Maine News Updates

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

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JUST SO YOU KNOW:

There is a significant road closure this morning in Lewiston due to a truck that took out a utility pole on Russell Street early this morning.

Russell
Street - from College Street to North Bardwell Street (Google map at
right is clickable for larger view) - is closed to traffic in both
directions for an unknown period of time. Police say the closure will
likely be extended to Central Avenue.

Lewiston Police say the pole was struck so hard that a portion of it fell on the travel lanes of Russell Street.

There
are no injuries and Central Maine Power is working to repair the pole. 
Police have not located the truck responsible and ask anyone with
information to call the department at 513-6330.

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IN THE WEATHER:

SUNRISE: 4:59 a.m. SUNSET: 8:22 p.m.

At 9 a.m., it was 53 degrees and partly sunny! in downtown Portland.

At
8:15 a.m., I had to change the little rain icon to a party sunny one,
believe it or not. But our glimpses of sun today will be fleeting.
Tomorrow, real rain returns.

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THE SUNRISE HERALD WEATHER WATCHERS REPORT:

• Bill in Rockland says: Still gray and a not-quite
  drizzle is scarcely moving in the very light northeasterly airs this
  early morning. The temperature is 48 degrees and so far the
  general feel of the day is a sort of oppressive sogginess. Time to hope
  for improvement and hunt out the mildew removers.
• James from Cape Elizabeth says:
  Another gray morning but relatively dry here in Cape Elizabeth.  At 
  6:20, it is 52 and still.  All things considered, not a bad morning.
  While we will undoubtedly have showers later and then again tomorrow,
  the weekend is shaping up to rather nice! Have a great Thursday one and
  all!!

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ON THE ROAD - Travel report:

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ON THE OCEAN:

Eastern winds blow 5 to 10 knots, then come from the southeast at around 10
knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet and visibility is hampbered by a slight chance
of showers. 

IN PORTLAND: High tide at 2:32 p.m. Low tide at 8:17 a.m. and again at 8:19 p.m.

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IN THE NEWS:

ORONO
-- The State Fire Marshal's Office is continuing its investigation into
a fire at an Orono apartment complex to determine what caused the blaze
that ravaged the 18-unit building. 

The fire occured late Tuesday
afternoon at 6 Bennoch Road in the University of Maine town.  The
residents of the building - more than 20 of them - were evacuated and
now remain homeless.

A
team of three fire marshal investigators were at the fire site
Wednesday and determined the fire started in a first floor apartment of
the building known casually as the Katahdin Building. They have also
been joined by a state electrical inspector as they attempt to pinpoint
the cause.

News partner Bangor Daily News has a full report in today's paper, including pictures. This link will connect you with that report.

 

AUGUSTA -- The Maine Center for Disease control says four new cases of the H1N1 virus were confirmed in the state yesterday.

These
new cases including one adult and one youth in Sagadahoc County, one
adult in Lincoln County, and one adult in York County.  The latest
report brings the total number of confirmed cases among residents to 30
confirmed cases. There has been one reported probable case of H1N1 as
well.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that health officials from from Scotland, Indonesia and Thailand
said the World Health Organization (WHO) will likely declare a swine flu pandemic — a global epidemic
— today after a teleconference with leading flu experts.

Officials at U.N. missions in Geneva also said they expected the
imminent announcement of a pandemic.

WHO
spokesman Thomas Abraham
said only that the emergency meeting began at noon in Geneva (6 a.m.
our time) and WHO member nations would then be informed of the
result.

"It is likely in light of sustained community
transmission in countries outside of North America — most notably in
Australia — that level 6 will be declared," Scotland's Health Secretary
Nicola Sturgeon told Scottish lawmakers.

Level 6, also known as
Phase 6, is WHO's highest alert level and means that a swine flu
pandemic is under way. The last pandemic — the Hong Kong flu of 1968 —
killed about 1 million people. Ordinary flu kills about 250,000 to
500,000 people each year.

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BROWNSVILLE,
TX -- A weapons dealer indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in Maine last
month was snagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers
Tuesday morning at the U.S./Mexico border.

The Brownsville
Herald reports that Donovan Beavers, 21, of Auburn was taken into
custody shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday at the B&M International
Bridge. That paper's report can be read by clicking here.

Beavers
and a co-defendant Richard James were arrested in Lewiston in January
by a special agent acting undercover with the Lewiston police
department who bought 10 guns from the two men, including three
sawed-off shotguns.

You can revisit the entire arrest report by visiting this Lewiston Sun Journal link. 

The
men were indicted in May. It is not clear why or how Beavers ended up
on the Mexican border, but he is now in custody of federal agents.

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ALFRED — A York County grand jury has indicted a Bangor man who
allegedly led police on a wild high-speed chase through three states in
April.

Christopher T. Goehringer, 26, was indicted this month on
counts of eluding police, passing a roadblock, reckless conduct with a
weapon, criminal speed and driving to endanger.

State police said
Goehringer drove along the Maine Turnpike at speeds of more than 130
mph on the night of April 2. Trooper Anthony Keim said Goehringer used
all three lanes and the Maine Turnpike's breakdown lane to elude police
after he attempted to pull him over at the turnpike's rest stop in
Kennebunk.

Police laid down spike mats near the York toll plaza,
but Goehringer was able to drive his 1990 BMW around the mats, police
said. Goehringer allegedly passed through the toll plaza at a high rate
of speed, fast enough to become airborne. His vehicle did not strike
any tollbooths or abutments.

The BMW continued south through New
Hampshire and Massachusetts. Goehringer was apprehended in Haverhill
after the BMW struck a state police cruiser.

Information provided by Staff Writer Dennis Hoey

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NEWS coming up :

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