1.State workers are demanding better pay. They delivered more than 1,100 letters to Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday, asking her to close the state employee pay gap. The employees say they’re now going on five months under expired contracts with the Mills administration. (WGME)

2. A car ended up in the water off the boat ramp at Portland’s East End Beach Thursday afternoon. Police say the car was nearly 75 yards from shore when first responders arrived. A nearby lobsterman happened to have scuba gear on already and was able to get in the water and pull the driver from the vehicle.

3. Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is opened yesterday for the season. Gardens Aglow features more than 750,000 LED lights and over 300 handcrafted light sculptures. The lights will be on display through New Year’s Eve. (PH)

4. Maine’s first Costco opens its doors at 8AM this morning. The new 152,000-square-foot store is in the Scarborough Downs development at 455 Scarborough Downs Road. (WGME)

5. Lewiston Strong / T.B.T. for Charity. Yesterday between 7AM and 7PM we took your throwback Thursday requests. For every request we fulfilled, we donated $100 for a total of $5,000 to the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund. Sony Records matched the donation up to $1,000. (HRM)

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