Hurricane Kyle blows past Maine
Fishermen moved boats to shelter from a rare burst of tropical weather along Maine’s rugged Down East coast Sunday as a weakening Hurricane Kyle spun past on its way to Canada, threatening a glancing blow equivalent to a classic nor’easter storm without the snow.
Kyle made landfall Sunday night in southern Nova Scotia as a marginal Category 1 hurricane and was later downgraded to a tropical storm by the Canadian Hurricane Centre. Some 12,000 power outages were reported in the province.
Maine emergency responders had braced for wind gusts as high as 60 mph and waves up to 20 feet, but as the storm edged eastward it became clear that the state had escaped a direct hit. Heavy rain lashed the state Sunday for a third straight day. As much as 5.5 inches had already fallen along coastal areas. Flood watches were in effect for the southern two-thirds of New Hampshire and southern Maine through Sunday evening.
WASHINGTON
House sends Bush Great Lakes bill
Congress is sending President Bush a bill that would extend for two years a federal program to clean up areas of pollution and contaminated sediment around the Great Lakes.
The House voted 411-9 Sunday in favor of the measure approving $54 million a year over the next two years for the project.
The original five-year bill passed in 2003 was to expire this year.
The House had sought $150 million a year over five years, but acceded to the lower level passed by the Senate last week.
“While it is unfortunate that we could not pass the bill at the funding level approved by the House, I am excited that this cleanup program will continue without interruption,” said Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich., the sponsor.
LOS ANGELES
Johansson marries in British Columbia
Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds did a little rushing into it after all. The couple married this weekend, according to publicist Meredith O’Sullivan. She did not provide details.
Us Weekly reported on its Web site Sunday that the small wedding took place at a resort outside Vancouver, B.C. Guests included Johansson’s mother, Melanie Sloan, and her brother, Adrian Johansson, the magazine said.
The couple announced their engagement in May.
“We’re just enjoying our time,” the actress said last month. “We’re just recently – very recently – engaged. So, you know, we’re just taking it easy. And no big plan yet. … But it’s a good time and we’re just … enjoying our time to be young and engaged.
“I mean, I’m 23. There’s no reason to rush into it.”