Kayaker pulled from bay near Falmouth

A 29-year-old man was rescued yesterday morning after he fell out of his kayak in choppy waters in Falmouth's Waquoit Bay. The man, who was visiting family for Thanksgiving, was rescued around 10 a.m. after treading water in the chilly water for 30 minutes, said Lieutenant Bruce Girouard of the Falmouth Fire Department. The department received a phone call from the man's friend, who was rowing in another kayak. The man, whose name was not released, was brought to Falmouth Hospital and treated for hypothermia, Girouard said. After falling out of the kayak, the man was unable to get back in because of weather and wind conditions, he said. There was about 1 1/2 to 2 feet of chop on the water and the water temperature was 48 degrees, he said.

Prosecutors say two Springfield police officers stole almost $2,000 out of three men's wallets during a traffic stop in June. The Republican newspaper of Springfield reported yesterday that Steven Buzzell and Leonardo Matos were suspended without pay after their indictment on Nov. 21. Each faces three counts of larceny. They are to be arraigned Dec. 8. The newspaper said police reports show that the charges are linked to a traffic stop on June 27 in which Buzzell pulled over a car, took the occupants' wallets, and returned them empty. Matos allegedly "stayed close to the sidewalk" during the traffic stop. Lawyers for Buzzell and Matos have denied the allegations. (AP)

Department of Environmental Protection police say a trespassing hunter in a tree stand shot and killed a dog that belonged to the property owner early Thursday morning. The landowner, Peter Laue of Woods Hole, Mass., was standing near his golden retriever when the dog was shot. Police arrested Gino Carrier, 36, of Bristol. He was charged with negligent hunting, reckless endangerment, and other violations. He was released on a $10,000 bond. He is expected to appear in court next month. (AP)

The first patrol plane in the first squadron to permanently depart Brunswick Naval Air Station has taken off, marking the start of a yearlong aircraft exodus in advance of the closing of New England's last active-duty military airfield. Commander Eric Wiese, the commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 8, piloted the P-3 Orion yesterday as part of his unit's seven-month deployment in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The squadron's six other planes are poised to leave during the coming week. When the unit returns from overseas, it will fly to Florida's Jacksonville Naval Air Station. (AP)

Vermont agriculture officials are hoping for a good Christmas tree season for the state's 300 growers. Vermont growers sell about 150,000 Christmas trees a year, which adds about $12 million to the state economy. Agriculture Agency spokeswoman Kelly Loftus said Vermont trees are a local product that is biodegradable and has no carbon footprint. Loftus said about 1,500 trees have been shipped to Bermuda and another 1,000 are headed to Canada. Christmas trees are also shipped to the Boston and New York markets. (AP)

A road-widening project has become an archeological expedition in Southington, where dozens of artifacts from the late 1700s and early 1800s have been discovered. The items were found along Mt. Vernon Road during a study required by the state before road construction can begin. Many artifacts were found near Wayne and Jayne Amico's home, which was built around 1770 and is listed as the Rev. John Wightman House on the National Register of Historic Places. The artifacts include pieces of pearlwear pottery that date from as early as 1780, an 18th-century kaolin pipe stem fragment and blue-decorated pottery from around 1820. (AP)