Education Minister Concerned with Reinhardt Decision

Education Minister Ramona Jennex

Education Minister Ramona Jennex is questioning the South Shore Regional School Board's decision not to censure Karen Reinhardt. Jennex says the decision concerns her.

"It raises, in my mind, questions about this Board's ability to function responsibly, you know, they're there to act in the best interests of our students and teachers and I didn't see evidence of that from the decision they made on Monday evening."

Jennex told CKBW/HANK-FM News she received the Deloitte Inc. report at noon Tuesday and she'll be reviewing it after question period Tuesday afternoon. Reinhardt survived a 7-4 censure vote from her peers Monday night, after the Board didn't receive the two-thirds majority needed to oust her. Jennex says the Board missed the mark with the decision.

"There were clear violations and I was really looking forward to the Board making the right decisions in the appropriate manners, so, as I said, it raises questions in my mind."

Jennex says she expects to make a decision quickly, once she's done an in-depth review of Deloitte's report.

South Shore Regional: Expansion & Upgrades

It's a good news day for the South Shore Regional. Preliminary work on a new patient-transfer elevator is underway while plans were also announced to expand the emergency department at the hospital. South Shore Health CEO Alice Leverman welcomed both announcements during a press conference this morning. Leverman says another elevator at the hospital will separate patients and staff from the general public. "Certainly it's going to give our patients privacy. Also, infection control is a big issue for us today. This will allow us to address any infection control issues that might occur when patients and the general public are being transported at the same time," The new elevator is estimated to cost around $2 million dollars and will be in place early in 2013. Meanwhile, South Shore Health also received $1.5 million dollars for planning and design work to improve patient flow in the emergency department. Dr. Greg McNally says expansions are badly needed. "It's a big step. It's obvious we need ambulance bay coverage so patients aren't being transferred out in the cold, we need better/bigger assessment areas and it'll make a huge difference to what we can provide to the patients of the South Shore," No word on when those expansions will begin.

DFO: Shellfish Harvesting Ban Lifted

A ban on harvesting shellfish in a number of communities along the South Shore has been lifted. The ban was put in place following heavy rain on Remembrance Day. Officials implemented the harvesting ban due to concerns surrounding increased bacterial levels in the water. Chief of Regulations for the Maritimes, Rick Young, says recent tests indicate the products are now safe to harvest and to eat.  The ban included waters within three kilometres of the shoreline in Lunenburg, Queens and Digby.

Forties Community Centre Receives DeFibrillator

Left: Phillip Broome, Chairperson for the Forties Community Centre Board of Directors, Middle:

Patty faith from Medavie Blue Cross, Right: Greg Bayers from EHS/Photo Courtesy of Christine Bland

The Forties Community Centre in New Ross has received a life-saving device. The Centre now has a Defibrillator after a contribution from Medavie Blue Cross to the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Restart a Heart, Restart a Life program. The Chair of the Forties Community Centre Board of Directors, Phillip Broome, says its an important device to have on site, in case any emergencies arise. Roughly 45,000 cardiac arrests occur in Canada every year, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.