Liverpool's Whalen Competes In Arkansas

A Liverpool athlete is in Arkansas this weekend for her second NCAA competition this season. Chelsea Whalen is up against some of last summer's Olympic participants tonight at the Razorback Invitational. The 20-year-old is coming off a second place performance and setting a new provincial senior women's indoor shotput record. Whalen hopes to keep the early momentum going.



Whalen says she's focusing on her technique this weekend after training with her coach. The shotput event is slated to start around 6pm tonight in Arkansas.

Challenges Ahead For Any Operator Of New Yarmouth Ferry Service

Two companies have submitted proposals to set up and run a ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine. When the call for proposals closed yesterday, the province says proposals had been received from "Quest Navigation Incorporated" and "Maritime Applied Physics Corporation".  Yarmouth MLA Zach Churchill says he's concerned about the lack of information on the two companies. However, he says no matter who starts up the service again, they're going to be dealing with some big challenges. Churchill says: "the NDP government cut the subsidy three years ago, cut the service. They cut our ties to that market in New England and now we are really building from scratch which is totally too bad. However, we are where we are so we just have to move forward." The proposals will be evaluated with a decision expected by the end of February. The province has promised to provide up to $21 million over seven years to help kick-start the ferry service that ended in 2009.

NS Firms Ready To Tap Into Shipbuilding Contract

Premier Darrell Dexter says Nova Scotia firms are well positioned to take advantage of a $25 billion opportunity under the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. The province commissioned Duke University's Center for Globalization to compile a study detailing how home-grown companies could become suppliers to the shipbuilding program. More than 100 Nova Scotia firms were named in the study including Allendale Electronics in Lockeport and the Lunenburg Industrial Foundry. However, Dexter says the report focuses more on opportunities for local companies rather than guaranteeing work.



The report cost $135,000 to compile but Dexter says it's a relatively small amount when you look at the overall amount of the shipbuilding contract. He says ship designs could be announced by Ottawa in the near future with work tentatively set to begin in mid 2015.

Mustangs Host Titans In Support Of Shay Family

The South Shore Mustangs fell 6-2 last night to the Valley Wildcats. Jordan Messenger and Riley Donaldson scored for the Mustangs while Cole Skinner allowed six goals on 48 shots in the loss. Meanwhile, the club is looking for local support this weekend in their second to last game at home this season. The team hosts the Halifax Titans on Saturday. Canadian Tire has donated a $200 barbecue to be raffled off. All proceeds from the game and raffle go directly to the family of Ryan Shay, a former Mustang player who was seriously injured in a car accident earlier this month. The game goes Saturday night at 8pm in Bridgewater.