UPDATED: Officials Recover Body Near Frog Island

 

The body of another drowning victim has been recovered in waters around Lunenburg County. Forty-nine year-old Peter Jeffery Horn's body was found near Frog Island around 11 o'clock this morning. Search and Rescue officials had been scouring the area after he went missing while snorkeling last night near Clay Island. Police say a passing boater found the victim's body. It's the second drowning in as many days. On Saturday, a Dartmouth scuba diver - missing for more than an hour - was found dead near Birchy Head. The body of 36 year-old Wayne Andrew McInnis was found on the shore line after he went missing while diving near Hubbards.

More Calls To Twin Section Of Highway 103

A former Halifax Regional Municipal Councillor and South Shore cottage-owner is ramping-up his campaign to get Highway 103 twinned.  Bruce Hetherington, who spends much of the summer in Petite Riviere, says the fatal accident over the weekend near Exit 5 is a reminder of just how dangerous the highway has become. He knows from experience.  He lost a son 4 years ago in a crash around the same spot as this weekend's accident. Hetherington says the government knows the state of the highway is poor.



Hetherington continues gathering names for an on-line petition calling for twinning of the highway. More than 6000 people have signed. This past weekend's crash happened between Exits 5 and 6, killing a woman and injuring several other people. The Nova Scotia government has earmarked the twinning of the highway in its ten year highways improvement plan.

RCMP Resume Search For Missing Snorkeler

RCMP are continuing to scour the waters after the possible drowning of a 49-year-old man. The Mounties say the Chester Basin man and a relative were boating Sunday afternoon when he went snorkeling near Clay Island. He was last seen around 8:30pm. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax launched a search but it was called off at 2:30am Monday morning. Cpl. Scott MacRae says the search will pick back up today involving a helicopter as well as ground search and rescue. RCMP did not identify the man.

South Shore RCMP Target Speeders

South Shore RCMP are set to crack down on speeders and those taking risks on the road. Police say they will concentrate their efforts on aggressive drivers over the next few weeks. Over the two weeks, several accidents have been caused by excessive speed and careless driving. Police say motorists can expect to see an increase in speed enforcement on all roads. 

Transfer Of Bluenose II Assets Complete

It's a peaceful conclusion to a strange saga involving the assets of Bluenose II. Premier Darrell Dexter announced this morning, the transfer of the Bluenose Trust assets is complete after several years of wrangling. The province and trust society have been working to finalize the deal since 2005. The assets include more than $540,000 in cash, title to a property in downtown Lunenburg and intellectual property rights held by the trust. The Lunenburg property was home to a store previously operated by the trust and details about its future haven't revealed. Bluenose II is undergoing a $16 million dollar restoration on the Lunenburg waterfront and is expected to return to sailing in the summer of 2013.

Two Bridgewater Men Face Charges For Alleged Fisheries Violations

Two Bridgewater-area men are facing charges after being arrested over the weekend by Department of Fisheries officers near Bush Island.  They're alleged to have been fishing for lobster in the off-season.  DFO officers seized several lobster traps and a small vessel being used by the accused. DFO-Liverpool conservation officer Bill Wolfe says his department and the courts take the charges very seriously. He says lobsters are very vulnerable right now.



The two accused have been released and will appear in Bridgewater court sometime this fall.  The date hasn't been set yet.

General Manager Selected For LCLC

Kevin Benjamin

A Bridgewater resident has been selected as the first general manager for the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. Kevin Benjamin has been named to the position after he was chosen by the centre's board of directors. Benjamin has spent the last 17 years working in the recreation field in the private industry as well as through municipal and provincial governments. He believes the LCLC can help attract people and promote the area.



Benjamin was selected out of 175 applicants. He believes there will be spinoffs for having a facility like the LCLC.



Benjamin is excited about the opportunity, saying it fulfills a life-long interest. He officially starts as general manager August 13. Construction of the Lifestyle Centre is underway and is expected to be ready around mid-2013.

Diver Dies Near St. Margarets Bay

Police are investigating after a 37-year old Dartmouth man died while scuba diving in Mill Cove near St. Margaret's's Bay.  The man had been with a group of divers but failed to return with them to shore.  The Coast Guard was called in and a body was found after an hour-long search.  No other details have been released yet.

103 Crash Kills One/Injures Others

The investigation continues into the weekend crash on highway 103 that left one person dead and several others suffered minor injuries. It happened between exits 5 and 6 late Saturday morning when 2 vehicles collided head-on in a passing lane and a third vehicle was struck by debris. The highway was closed for several hours and traffic re-routed. The name and age of the victim - a woman - haven't been released yet.

Local News/Weather-AM-Monday, July 23-12

Here is a look at the morning's South Shore and regional news and weather. (Click below on the arrow to listen)

Chester, MODL Close To Animal Control Agreement

A pair of local municipalities are exploring the option of working together to improve animal control. The village of Chester along with the district of Lunenburg are in the middle of contract negotiations.The contract would see Chester provide animal control to the Municipality of Lunenburg. CAO Tammy Wilson says they are waiting for Chester officials to approve the contract. She says its the best option for them.



The Municipality of Lunenburg's existing contract with its dog control service expired recently but have continued working together on a month-to-month basis. Financial details are not available until a deal is reached. Wilson says the two municipalities are working for a September start-up date.

Golf Tourney Nets $14,000 For Big Brothers Big Sisters

Golfers came out in droves late last week to help raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Roughly 27 teams teed off at Osprey Ridge in the 11th Golf for Kids Sake tournament. Executive Director Sandra Murray says around $14,000 was raised to help children in Queens and Lunenburg Counties receive a mentor.

South Shore Man Missing In Mahone Bay

A search was called off earlier this morning for a 49 year old Chester Basin man, who went missing last evening while boating in Mahone Bay. 

The un-named man and his elderly father went snorkling near Clay Island and after one of the dives, the younger of the two men didn't resurface.

Search crews were brought in late last evening after the father managed to make it to shore in the boat. The search was conducted by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax with the help of a helicopter from CFB Greenwood, the Coast Guard Inshore Rescue Unit, the Chester Fire Department and the RCMP. The search was called off around 2:30 this morning. 

The investigation continues.

The search is resuming this morning.