WVTK Local & State News February 18, 2010

Construction on the new Champlain Bridge could be delayed by a legal challenge. Work on the $75 million project is set to begin this spring, but a New York trade organization representing non-union contractors is threatening to file a lawsuit if a union-negotiated agreement is approved. The contractors say they could be forced to play by union rules on wages, benefits and safety standards. They also say it would lock them out of bidding on the project. The Federal Highway Administration is expected to either approve or reject the agreement by the end of the month. At that point, the organization will decide whether or not to file a suit and a second organization is also considering legal action.

Shortly before placing Sgt. David Schauwecker on administrative leave this month; his superiors put him in charge of an internal investigation into another officer's conduct. City attorney Andrew Costello confirmed on Wednesday that Schauwecker, who is the focus of an ongoing child pornography probe, "conducted an internal affairs investigation in 2010 involving a use of force allegation that occurred on a shift he was supervising." A brief statement from Costello didn't identify the superior who put Schauwecker in charge of the investigation.

Vermont lawmakers are expected to vote next week on whether Vermont Yankee should be relicensed, but some are questioning if the Legislature actually has the power to do that. Some experts say a vote to close the nuclear plant when its license expires in 2010 could invite a federal lawsuit.

Burlington will get more than $3 million in federal stimulus money to improve access to the city's waterfront. Senator Patrick Leahy's office says the funds will go into road, parking and pedestrian access improvements to the northern part of the city's Lake Champlain waterfront.

Flames have destroyed a home in Hardwick, killing a dog and three cats. No people were injured in the blaze that broke out early yesterday on South Main Street. The cause of the fire is under investigation but it's not considered suspicious.

A jury has acquitted the Vermont man who was accused of biting off part of a groom's eyebrow in a fight that broke out during the wedding reception. Kevin Gartland was charged with aggravated assault but claimed he acted in self-defense. The jury acquitted him after less than two hours of deliberations.

Senator Bernie Sanders says a proposed 20 percent hike in the federal budget for Veterans Affairs programs show that progress is being made for the state's veterans. Within Vermont alone, Sanders says he expects two new VA health clinics to open within the coming year.