Murder Charges: Fitness Hearing Underway in Bridgewater for Eisnor

A hearing is underway in Bridgewater to determine if a South Shore man is fit to stand trial. Wayne Eisnor is facing a charge of first degree murder following a shooting at the New Germany Freshmart in June of 2010. Eisnor is accused of shooting his wife (Tina Eisnor) twice inside her vehicle in the parking lot of the store before turning the gun on himself. He suffered significant brain damage as a result and has been undergoing extensive psychiatric assessments to gauge his recovery and mental state for the past 18 months in Dartmouth. A key witness in the hearing, Dr. Aileen Burnet recommended in her latest report on Eisnor's progress that he is fit to stand trial. However, Judge Gregory Lenehan will ultimately make the final decision on whether or not to proceed to trial. The hearing will resume on Friday in Bridgewater.

SSRSB should be reduced to nine members: Town

Bridgewater council has recommended the South Shore Regional School Board reduce its size. Council agreed to write a letter endorsing a nine-person board, with seven members plus two seats for at-large representatives from the Mik'maq and African Nova Scotia communities.  Mayor Carroll Publicover says they feel its an appropriate size.

"I think that's a nice, workable number for discussion, for decision-making. I think to make decisions based on what is in the best interests of the students, of the whole board, I think they can do that job admirably."

The board currently has a model for 10 members plus two seats for at-large representatives. Potential changes could happen after the province's Utility and Review Board approved applications from the Region of Queens and Municipality of Lunenburg to change their boundaries.

Break and Enter at Mahone Bay Liquor Store

Lunenburg County RCMP are on the hunt for those responsible for breaking and entering into the liquor store in Mahone Bay. The incident happened just after midnight Wednesday morning. RCMP say thieves smashed a window and entered the building, stealing an undetermined amount of liquor. A window was also smashed at the Mahone Bay RCMP office around the same time. Anyone with information should contact RCMP in either Lunenburg, Bridgewater or Chester.

'Inn from the Cold' needs men to volunteer

An emergency shelter program in Bridgewater is in need of volunteers. Town Councillor David Mitchell volunteers with 'Inn from the Cold' and made a plea during Monday night's council meeting for more men to get involved. He says they have lots of women who help out already. Mitchell says people shouldn't be deterred from volunteering some time.

"I think the issue for a lot of people is 'how do I go to work the next day?' It becomes an issue if you have someone staying, you do have to stay up overnight, but some people can manage and I think that if they gave it a shot, they would find out they could do it."

Churches around Bridgewater offer people sanctuaries who have no place to sleep during winter nights. Mitchell says Bridgewater Police screen people before bringing them to the volunteers to provide food and shelter.

Lumberjacks owner discusses 2011-12 season

The owner of the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks calls it a disappointing year for his club. The Lumberjacks finished their season last Friday night with a 4-1 loss to Yarmouth, capping off a campaign that seen the Jacks win only 15 times in 52 games and finish in the basement of the Bent Division. Ken Petrie says they didn't meet their expectations.

"I thought we would win a few more games, I did. When we talked at the beginning of the year we thought we'd be in the mini-series and we all know we weren't and were a long, long ways from it, but it certainly wasn't from a lack of effort."

 Petrie says he's happy with the coaching staff's effort this year after losing many players to injury early in the season. Despite the struggles, Petrie says they weren't anticipating a breakout season.

"We knew we were going into a building year, we certainly didn't expect to win any championships this year. Lost a lot of close games, but I think that comes with experience. We had a relatively young team, I think perhaps, we were the youngest team in the league and it shows."

Petrie says the club will miss Jake Bullen, after the captain registered 33 goals and 68 points in his final year of junior hockey. The Jacks will hold their annual awards banquet Thursday night at the Bridgewater Days Inn.

YMCA expanding King Street location for youth centre

Emma Sutherland

The YMCA Lunenburg County is offering more programming to youth. The organization is expanding its King Street location in Bridgewater to include a youth centre. The spot offers an after school program at the moment from 3-6pm daily. The new youth centre would offer more programs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings along with weekends. A member of the YMCA's youth leadership program, Emma Sutherland, says the inclusion of a centre would be beneficial for local youth.

"A youth centre connects us to the local community engaging us to volunteer and make a difference in our neighbourhood. A youth centre can assist us in developing positive friendships and growing up healthy. A youth centre can provide us with a place to gather and be ourselves."

