Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Crews Douse White Point Lodge Fire


No one was injured after a chimney fire broke out at White Point's main lodge. The blaze began just before 6pm Tuesday evening. Fire Officials from Liverpool and Greenfield responded to the call. The building was evacuated for over an hour before the blaze was doused. Spokesperson Donna Hatt says the fire didn't cause any structural damage to the lodge. The cause is not yet known. The lodge was rebuilt in 2012 after fire destroyed the previous building in November 2011.

RCMP Release Photo Of Hubbards Robbery Suspect

Mounties are following leads after a woman held up a pharmacy using a syringe. In an update Tuesday afternoon, RCMP say a suspect was released after she was taken in custody for questioning. Sergeant Al Leblanc confirmed the arrest in an email but no charges were laid. The incident took place Sunday afternoon at the Hubbards Pharmacy. In a media release, police say a woman walked into the drug store and demanded prescription pills. An employee at the pharmacy cooperated and was not injured. Mounties say the woman is about 5'3 with blonde hair and has a tattoo on her right arm.

Business Group Focuses On Attracting Companies To Region

A new group is focusing on growing the level of business activity in the region. The South Shore Business Growth Association is concentrating on regional economic development in Lunenburg and Queens Counties. The association is trying to fill a gap since the local development agency ceased operation in March. CEO Andrew Button says the group was created to attract more businesses to the area.



Button points to resources including 'Why Here', a website featuring a business map, video testimonials and information on the region that can help attract new businesses to the South Shore. He urges businesses to list their information on the website's map because it could help grow the economy.

South Shore Rugby Players Crack Team N.S.

Three South Shore athletes have been selected to represent the province at the Canadian National Rugby Festival in Vancouver, B.C., from August 7-12.  Seventeen-year-olds Renee Taylor and Naomi McKay, both Park View Panther players, will join the roster of the under-18 women's team. Both women played integral roles in earning a gold medal at the Canadian Eastern Rugby Championships in St. John's, NL last month. This will be their first experience on the national stage. Eighteen-year-old Nate Baker of Pentz has been named to the under-18 men's team. It's his third year playing for the National squad. The B.C. Rugby Union will be hosting the event at the University of British Columbia.

LCLC: Opening On Separate Dates

The opening of the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre will happen on three different dates. General Manager Kevin Benjamin says they're expecting the arena will open in September, with the library hopeful for October and aquatic centre in November. He says the separate openings are due to a number of items that have taken longer than anticipated to complete. Benjamin says he doesn't expect the issue to cause any problems to the 2013-14 budget.



The issues will cause the Lumberjacks hockey club to start training camp in Liverpool for two days this month before coming back to Bridgewater to resume camp at the Memorial Arena.

Whalen Sets N.S. Javelin Record


Another record set by Liverpool's Chelsea Whalen. The 20-year-old established a new Nova Scotia Senior women's javelin record over the weekend in Port Williams with a throw of 52.08 meters. With the throw, Whalen also climbed to number two all-time at Florida State University in javelin. She also finished first in the shot put with a throw of 15.40 metres. Whalen is off to the Canada Games to represent Nova Scotia in the shot put and javelin in Sherbrooke, Quebec. She starts competing next Monday.

Tuesday: Lunenburg ER Closures Continue

There have been several overnight closures through the weekend of the ER at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg.  The closures are continuing today (Tuesday) at 5pm until Thursday morning at 7:30am. South Shore Health says a recent resignation of an ER nurse and a maternity leave have complicated scheduling. Progressive Conservative health critic, Chris d'Entremont of Argyle, says the government is trying to show it has improved ER care at Fishermen's, Roseway and elsewhere.



d'Entremont is calling upon the government to come up with a more attractive incentive plan to encourage trained ER doctors and nurses to settle in rural communites.

Chester: Province Declines Funding After Bowater Closure

The province is saying 'no' to a funding request from the Municipality of Chester. Warden Allen Webber sent a letter to the minister of economic and rural development and tourism asking for additional funding following the Bowater closure. The minister responds in a letter, saying they provided funding to the Region of Queens and Municipality of Lunenburg to support economic transition in the entire region. The letter from Graham Steele also notes those two municipalities were the hardest hit by the closure. Webber doesn't agree with the decision.



Webber says the letter indicates sharing resources between the local municipalities, but he's received no correspondence as of yet.