We have very good news this morning. Hurricane Earl continued to track east and out to sea as it approached us last night, and the Cape & Islands were spared a direct hit. We had very minimal impacts, including some 1800 power outages, most of which have already been restored.

Accordingly, I have lifted the State of Emergency. The Cape and Islands are open for business this Labor Day weekend.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is taking a number of steps to prepare for the winds and rainfall that are predicted this weekend as Hurricane Earl passes offshore. In light of the forecasted storm, DCR is taking the following actions:

With the prospect of a major tropical storm hitting Cape Cod and Eastern Massachusetts later this week, the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Division of Insurance and Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation are encouraging homeowners to take proactive steps to protect their property from flood and wind damage.

Building on the Patrick-Murray Administration's efforts to strengthen partnerships with cities and towns across the Commonwealth, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray announced a total of $450,000 in regionalization planning and implementation grants that will be distributed to eight school districts statewide. The grants will help school districts explore efficiencies in budgeting through expanded partnerships and increased capacity to improve teaching and learning in schools.

With the harvest season at its peak, Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) Commissioner Scott J. Soares announced the official launch of a new website dedicated to connecting Massachusetts residents and visitors to the Bay State's rich agricultural offerings.

The MBTA announced its service schedule for Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 2010.

Massachusetts has among the safest roads in the nation, and safe travel is a top priority for MassDOT. In order to encourage a safe ride and reduce congestion during the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, MassDOT will suspend all road and bridge construction on major roadways from Noon Friday, September 3 through start of normal business on Tuesday, September 7. Before you travel, check out MassDOT statewide live traffic cameras on the web.

Get short, timely messages from MBTA Transit Police.

If you feel the same way I do about eggs, I bet you are also constantly checking to see if the recent egg recall is affecting eggs bought and sold in Massachusetts. So far, so good.

Back to school can be a fun but stressful time. Preparing for the return to school can help ease the transition from the summer to the school year.

MassDOT announced the reopening of the Harvard Street Bridge over Interstate 90 in Newton. The $2.1 million MassDOT project included full bridge deck replacement and was substantially completed in six months, ahead of schedule. The bridge was closed to traffic during construction with detours posted.

DCR closing one inbound lane of Storrow Drive in vicinity of Longfellow Bridge & DCR crews working on Fairfield St. Pedestrian Bridge.

MassDOT's Aeronautics Division during summer 2010 performed much needed statewide crack repair and pavement marking projects for 11 of the Commonwealth’s privately-owned/public-use airports.

As part of the Patrick-Murray Administration's historic Massachusetts Works program to promote job growth and long-term economic recovery, Governor Deval Patrick joined state and local officials to announce a $490,000 Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Transit Oriented Development (TOD) grant to the City of Somerville to fund bicycle and pedestrian improvements near the privately-funded, multi-family residential MaxPak development project.

With Hurricane Earl approaching, please check the following hurricane preparedness tips.

Joined by local officials, community leaders and advocates, Governor Deval Patrick highlighted a new anti-crime law that reforms the state's criminal offender records information system (CORI) to improve employment opportunities for residents across the Commonwealth.

Governor Deval Patrick joined Congressman John Olver, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and other officials to celebrate the start of construction on the long-vacant Heywood Wakefield furniture manufacturing mill. This $24 million project, made possible with federal and state resources, including $3.08 million in federal recovery funds from HUD, will transform the mill into 78 affordable assisted-living rental apartments for seniors and generate an estimated 137 construction jobs.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said, “Governor Deval L. Patrick has signed into law a ban on novelty lighters, making Massachusetts the 14th state to do so. When adults cannot tell the difference between these lighters and toys, how can we expect a young child to do so?”

Last year, some 24,000 older, low- and middle-income Massachusetts taxpayers received assistance and tax preparation from the nation's largest, free tax assistance program, AARP Tax-Aide. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue is proud to partner with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the training of volunteers, 600 of whom provided help to individuals returning their state and federal income taxes.

Congratulations are in order for the Department of Transitional Assistance! Massachusetts was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct the first ever Healthy Incentives Pilot (HIP), a program that will encourage low-income families to purchase more fruits and vegetable with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) benefits.