The YMCA has asked both the town of Bridgewater and Municipality of Lunenburg to consider setting aside $22,000 in their upcoming budgets to support the centre. Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover says its a lot of money, but adds, council will determine what they can manage. The YMCA says they will start working on the new centre as of April 1.

Suspect Salmon Virus Pinpointed to Shelburne Harbour

Cooke Aquaculture says fish samples from Shelburne Harbour are being tested for a deadly salmon virus. The company confirmed the location to remove suspicions cast by opponents of another farming site in St. Mary's Bay. Spokeswoman Nell Halse says no signs of ISA is present at any of its other nine fish farms in the province. Thousands of fish from Shelburne Harbour were destroyed after routine testing suspected the virus on February 10th. Meanwhile, the federal agency has yet to release the test results after samples were sent to Moncton earlier this month. The agency says it will take weeks to confirm the results. ISA is not harmful to humans but is considered the more feared virus within the industry.

Update: Tips Wanted in Armed Robbery Investigation

Police have some leads, but are asking the public to help with the investigation into an armed robbery in Hebbville. Mounties say a masked man, armed with a gun, walked into an Irving gas station on Friday night and demanded cash. The robbery took place just before 10 o'clock but wittnesses inside the store weren't able to identify the suspect or the get away car. The man was able to take an undisclosed amount on money from the cash register and sped off in a vehicle left running outside the gas station. Police are hoping to hear from anyone who may have seen something around the time of the incident. Tips should be directed to the Lunenburg County RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Bridgewater Council supports Minor Football

Minor football is coming to the South Shore. Bridgewater council awarded a one-time commitment and pre-budget approval of $7,816.55 for the South Shore Seahawks to start playing this summer. The cost to the town is expected to drop with an in-kind donation of $1,500 and the towns implication to apply for a provincial Health and Wellness grant worth $2,243. Mayor Carroll Publicover says he would like other municipal units to chip-in funding.

"It should be 50/50 because these kids are going to come from the entire South Shore area, no way half of them will come from Bridgewater; can't happen, there won't be enough with a focused attention on football, they'll come from Chester right through to Queens County."

The Seahawks' team plan indicates the club would like to recruit players and hold identification camps as early as next month or April. Goal posts are expected to be installed at Kinsmen field in the next few months. Tryouts would then be held in August with league play starting in September. The Seahawks are hoping to attract at least 60 players to field two teams.

Mahone Bay recognizes volunteer of the year for 2012

A nice way to honour a long-time volunteer. Charles Uhlman has been named Mahone Bay's volunteer of the year for 2012 for his 43 years of service with the Lions Club and constant work in the town. Uhlman coached and mentored students at the former Mahone Bay school and also volunteers with the Victorian Order of Nurses. He says it was never his intention to be recognized for an award. Uhlman says he likes being involved in the town.

"The rewards that you get are the good feeling that you have when you're doing things for your community, you know, you're doing things for people, you're trying to make the place a better place in which to live."

Uhlman will represent Mahone Bay in Halifax at a provincial awards ceremony for volunteers in April.

Brookside Cemetery should be heritage property: Historian

Photo Courtesy of George Newbury

A South Shore historian is trying to get Brookside Cemetery in Bridgewater registered as a municipal heritage property. Brookside Cemetery was opened in 1879 by Dean Wile, who was manager of the local carding mill. He conveyed the property to the town in 1902. Peter Oickle says a cemetery provides a community with a sense of itself.

"When you look at the historical and cultural value of them, people want to make sure they're preserved and they're protected. When you look at it, you'll see names that we would recognize immediately like the Dawson family, the Davison family, the Gow's; each of these people made Bridgewater what it is today and contributed to the development of the town."

Among the notables buried at the cemetery is Mather Byles DesBrisay; a judge, politician and author who founded the local museum. Its also the resting place of Victoria Ernst, who became the first female doctor in Bridgewater.

Liberals: NS Gov't Should Reveal All Information on ISA Scare

It could be a few more weeks before the Canada Food Inspection Agency can confirm or dismiss a suspected virus affecting salmon at a Shelburne County aquaculture operation. The Provincial fisheries and environment departments have released little information. Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the government has been too quiet. "When government withholds the kind of information that they have it just allows the misinformation or quite frankly the growing concerning about potential cross over from aquaculture into the regular fishery,"  Cooke Aquaculture operates nine of the provinces 13 salmon farming operations with four of them located in the Shelburne Harbour and McNutt Island areas. The operation in question is believed to be one in Shelburne Harbour.

