WVTK Local News November 10, 2009

Both Governor’s Jim Douglas and David Patterson received reports yesterday that say the Champlain Bridge can not be repaired. Engineers have declared that the 80-year-old span is too unstable to be renovated, and recommend demolishing the bridge for the safety of motorists and boaters. Efforts for a ferry service to run next to the existing bridge are now being fast-tracked.

Pfizer will be closing its research and development operations in Rouses Point, Chazy and Plattsburgh. The move will result in the loss of nearly 600 jobs. Rouses Point and Plattsburgh operations will close sometime next year, while Chazy will be shut down sometime in 2011.

The Burlington City Council voted unanimously last night to make public the exchange between city attorneys and the administration of Mayor Bob Kiss about Burlington Telecom burrowing 17-Million-Dollars from the city and not repaying the city in 60 days, which is a violation of conditions of its state license.

Federal prosecutors say a judge has ordered a drug fugitive once featured on "America's Most Wanted" held for trial. 38-year-old Edward "Big Ed" Campbell, was arraigned yesterday in U.S. District Court in Burlington. He's charged with distribution of Oxycontin and violating federal supervised release.

Vermont Judge Christina Reiss ("Rice"), whom President Barack Obama has nominated to the federal bench, is up for a confirmation hearing tomorrow. Senator Patrick Leahy says the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, will review the nomination of the Essex Junction resident to the U.S. District Court for Vermont.

State Police say two Rutland police officers stopped a suspicious vehicle on Sunday night and noticed that one of the occupants, 22-year-old Tyshawn L. Plowden, of New York, appeared to have a handgun. Plowden fled and was arrested later at a residence in Rutland and has been charged with aggravated assault.

An Amber Alert was issued in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York last night for a missing 2-year-old girl who police said was taken by her father in Maine after a violent assault on the girl's mother. Maine State Police are looking for 38-year-old Gary Traynham and his daughter, Hailey, who was taken from her mother's apartment in Sanford at about 11:15 yesterday morning.

The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf is renewing its call to the community to help provide turkeys for over 2,700 families in Chittenden County. The food shelf has served more than a thousand new clients in the past year. Donors can drop off turkeys and other fixings to the food shelf on North Winooski Avenue in Burlington.

About 60 people attending a town meeting Tuesday at Essex High School voted to allow Essex officials to upgrade two stormwater systems. The upgrades will cost about $450,000 but federal stimulus dollars will cover half the costs through loan forgiveness. Only one resident voted against the proposal.

A big recall for parents, about one million Maclaren strollers are being pulled off the shelves. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has received a dozen reports of children having their fingertips amputated by a hinge. The strollers were sold at Target and Babies R Us. The company is offering free repair kits to fix the problem.

State Police say two Rutland police officers stopped a suspicious vehicle on Sunday night and noticed that 1 of the occupants, 22-year-old Tyshawn L. Plowden, of New York, appeared to have a handgun. Plowden fled and was arrested later at a residence in Rutland and has been charged with aggravated assault.

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