Owner renovating 99 Aberdeen Road in Bridgewater

The so-called 'blight' at 99 Aberdeen Road in Bridgewater is getting renovated. Building owner Frank Rhyno says he is completely refurbishing the roof, gutting the inside of the property and turning the building into rental suites. He says he plans to turn the front section into four or five spaces for people to rent. Rhyno says the time is right to improve the building's look.

"Well, I guess the bottom line is I've been sitting on this eyesore, as some people call it, long enough without doing anything, so I've come to the conclusion that you can't take it with you so I might as well put some money on it."

 Rhyno doesn't know how much he will need to spend, but adds, he will buy supplies on a day-by-day basis. He says the changes are necessary after four years of the building being vacant. Work began on the property Monday, and Rhyno expects a number of changes to be made by the end of the week.

Temporary Shut Down at Bowater Mersey

The Bowater Mersey Paper Mill will temporarily cease operations this morning. It's the beginning of a near three-week shut down at the mill. The decision was announced last month when the owner, Resolute Forest Products, said world paper markets were flooded with the product. The company also cited a shortage of new orders. It's the seconde shutdown at the Brooklyn mill since before Christmas, when it was closed for three weeks for the same reasons. Employees will return to work on March 28th.

VIDEO: Shipbuilding Action Plan Arrives in Shelburne

Shipbuilding firms in Shelburne are attending a supplier development information session today on the Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan. The Irving owned yard will see a large increase in work and employment when the federal ship building contract gets underway. South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy addressed the session this morning, with a lot of emphasis on youth. "But the other great opportunity here is for an entire generation of young people to have a choice to work in Nova Scotia versus going somewhere else. For far too long we haven't been able to give them the option - quite frankly - of staying, now that option will be open to them," Keddy says the session is designed to help businesses position themselves to become suppliers or sub-contractors to through the Shipbuilding contract. "This gives them an opportunity to ramp up and actually go out there and become certified, if they are not certified already and they will get a very good message from ACOA, Irving and other presenters on what exactly is needed for them to tap into these contracts," Today's event in Shelburne is the final information session hosted by ACOA and Irving Shipbuilding.

BREAKING: Arrest made in Chester Basin homicide

RCMP have made an arrest in the Chester Basin homicide case. Staff Sgt. Bruce Hill confirmed with CKBW and HANK-FM news Monday morning that a man has been taken into custody. Sgt. Hill couldn't release any other details. 57-year-old Victoria Rae Brauns-Buckley was found dead March 2 at her home on Borgels Point Road.

SSRSB applying for second SchoolsPlus program

The South Shore Regional School Board is looking to gain another SchoolsPlus program. The province announced late last week the application process has officially opened for boards to try and secure one of four new sites. Coordinator for student services for the South Shore Regional School Board, Jeff Dewolfe, says they are planning a proposal with their application that would allow SchoolsPlus to cover two areas instead of one. He says it would be more beneficial.

"So, we're hoping to actually include both Lunenburg and Queens County in our proposal. So, we're hoping that proposing this new structure, there will be some cost efficiencies with that and we'll be able to reach more students and more communities."

Chester has the only SchoolsPlus program on the South Shore. Criteria includes commitment to using school facilities after hours, adequate facility use for communities and the ability to reach as many schools as possible. Selected applicants are awarded $125,000 to provide leadership and community outreach for the program. Site selection is expected to be announced in the spring.