VIDEO: Resource Bag Encourages Education at Home

The Department of Education is putting more focus on childhood learning within the household. Lunenburg MLA Pam Birdsall announced a new resource initiative this morning in Mahone Bay called the Play-Talk-Learn resource bag. The tools inside the bag include hands on items like books, crayons, letters and numbers and is designed to assist primary aged students with their language, writing and reading development. Early Learning Coordinator Nancy Taylor says it's important to make learning for young children entertaining both in the home and the classroom.

"And we also know when parents are well connected with their children education then their children are going to be more successful. This resource that we've put together with learning activities is designed to encourage children and their families to play together,"

The resource bags are being introduced to primary students in the South Shore, Annapolis Valley, Cape Breton-Victoria and Strait Regional school boards. Province wide distribution is set for September.

Ramey wins fifth shotput title at AUS Championship

Bridgewater's Garrett Ramey has won gold at the Atlantic University Sports Championship in Moncton. It's the fifth year in a row he's won the shot-put event. His winning numbers were 7.26 kilograms (16 pounds) and throwing 15.18 meters. Ramey also won a bronze in the 35-pound weight toss with a personal best of 13.27 meters. He now heads to the CIS Championships in Alberta in two weeks.

Curl for a Cause raises over $35,000 for Fisherman's Memorial

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore exceeded their fundraising goal for Curl for a Cause. The event, held over the weekend at the Lunenburg Curling Club, raised $35,660 for Fisherman's Memorial Hospital. Managing director for the Foundation, Arlene Stevens, says she's happy they raised enough money with equipment costs on the rise.

"It's interesting. When I look at the list of the pieces of equipment that we committed to purchase this year, we surpassed what we needed by about $35 so we were right on the mark as far as what we had agreed to buy and the money we had raised."

The money will be put towards nine pieces of equipment including a specialized stretcher, overbed tables for the veterans' unit, vitals monitor and ultrasound. Stevens says the 12th annual event was a huge success with non-stop curling from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening.

South Shore Ventures Co-op leasing Blockhouse school

The abandoned Blockhouse school is getting new life from the South Shore Ventures Co-op. The group will hold an open house after agreeing to a three-year lease with the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. Councillors came to terms with the agreement during their February 14 meeting. The South Shore Ventures Co-op is hoping to transform the old school into a model for how to become more self-sufficient and sustainable in areas including food, shelter and employment, according to their website. The open house will be held Wednesday from 3:30-5pm at the Blockhouse Fire Hall. Mayor Don Downe and other District of Lunenburg councillors are expected to be on-hand to officially sign the lease on the old school. It will be followed by an evening of celebration featuring musical acts, supper and door prizes. More information can be found at http://www.theblockhouseschool.org/ .

Park View J.V. Boys win provincial basketball bronze

A bronze medal finish for the Park View Panthers JV boys basketball team. The local club wrapped up third place at provincials with a 77-46 victory over Sydney Academy.  C.P. Allen outscored Citadel in the final to become provincial champions.

Minor football coming to Bridgewater?

Minor football could soon be a reality in Bridgewater. Town council put its support behind the idea after a presentation by the South Shore Seahawks minor football club earlier this month. There were no financial commitments but an agreement in principle that the group would submit a letter with funding indications to council. The group, led by Gary Linthorne and John Peters, is hoping to base the team out of Bridgewater and play games at the Kinsmen Field. The Seahawks are hoping to have 60 kids play for two teams in different age groups. Peters says football would get more kids active in the community. The Seahawks are projecting to spend close to $30,000 on equipment including pads, jerseys, pants, helmets and insurance. Mayor Carroll Publicover says he's concerned about the timing because its close to budget, but would like to see other municipal units get involved. Minor football is in every region across Nova Scotia except the South Shore.

Armed Robbery at Hebbville Irving

Some tense moments for an employee at the Irving gas station in Hebbville Friday night. Mounties say a masked man armed with a gun walked into the store demanding money. The suspect was able to get an undetermined amount out of the cash register and got away in a car left running outside the gas station. Mounties describe the man as Caucasian, about 5'8 with brown eyes. He was wearing a checkered hoodie and black gloves at the time of the robbery. RCMP are asking anyone with information to contact the Chester detachment.

Fishermen's Memorial ED Closure

The Emergency Department at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg will temporarily close this weekend. The closure begins at 2:30PM this afternoon until 7:30AM Sunday morning. Residents needing emergency care during these hours should call 911 or visit South Shore Regional in Bridgewater.

