chamber officials, though, say some people in the raffle bet as late as September, so somebody will win the money...somebody who either had high hopes for Olympia and her 13 million pounds of snow, or low expectations for a nice, warm summer.

Olympia in February.

––––––

SOUTH PORTLAND — The public is invited to share their thoughts on the Long Creek Restoration Project during a meeting from 2 to 5 p.m. today.

The Long Creek Restoration Project is "looking to grassroots collaboration to develop the best, cheapest and fairest approach to restoring water qualilty of Long Creek."

During the meeting held at the Sable Oaks Marriott in South Portland, the project's steering committee will discuss its work toward developing a plan and offer information about how it might effect area landowners.

For more information visit the Long Creek Restoration Project Website, www.restorelongcreek.org

––––––

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — More than 30 sled dogs found abandoned without food, water or shelter were given clean bills of health Monday and began their trip to Maine, where they will live while a criminal case is pending.

The dogs are part of an animal cruelty case against John T. Hessert, who's charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after officials found 33 emaciated sled dogs on his property.

District Judge Holly Brown ruled the dogs could be moved to Maine because they're not needed as evidence. They will be released to Hessert's father, Stephen Hessert, a Portland lawyer, who said he would bring the dogs back to Bozeman if they are needed.

Eight puppies will remain in foster care in Bozeman pending the outcome of the animal abuse trial set for Aug. 13.

According to court records, a man called animal control Jan. 30 to report that the dogs were being kept in an unsafe environment outside West Yellowstone near Targhee Pass.

When a veterinarian examined the dogs on Feb. 2, after a complaint was filed that the dogs were abandoned, it was determined that they were all "well below normal health and had not been being fed enough food," according to court records. One of the dogs had a collar embedded in its neck and other dogs had frostbite.

_________________________________________________________________

A REMINDER — Today is Voting Day in Maine, the time to head out to the polls and do your civic duty. There are a number of matters that need your attention from local races, to statewide referendums, to national matters. And poles this hour, are starting to open.

In Maine's 1st Congressional District, voters will choose the Democrat and Republican candidates who will head to the Nov. 4 general election. There is also a statewide transportation referendum and more.

Press Herald Reporter Kevin Wack provides a detailed preview of today's election. Plus, we'll be bringing you coverage here, when it becomes the "news update" section of pressherald.com. Keep checking back for live election results, posted as it happens, when it happens.

––––––

THE PORTLAND PIRATES have planned a press conference at 1 p.m. today to introduce their new National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate. The press conference will be held in the Captain's Club at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Pressherald.com will post an update after the announcement, so come back here to find out more. Plus, there is sure to be a full report in tomorrow's print edition of the Portland Press Herald.

THE BARBARA BUSH CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL also holds a media event at 10 a.m. today to cut the ribbon on a new enhanced ambulance designed especially for kids.

The ambulance is created to help the tiniest babies and most fragile little people in critical need of care. Called the "Angel One," this newest transporter replaces an older model that has logged over 200,000 miles and will now be called "Angel Two."

––––––

AT 1 P.M. TODAY John D. Duncan, the former Verrill Dana lawyer accused of stealing about $300,000 from his clients and the firm, is expected to plead guilty to two counts of felony theft in Cumberland County Superior Court.

A reporter will be covering the case and will provide an update for pressherald.com as soon as it comes available. Again, check the "news updates," which replace the Sunrise Herald at 9:30 a.m., for the latest.

To read the full brief about Duncan's hearing, and other briefs from news around the state, CLICK HERE.

E-mail this entry to a friend