WVTK Local & State News November 23, 2011 (Afternoon Update)

Authorities say a stretch of Route 73 in the Adirondacks that was closed because of a car accident has reopened. State police say a 12-mile stretch of the road was closed Wednesday morning from the intersection with Route 9N in the Essex County town of Keene to just outside the village of Lake Placid. Police say the road reopened around 11:30PM. The National Weather Service reports 12 inches of snow in Wilmington and 7 inches in nearby Lake Placid. Moriah, on Lake Champlain's western shore, has received 9 inches.

A transmission issue caused major outages in parts of central Vermont, according to Central Vermont Public Service. According to CVPS spokeswoman Christine Rivers, there were around 11,600 outages reported in the state. About 8,400 of those are due to the transmission issue. The remaining is weather related. She said the transmission line impacts three substations, which are in Taftsville, Woodstock and Quechee.

The winter weather couldn't come at worse time for the thousands of Vermonters who are traveling in advance of the big Thanksgiving holiday. The snow did not cancel any morning flights at the Burlington airport today. Travelers braved the snowy conditions to get to their gates early. But they say their biggest concern was whether or not they would make it there with the rough-going roads. Forty-two million people are expected to travel for the holiday, and no matter the route you take, costs are up from last year for both. Plane tickets are up 20 percent and gas is up 60 cents a gallon.

Vermont authorities say five men charged in a deer-poaching spree used a spotlight to stun the animals along roadsides, and then shot at them from a pickup truck. Vermont State Game Wardens say the spree started the evening of October 22nd and continued into the next morning, with 11 separate incidents in Lincoln, Ripton and Bristol. The men are accused of killing four deer, and authorities say more animals may have been injured. Steven Clark, Israel Clark and Collin Bell of Bristol, Adam Josey of Richmond, and Dana Lathrop of Florida will be arraigned January 23rd.

Vermont State police need help finding a Lyndon man suspected of leading troopers on a high-speed chase. Eric Jackson allegedly escaped police last week after leading troopers on a chase on Interstate 91 in Wheelock. Speeds topped 120 mph. The chase ended when the 25-year-old allegedly crashed his car and took off on foot.

Freight trucks are getting heavier on the nation's highways. A vote last week in Congress made Maine and Vermont the latest states where trucks weighing more than the federal limit are being allowed to rumble down interstates. Critics say heavier trucks make highways less safe and damage roads and bridges. They also claim the latest weight increases will spur the trucking industry to seek higher limits elsewhere. But others counter that allowing heavier trucks makes highways safer because fewer trucks are needed to move the same amount of goods. And they say it'll cut pollution and reduce the cost of doing business.

Biologists say the number of landlocked salmon swimming up a Vermont river from Lake Champlain to spawn this fall was the highest since a program began to help the fish get around a series of power dams in the Winooski River. Officials say 189 landlocked salmon crossed the lift at the Winooski One hydro facility, an increase of 44% from the 2010 figure. State and federal biologists credit the increase to sea lamprey control programs in Lake Champlain that have helped reduce the number of the eel-like parasites in the lake.

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has formally moved to scrap a rule opening up state land for us by all-terrain vehicle riders. The administration of former Gov. Jim Douglas implemented the rule over the unanimous objections of the legislature's Committee on Administrative Rules. Supporters of allowing ATVs on public land say doing so is good for the economy and allows riders greater freedom to use the machines. Opponents cite damage to the environment. Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz says the agency can allow limited connector trails on public land through special licensing agreements. But, she says, the 2009 ATV rule was too broad.

It appears the ski season is getting underway. With lifts turning at Killington and Stowe, other ski areas are poised to get in on the action soon. Okemo and Sugarbush will open Thanksgiving Day. Jay Peak and Bromley are ready for a Friday opening.

Middlebury College presents the 40th anniversary service of Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas on Sunday, December 11th from 4-7PM in Mead Memorial Chapel. The annual program includes Bible readings for Advent and Christmas as well as carols for choir, organ, and congregation, modeled after the long-standing tradition. Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas has been a special Addison County tradition for 40 years. People come from all over the county and state to participate in this joyous community event, filling historic Mead Chapel for both the afternoon and evening services.

A public meeting to develop a draft Unit Management Plan for the Crown Point Historic Site and Crown Point Campground and Day Use Area will be held on Wednesday, December 7th at 6:30PM in the auditorium of the Crown Point Historic Site Museum. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation staff will facilitate the meeting and solicit public feedback for future management of these public lands.

The Addison County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 7th annual Vergennes Holiday Stroll on Saturday, December 3rd. Events begin at 7:30AM with a pancake breakfast and end at 5PM with the lighting of City Park and Memory Tree. There are many other events during the day for young and old. A complete schedule is available HERE. In addition to these events, the Holiday Stroll is the kick-off for a weeklong collection of food items for the Community Food Shelf. Several area businesses are collection points for non-perishable food items. Items will be collected between December 3 and 10.