'Jacks Host Season Finale in Bridgewater

Its been a disappointing season for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks and tonight the team plays its season finale on home ice. They will host the Yarmouth Mariners. Lumberjacks Head Coach Terry Rhindress says tonight ... it will be all about the fans. "Tonight we want to show the fans that we appreciate their support throughout the season so we want to come away with a "W" we want to play that physical style that we have been playing at home, we want to play the simple game but we want to be relentless. Overall, we want to show the fans what they can expect next season," game at home Game time tonight is 7 o'clock at the Bridgewater Arena.

Dexter Construction: Will Pave Windsor Road for $1.8 M

Dexter Construction will pave a section of the Windsor Road for $1.8 million. The company submitted the low bid for work on a nine kilometre stretch between Canaan Road and Kaizer Meadow Road. The tender process closed yesterday with a total of six bids. Area Manager Matt Covey says the bids were extremely close with the highest coming in at $2.1 million.  The paving is planned for this summer.

Town of Lockeport Celebrates 105th Birthday

The Town of Lockeport will receive a special gift as part of its 105th birthday celebrations. The photography class from the NSCC Waterfront Campus in Dartmouth will present council with a collection of photos from the community during a presentation this afternoon. The photos were taken last April when 40 students from the class traveled to the seaside town in hopes of capturing the heart of the community. They compiled their work into a 116 page photo book that includes a collection of people, places and beauty of Lockeport. The town was incorporated on February 26th in 1907 and will celebrate its 105th birthday on Sunday. www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2988940

Health care meeting in Mahone Bay

Kyle Buott

A Nova Scotia solution for a National Dilemma. That's the focus for Friday night's health meeting in Mahone Bay hosted by the South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians. The group is particularly focused on the 2014 Health Accord. The current accord that sets funding and health care agreements between the provincial, territorial and federal governments expires in 2014 and needs to be renegotiated. Guest speaker, Kyle Buott, of the Nova Scotia Citizens' Health Care Network says the meeting will also talk about solutions being generated across the province.

"Often time when we talk about public health care, we often talk about all the problems that we're facing, the challenges we see, but tonight its going to be about some of the solutions that are happening across the country. So, it should be a little bit more a positive and uplifting meeting."

The meeting will be held at the Mahone Bay Centre at 7:30pm.

Park View ready to host JV Basketball provincials

It's provincial basketball time in Bridgewater. The Park View Panthers Junior Varsity boys host the championships beginning at 2pm Friday afternoon. The six team tournament includes Citadel, C.P. Allen, Sydney Academy, Riverview and Cobequid. Play will held Friday night and Saturday in the Park View gym. Tournament schedule is below.








Pool A                                         Pool B


Team A - Citadel            Team B - C.P. Allen

Team D - C.E.C.            Team C - Park View

Team E - Sydney Academy   Team F - Riverview


Friday:

2pm Citadel vs. CEC

4pm CP Allen vs. Park View

5:30pm Opening Ceremonies

6:15pm Citadel vs. Sydney Academy

8:15pm CP Allen vs. Riverview


Saturday:

9am CEC vs. Sydney Academy

11am Park View vs. Riverview

1pm 3rd Pool A vs. 3rd Pool B

3pm Bronze Medal Game
       2nd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B

5pm CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
        1st Pool A vs 1st Pool B

Mill Cove Residents Argue Boundary Changes

A long standing boundary issue between Mill Cove and Birchy Head has reached its tipping point. About 10 residents residents of Mill Cove attended this morning's council meeting in Chester to discuss a petition on the proposed boundary change. Many residents told council the original petition was confusing and that they wanted to change their vote. Councillor Floyd Shattford is hoping a second petition - mailed out by the municipality - will give the issue some clarity. 'We'll get it right at the end of the day. It's not going to change peoples lives, it's not going to change peoples postal address its just a matter of moving a sign from one place to another - it's sensitive for some people and I understand that but hopefully at the end of the day all will go well...and no hard feelings,"  According to the proposed boundary changes, residents who currently reside in Mill Cove would technically be living in the community of Birchy Head. Council will revisit the issue at a future meeting.

BREAKING: SSRSB identifies six schools for review

The South Shore Regional School Board has identified six schools for review this year. Board member Judith Sullivan-Corney stated Gold River-Western Shore Elementary, Pentz Elementary, Petite Riviere Elementary, Hebbville Academy, Bridgewater Junior/Senior High and Mill Village Consolidated will go through the review process. Sullivan-Corney says there is a need to look at some schools.

