BREAKING: Martin Sets Standard; Wins 400 Metre Title

It was a night to remember for Jenna Martin. The Bridgewater native is going to the London Games after reaching the Olympic 'A' standard time of 51.55 seconds. Martin, ran in lane four and crossed the finish line at 51.53 seconds, breaking the standard time by only two hundredths of a second. CKBW and HANK-FM spoke with Martin after the race. She says it was an emotional finish.



The 24-year-old also set a personal best time and defend her 400 metre title. She says there's no greater reward than to be recognized as an Olympian.



Martin wasn't sure but believes she will head to Germany around July 18 for pre-Olympic camp until roughly a week before the London games begin.

In case you missed the race, here's CBC Sports with the call.

South Shore Artist Takes Spotlight In NB Gallery

If you're heading to New Brunswick over the summer and are looking for something different to do - the Whirligigs exhibits may just be the answer. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and Kingsbrae Garden in St Andrews have various pieces of the wind driven whirligigs artwork by Atlantic Canadian artists on display from now until September 15th. Locally – South Shore artist Bill Shaw is one of the artists with a piece of whirligig work on display. The Kingsbrae Garden exhibit opened earlier this month while the Beaverbrook Art Gallery held it's official opening of the exhibit last night. Acadia Broadcasting Limited - the parent company of CKBW and Hank FM - is a proud sponsor of the exhibits.

Acadian Games Underway In Yarmouth

The Acadian Games have kicked off in Yarmouth and Argyle.  The annual event runs right through the weekend. More than 1,100 young Francophone athletes from across the Maritimes and Newfoundland are taking part. Games co-ordinator Gwen LeBlanc says sporting competition is the focus, but showcasing the local French culture also plays a role. She says the event is also a business-booster with lots of people attending.



This is only the second time in the 32 year history of the games that a Nova Scotia site has been awarded the finals- and the first rural Nova Scotia location. In 2008 the City of Halifax hosted the finals. The Games wrap up Tuesday afternoon with the closing ceremonies at the Yarmouth Mariner Centre.

ER Closure At Fishermen's Memorial

The emergency room at Fishermen's Memorial in Lunenburg will be closed beginning Canada Day. The ER is expected to close at 4pm Sunday afternoon until 7:30 Monday morning. South Shore Health says the closure is due to lack of physician coverage.Anyone requiring emergency services is advised to call 911 or visit South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater.  

Liverpool's Whalen Set For Javelin, Shot Put At Nationals

It's the first of many national experiences for Chelsea Whalen. The Liverpool athlete is competing in her inaugural senior Track and Field Championships in Calgary. Whalen opens up competition Friday night in the women's javelin final. She says she's a little nervous.

But, Whalen admits it will be a good learning experience to compete against the country's best.

The 19-year-old will also compete in the shot put on Saturday.

Lunenburg/Queens Transition Team Moves Foward

Lunenburg/Queens Transition Leader Ron Smith

The recently-created Lunenburg-Queens Community Transition Team is on its way to finding ways of filling the economic gap left when Bowater Mersey closed almost 2 weeks ago. Former financial executive Ron Smith is heading up the team.  He says he and his group will be spending the summer months, meeting with community and business leaders and Lunenburg and Queens residents who have ideas. In an interview, he tells us smaller industries, reliant on forestry, will likely be the key to the industrial future of the area.  However, Smith says the pulp mill itself is likely history. Other aspects of the forest industry will figure prominently in the future.



The Transition Team will have its website up and running sometime next week, its Liverpool and Bridgewater offices fully functional and toll-free numbers will be established. Ron Smith believes recommendations will be ready late in the summer and in government hands.

Gasoline Prices Drop Along South Shore

Prices at South Shore gasoline pumps are down this morning.  The utilities and review board gave the OK overnite to lower the price of regular self-serve by three cents a litre.  That makes the new price .... $1.18.7.  Thats the first time in about a year that the price has dropped below a dollar-20.  The price has been dropping steadily in recent weeks as the world price of oil lowers.

McIntosh Achieves PB, Finishes Fourth In Heptathlon

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Holland)

It was a narrow miss on the podium for Rachael McIntosh. The Bridgewater heptathlete placed fourth after finishing with a personal best of 5,477 points. McIntosh is very satisfied with her results, saying in an email "to be able to put it all together in front of a home crowd at such an important meet is as good as I can ask for." McIntosh, who was competing in her third senior Canadian Championships adds "the week was a test of my ability to focus on the task at hand and perform as if no one was there at all." The 21-year-old improved on a sixth place finish in 2011. McIntosh will now travel to Mexico and Holland over the summer to represent Canada at international events.