Bomb Found At Vermont Birth-Control Clinic
A CRUDE bomb found outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Albans, Vt., was removed without incident, officials said Friday.
The bomb was discovered before the clinic opened Tuesday by its director. It was removed and the clinic opened as usual.
Planned Parenthood officials said they didn't immediately comment on the incident on the advice of police in St. Albans, a town 45 miles northwest of Montpelier. They said they decided to go public after a firebomb Wednesday destroyed a Planned Parenthood clinic in Brainerd, Minn., that, like St. Albans, does not offer abortions.
The clinic offers gynecological exams, cancer screenings, birth-control education and supplies, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Justice Department are investigating the attempted bombing. Sen. James Jeffords (R) of Vermont wrote US Attorney General Janet Reno on Friday asking for her help as well.
Federal authorities said that whoever set the fire at the Brainerd clinic could be charged under a new federal law that prohibits blocking access to women's health clinics. Covered bridge burns in Massachusetts
A FIRE Saturday destroyed the oldest wooden covered bridge in Massachusetts, which spanned the Housatonic River in Sheffield, Mass.
``The only thing we have left is a pile of charred rubble in the river,'' Selectman Thomas Leigh says.
``There's a lot of sentiment in this town and there's a lot of sadness in the community right now,'' said Fire Chief James McGarry.
The 100-foot-long bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was open only to pedestrians and bicyclists. It was 137 years old.
It was reported burning about 5 a.m. By the time firefighters arrived, the bridge was fully engulfed and had begun falling into the river.
The cause of the fire was not immediately determined.
The bridge, originally built in 1857, was restored at a cost of $54,000 during the winter of 1978 by a New Hampshire man who did the work with hand tools. Local donations covered half the cost, with state and federal funds paying the rest.