"I think its important for us to review schools that are close together, schools that are very small that require a lot of repair, we need to look at that because I think over time, we're not going to be able to maintain all of those schools."

A decision was delayed on four schools including New Ross Consolidated, Newcombville Elementary, and both New Germany Elementary and New Germany High. Sullivan-Corney also indicated Aspotogan Consolidated Elementary, North Queens Community School and Greenfield Elementary would not be reviewed. She says a decision on the four delayed schools could come as early as next month. The review process has many options including recommending a facility be closed, upgraded or consolidated. Check out the video below of Sullivan-Corney explaining why the board decided to send six schools to the review process.

Mitchell: Steele inaccurate over no tax increase claim

A Bridgewater town councillor disagrees with Finance Minister Graham Steele that taxes won't be raised in the province this year. David Mitchell says the message Steele is sending is not exactly true. He says although the province may not increase taxes, municipalities might be forced to.

"I find it humorous because at the provincial level it's easier for them to say no tax increases and send that message out to the people of Nova Scotia, yet, they increase the burden on municipalities, which may result in a lot of them increasing their taxes."

Mitchell doesn't expect the town of Bridgewater to be affected after population growth and an increase in tax revenue because of development. But he notes, total property values in the province increased by an average of six per cent from last year, meaning some homeowners should expect a hike on their tax bills.

LCLC in negotiating phase

The LCLC has entered the negotiation phase. Chair Paul Belliveau says they met with the project manager and architects Tuesday to discuss the results of the tender. He says the manager and architects have come up with a list of items where the price could be reduced and closer to budget. Belliveau says they have to negotiate with Bird Construction to see if they can reduce costs.

"The $24.389-million bid that came in was between $500,000 to $900,000 more than what we had budgeted for. So, we're working to get that number back, closer to our budget, so we can get the very same facility, same components, for the dollars that we have available."

Bird Construction submitted the low bid of almost $24.4-million. Belliveau says they're looking at reducing costs in items dealing with the appearance of the structure, not the functional use. He says they expect to fundraise if they can't cut costs to meet their budget. Belliveau says they would like to have work start on-site around the middle of March.

Record Year for Lunenburg's High Liner Foods

A record year of sales and profit for High Liner Foods. The Lunenburg based company reports overall sales increased by 14.3 percent to $668.6 million up from $584.7 million in 2010. It's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) increased by an impressive 15.9 percent to $54.7 million up from $47.2 million. High Liner Foods banner year was helped by the acquistions of Viking Seafoods Inc and Icelandic Group's US and Asian Operations. The US$232.7 million dollar Icelandic deal was completed in December making High Liner Foods the leading value-added seafood supplier in North America. CEO Henry Demone says the companies US operations grew in both food service and retail but sales volumes in Canada were unchanged due to a challenging retail market. However, the company did report a 4.1 percent increase in Canaidian sales.

Province commits $750,000 to Black Loyalist Centre



Design for the new Black Loyalist Heritage Centre

The province is supporting the new Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Shelburne County. The Nova Scotia government has committed $750,000 to the Birchtown project through the Community Development Trust Fund. The Centre is expected to tell the story of the Black Loyalists, who relocated to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick after fighting for the British in the American Revolutionary War. Hundreds settled in Birchtown during the 1780s. The province also provides $250,000 annually in operational funding for the Centre. The federal government has also pledged roughly $2.6-million towards the new centre. African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister Percy Paris says the Black Loyalists are a fundamental part of the province's history and the new centre will help make sure their story is told for generations to come. Construction will begin in late May, with the centre expected to be open in July 2013.

Morning Rollover on Italy Cross Road

Slippery roads are to blame for a single vehicle rollover on the Italy Cross Road this morning. RCMP say a woman in her early 50's was taken to hospital when her vehicle slid of the road and flipped into the ditch. The woman was trapped inside her car until emergency crews arrived and cut out the windshield. Police describe the woman's injuries as minor.

Plan Needed To Fight Prescription Drug Abuse: Glavine

The prescription pain killer .. OxyContin ... will not be funded anymore by the Nova Scotia government's Pharmacare Program.  The move is aimed at reducing prescription painkiller abuse.
However, Liberal health critic Leo Glavine tells us its only a half-hearted attempt to address the problem with no government strategy in place.  He says drug abuse is a fact of today's life for many people and there needs to be greater government-funded rehab to help those who need and want help.
Glavine tells us: "Its a 21 day program. I know the one at Fishermen's Memorial has a couple of tremendous counsellors in the program. But very often, 21 days is just the beginning of changing behaviours and re-equipping people with the skills and tools for better decision making and re-managing their lives."
Glavine says the government promised more than two years ago it would come up with a plan to deal with prescription drug abuse and he says nothing will change until that happens.

