Wake-Up Call: Monday, August 11, 2008

With the PolitickerME.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Maine's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerME.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Maine's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Baldacci’s legal advisors team up, move on

Gov. John Baldacci’s current and former chief legal advisors are teaming up to start a new law firm in September.

FederleMahoney will comprise of Tom Federle, who served as Baldacci’s chief legal counsel from July 2005 to December 2006, and Michael Mahoney, who took over for Federle and still holds the position. The firm will be based in Hallowell. (PolitickerME.com, Jessica Alaimo)

Link: http://www.politickerme.com/jessicaalaimo/2148/baldacci-s-legal-advisors-team-move

New law would require reporting child porn

Melvin Logan of Portland was sentenced to 18 months in prison last year for having images of children having sex with adults on his computer.

Logan's library of images and his life as a self-described pedophile came to light after a computer repair technician who had been asked to work on Logan's computer found the suspicious video files on its hard drive and reported them to police. (Portland Press Herald, David Hench)

Link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=204114&ac=PHnws

Gas prices continue to fall in Maine

PORTLAND—The start of a new work week is bringing lower gas prices, with a gallon of regular now selling for 31 cents less than a month ago in Maine.

According to AAA, gasoline today is averaging $3.82 a gallon in Maine. That's down from $4.13 a month ago, but it's still 98 cents higher than a year ago. (Boston Globe, AP)

Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2008/08/11/gas_prices_continue_to_fall_in_maine/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Maine+news

Kittery nomination papers available Aug. 13

KITTERY — Town Clerk Maryann Place has announced nomination papers for town elections will be available on Wednesday at her office in Town Hall at 200 Rogers Road Ext. The papers must be returned to Place's office by 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22.

The municipal vote, scheduled for Nov. 4, calls for the election of two town councilors and two members of the School Committee. The terms of councilors Judith Spiller and Jeff Brake are set to expire, as are those of School Committee members Ken Lemont and David Batchelder. (Seacoast Online, Staff)

Link: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080811/NEWS/808110318/-1/rss56

Company seeks wind farm off Maine coast

BANGOR - A Boston-based wind power developer has been meeting with state leaders about plans to develop a complex of wind turbines at a yet to be determined site in the Gulf of Maine. (Maine Today, AP)

Link: http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/031326.html

Maine Senate candidate talks trade

KITTERY—U.S. Senate candidate Tom Allen said he wants to stop giving tax breaks to companies that move jobs overseas, and proposed rewarding companies that invest in American workers. (Boston Globe, AP)

Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2008/08/08/maine_senate_candidate_talks_trade/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Maine+news

Michaud lauds medical help for military in Iraq

Upon returning from a trip to Iraq, Kuwait and Germany to visit military health care facilities, Rep. Michael Michaud said Friday that overall he was pleased with what he saw and that the trip was worthwhile. (Bangor Daily News, Aimee Dolloff)

Link: http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=168203&zoneid=500

Actor's run on the walls of Maine's State House ends

AUGUSTA — A new word is making the rounds in the state Capitol: deaccession.

Don't worry, it has nothing to do with taxes, or consolidating schools or towns. Only those whose portraits lord over the limestone hallways need be concerned, and most of them are dead anyway. To those, the word brings a horrifying ring of political finality, as in impeachment, or even exile.

It means, quite literally, you're off the wall. (Portland Press Herald, AP)

Link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=204101&ac=PHnws

Political scientist will explore solutions to dependence on oil

The United States is based on "the presumption of everlasting cheap oil, and that day has come to an end," says political science professor and author Michael Klare.

"It's not that oil is disappearing exactly," he said, "but cheap oil is gone forever, and we'll never get back to that place. And we haven't really planned for this day." (Portland Press Herald, Zach Dionne)

Link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=204113&ac=PHnws

With the PolitickerME.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Maine's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.