Finance Minister: No Tax Hikes & Budget Targets Attainable

Finance Minister Graham Steele's pre-budget consultations have reached the South Shore. Steele along with Lunenburg West MLA Gary Ramey met with select groups in the Bridgewater area last night to discuss how the upcoming fiscal plan should look. The government is projecting a $365-million deficit for this year, with a deficit of about $215 million next spring and a balanced budget the following year. In a interview with CKBW/HANK FM, Steele says the government is on track to reach those targets. "I'm happy to say as the finance minster that we are on track to do exactly that, it hasn't been easy but the plan is working," Meanwhile, Steele says Nova Scotians won't see any tax increases in the upcoming budget which he says will be delivered in early April.

VIDEO: Keddy visits Lunenburg Foundry

It's the first time he's seen it, and already he's impressed. MP for South Shore- St. Margaret's Gerald Keddy got his initial look at the Lunenburg Foundry's KDM system, which uses two mirrors to harness the sun's power for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Keddy says he was impressed by what the system could do.

"This thing has potential, not just to make bronze castings and brass castings but this has potential for applications in third world countries around the world, for applications to heat hot water here we are on a February day and they are going up to a couple thousand degrees Celsius in order to melt a bronze/magnesium mixture."

Keddy stopped by the Foundry Tuesday afternoon to get a first-hand look at practices the company is involved in. He also says he likes the look of the Bluenose II. Keddy says the build is drawing a lot of attention.

"This is the most important build on the planet and I'm not exaggerating that. You know, everybody who is remotely interested in sailing vessels and wooden ships is watching this on the webcam, its that big."

 He says the visit is to help inspire companies to pursue supply chain opportunities that will be created by the Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan.

Check out the video below to see the KDM system work with comments from Lunenburg Foundry President Peter Kinley and MP for South Shore- St. Margaret's Gerald Keddy.

NB Contractor Files Lawsuit Against Grace Murray Inc.

A New Brunswick based contractor has filed a lawsuit in Nova Scotia Supreme Court against Grace Murray Inc. Saulnier Losier Management claims it is owed just over $400,000 for extra costs it had to cover when they built the Bridgewater Best Western Hotel. Grace Murray Inc is co-owned by Rodney Grace and former NHL'er Glen Murray. In a prepared statement, Grace told CKBW/HANK FM News his company 'entered into a fixed price contract with Saulnier Losier and has no intention of paying more than what was agreed upon for a turnkey complete project.' Saulnier Losier was contracted in October 2009 to build the three-story 63-room Best Western in Cookville. Saulnier Losier claims the project experienced numerous cost overruns during construction and the construction contract between the two parties was breached. They are also seeking interest and costs. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Calls to Saulnier Losier of New Brunswick this afternoon have not been returned.

MODL secures waste collection until 2019

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has secured waste collection services until 2019. Council has approved awarding the lone tender received to G.E.'s All Trucking for just over $10.6-million for seven years, beginning in 2013. The new contract contains the same services as the current agreement with additional items including a route supervisor, Christmas tree pickup and a green cart administrator. The new services add more than $348,000 to the seven year budget.

Potential Bus Service for Shelburne County

A Shelburne County organization is looking at establishing a bus service for its residents. The Sou'west Nova Transit Association has filed an application to the province's Utility and Review Board for a motor carrier license. The request would allow the group to operate a 14-passenger bus with three wheelchair accessible seats and eight passenger seats. It could then drive people along the South Shore as far as Halifax and Yarmouth. The chair of the Association, David Meyer, says it could be a valued service for the area.

"Our service must be pre-booked, it will be door-to-door and will be specifically intended for people who have mobility problems or medical problems, the elderly, people in a low income situation and people who require transportation that they can arrange ahead of time."

Objections to the service need to be received by March 14 to board@gov.ns.ca . If there are none, the UARB could grant the application without a public hearing. You can check out the groups website at http://www.petprojects.ca/swnt/index.html .

Osprey Ridge to host Canadian Junior Boys Championship

A local golf course will host this year's Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Osprey Ridge has been selected by the Canadian Golf Association to test the best junior golfers in the country from July 30 to August 3. Over 150 golfers from coast to coast are expected to tee it up for the event. The championship will be 72 holes of stroke play. Kevin Kwon of B.C. won last year's title.

Liberal MLA wants February holiday in Nova Scotia

Today is a holiday in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and PEI. Having the third Monday in February as a holiday gives everyone a break from the rigours of winter. In our province though, today is just another Monday and we won't be getting a break until Easter in April. Halifax-area Liberal MLA Diana Whalen has been trying for years to establish a February holiday and she tells CKBW/HANK FM News she's applying more pressure to have her idea in place by next year. She says communities here would make good use of the holiday. "They really create a lot of exciting in the communities, I know there are a lot of activities like winter carnivals that take place and things of that nature and I'm sure the people of the South Shore would jump right in and do that...tt becomes a real family weekend," Next year, Whalen is hoping Nova Scotia will join the list of those having mid-February holidays.

Three Dozen Abandon Cats Recovering

More than three dozen malnourished cats that were rescued from a home outside of Lockeport are on the road to recovery. Members of the Beulah Burman Memorial Animal Shelter in Shelburne took in 31 cats from an abandon home in Rockland earlier this month. The cats were suffering from frostbite, infection and starvation when they were found but volunteers have been nursing the animals back to health. Shelter volunteer Shelley Leblanc says its been a heart warming experience to watch the community rally around the animals. "Rescuing cats has been one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. It's over whelming but if you look at the future that these cats now have - they are going to have a life, they are going to be warm, they are going to be fed and its such a rewarding thing because it makes such a difference in your life," Five of the cats have already been adopted to new homes while another half dozen are ready to go to a good home. Anyone interested donating time, money or adoption can log on to http://www.petprojects.ca/ for more information.

Bridgewater's Lohnes Picks Up "Michener Award"

A special honor for judo champ Whitney Lohnes of Bridgewater. The 19 year old is one of two recipients of the 2011 Roland Michener Canada Games Award. Lohnes won gold at last year's Canada Winter Games in Halifax. More recently she picked up gold at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Wales. Lohnes was given the Michener Award in recognition of her leadership skills and scholastic and athletic achievements. Lohnes is training in Montreal these days and attending Concordia University.

Bridgewater projecting budget surplus

Dawn Keizer

The town of Bridgewater is currently forecasting a healthy surplus. Director of Finance, Dawn Keizer, released her third quarter numbers during the February 13 council meeting. She is indicating a projected surplus of $639,400. The third quarter financial report for 2011-12 ended December 31, with projections to March 31, 2012. Keizer is projecting protective services, recreation and culture and environmental health to finish in the black, while transportation is anticipated to be in the red. While the numbers look good at the moment, Keizer says it is important to note that much can change in the next month.

South Shore resident wins 'Award of Sexcellence'

A member of South Shore Health has picked up an award from the Nova Scotia Association for Sexual Health. Lori McCracken has won the 'Award of Sexcellence' for her contributions to the field. McCracken says its nice to be recognized.

"Well, sometimes I don't consider myself a forerunner in terms of sexual reproductive health. I can definitely now say that this topic is maybe not what everybody does in their job, so it's great to be recognized for that."

McCracken has helped develop a youth health centre in New Germany, and a sexual health board game for teens.

Mustangs look to stave off elimination against Valley

A must-win situation Saturday night for the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs. The local major midget club needs a victory to avoid being swept of their best of five series against the Valley Wildcats. The Wildcats earned one goal victories in Bridgewater earlier this week, to lead the series 2-0. The game will be held at 8pm Saturday night in Berwick.

Lumberjacks double up Bearcats

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have finally beat the Truro Bearcats this season. Michael Crawley scored three goals and added three assists as the Jacks doubled up the Bearcats 8-4 Friday night in Bridgewater. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says it was the best character win for his club this season.

"Guys stepped up tonight and backed each other up and everything come together the way it should come together. They battled hard and deserved the win, that's fate and we talked about, you know, all year Truro had our number and got luck with us and we didn't get any luck, we earned everything we got tonight and kudos to the kids man, they worked great, I was so proud of those 19 individuals in there I can't say enough about them."

Jake Bullen added five assists while Cody Coffin also scored twice and added two assists. Dylan McQuaid stopped 48 shots in the win. The Bearcats had the Lumberjacks number prior to Friday night's game, winning the five previous games this season by a 36-9 margin. The Jacks take on the Mariners in Yarmouth Saturday night at 7:30.

BREAKING: Cooke Aquaculture Confirms Salmon Virus Scare

(Photo: courtesy of SouthCoastToday.ca)

Cooke Aquaculture says it has a suspected outbreak of the infectious salmon anemia virus at one of its fish farms. In a statement, the seafood company says it destroyed thousands of fish contained in two cages at one of its fish farming sites after routine tests and surveillance of its stocks. But the company declined to say where the outbreak is suspected. It's believed the fish farm in question is located in Shelburne. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating, but it too declined to say where the suspected outbreak is located. Dr. Con Kiley, director of the agency's aquatic animal health program says the virus is not a human health or food risk. "I think the important thing to say is that it is not confirmed to date, the other thing is people need to understand is that infectious salmon anemia is not a human health or food safety issue...it's not,"He says tests will be conducted at a federal lab in Moncton to confirm whether the virus is present.

Tenders close for LCLC; decision coming next week

The chair of the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre hopes the winning tender for the project will be announced in the next week. Paul Belliveau says the tender process closed earlier this week with eight construction companies vying to build the centre. Bird Construction of Halifax had the lowest bid at just over $24-million. If that group wins the bid, Belliveau says they would need to fundraise roughly $500-thousand to meet the budget needs. He doesn't expect to approach local governments for more funding. Belliveau says they're looking good.

"So at this point, to come in that we're roughly very close to our budget, we're going to have a facility that looks roughly like what we wanted it to look like and we maintained the integrity of having all of the components, I think we're in pretty good shape. We said that we would try and deliver something within the 33.5-million dollar range and I think we're going to get there."

Construction is still planned to start around mid-March, with the project pegged to be completed by next spring.

BREAKING: Thousands of Salmon Destroyed Because of Viral Scare

Thousands of fish have been destroyed because of a suspected finding of infectious salmon anemia in Nova Scotia. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating the matter but would not confirm the location of the potential finding. The suspected case of ISA is believed to be at a fish farm in Shelburne owned by New Brunswick based Cooke Aquaculture. Director of the National Aquatic and Animal Health Program for CFIA, Dr. Con Kiley says samples have already been sent to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans laboratory in Moncton for testing. "The disease has not been confirmed to date, the agency with the co-operation of the company has place a quarantine on the facility. That means we have disease control measures in place and confirmatory testing is underway and results are expected over the next few weeks," ISA is a flu-like virus that affects Atlantic salmon. It is harmless to the public but it is the single most feared virus in the fish industry because its highly contagious and impact on wild salmon populations.

Conservatives Focus on South Shore Ridings

The leader of Nova Scotia's PC Party spent time with South Shore residents Thursday night in Bridgewater. Jamie Baillie held a question and answer session at the Bridgewater Fire Hall. In a sit down interview with CKBW/HANK-FM, Baillie tells us he wasn't happy during last election after the NDP swept all the seats along the South Shore. But, Baillie looks forward to the next election because local NDP MLAs have to face the music for decisions they've made."Like, Lunenburg West - Gary Ramey, like, Lunenburg Pam Birdsall who have to answer to the people of the South Shore why they voted with the back room union interests with the NDP and against those jobs at places like Michelin. I am very proud to say we are with them - the employees of Michelin and the ones that want to work there in fighting that bill bu they didn't stand with their own constituents," Baillie says the South Shore region is important to his party because he feels the NDP has forgotten about residents.

Mustangs fall to Valley; down 2-0 in playoff series

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs are in danger of being swept out of the playoffs. The Valley Wildcats scored the go ahead goal midway through the 2nd period for a 2-1 win over the Mustangs. The victory gives the Valley a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Head Coach Tim Boyce says his club needs to stay confident.

"We've outplayed them for two games as far as I'm concerned, you know, we've dominated the shot clock just haven't been able to put the puck in the net, powerplay hasn't been great, but you know what, give them credit, they've clogged up the middle of the ice in the little rink and their defencemen are blocking a lot of shots in front, so hopefully we'll go down there to Berwick, it's a bigger ice surface and it's going to be tougher for their defencemen to do that."

Boyce adds its been a frustrating series so far.

"Like I said to the guys, it's one thing to be completely dominated by a team and go into the dressing room down 0-2 thinking you don't have a chance because they've outplayed you. That's not the case here. I've felt we've carried the play here in the two games, just got to start finishing."

Avery Clarke scored the lone goal for the Mustangs while Cole Skinner stopped 18 shots in the loss. Game 3 goes Saturday night in Berwick.