Friday: Lumberjacks Game Postponed

The impending blizzard has forced the postponement of tomorrow night's MHL game in Bridgewater.  The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks were scheduled to host the Woodstock Slammers at the Clearwater Seafoods Arena at 7 o'clock. The contest will be re-scheduled at a later date. The Jacks' first game of the New Year is now slated for New Glasgow against the Pictou County Weeks Crushers on Saturday evening.   

Watchdog Group: Use Gas Taxes To Improve The 103

There will probably be no change overnight tonight in gasoline prices at South Shore pumps.  Canadian Taxpayers Federation Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey says thats a good thing. However, he says gas would be a lot cheaper without the tax on tax at the pumps.  Lacey says money collected through all those taxes though should be used to improve our roads, particularly the dangerous highway 103.



Lacey says directing gas tax money to improve the 103 would not only boost driver safety but also improve the local economy.

Wanted: Health Care Professionals, South Shore & Beyond

Nova Scotia's health minister expects to unveil a committee in the coming few weeks to look at ways of recruiting doctors to the province. In a CKBW and HANK-FM News interview, Leo Glavine says thats not all that is the focus of attention at the health department these days.



Glavine has been warned the province could face alarming shortages across a range of professions in the health-care system.  That as workers approach retirement, which includes a shortage of 800 nurses within five years.  In briefing notes when he first became minister, the notes tell Glavine professions requiring close monitoring include physicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, continuing care assistants and lab and diagnostic imaging staff, to name a few.

MODL: Mayor Pleased Old Schools Will Be Reviewed

A South Shore mayor is pleased the provincial government is looking at taking the pressure off municipalities when schools are closed. Under the current system, when a school closes it reverts back to the municipality and in some cases causes financial pressure for taxpayers and council. Don Downe says he welcomes the news given the Municipality of Lunenburg took control of three former schools over the past few years.



However, Downe says the news isn't all bad as the facilities in Riverport, Blockhouse and Centre each have potential. He says council is involved in discussions with a number of potential tenants for those former schools.

School Review Meetings Begin Next Week

Meetings to discuss the way schools are closed in Nova Scotia will be held this month. Nine public sessions will be held including stops in Bridgewater, Yarmouth, Halifax and Berwick. Bridgewater's meeting will be January 13 at Park View Education Centre. Yarmouth's meeting will be the next night at Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School. All meetings will be held from 7-9pm. The first meeting of the process will be held January 6 in Sydney. The meetings will examine the school review process and look into what's done with old schools when they are closed or new facilities are built. A consultations committee is gathering input from the public, school boards, the teachers' union, and municipalities on the school review process. The feedback will be used to develop recommendations that will be given to the education minister by the end of February.

South Shore: Kraft Hockeyville Contest Underway

Residents of the South Shore can nominate their community or town for the Kraft Hockeyville contest. The wildly popular contest brings hockey communities together in the quest to receive $100,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft Foods and the NHL. Also, the successful community gets to host an NHL pre-season game. Last year, Yarmouth made it through to the second last round of voting. The top 16 communities that will compete for Kraft Hockeyville will be revealed on Hockey Night in Canada on March 8th. The winner will be announced in April. You can nomination your community here

Chester Rink Captures Provincial Title

A team based in Chester is off to the Canadian Junior Curling Championships. Mary Fay's rink captured the provincial title on New Years Eve. She beat defending champ Mary Myketyn-Driscoll of Truro. Final score was 9-4 at the Lakeshore Curling Club. The curling championships kick off January 18th in Liverpool.

Big Snowstorm Headed Our Way

For all you winter weary folks, as if we haven't had enough in recent weeks, get set to be dumped upon yet again by lots of snow. An added feature this time will be very high wind gusts. Environment Canada has issued a blizzard warning for the South Shore and most of the province. It's expected we could get a total of between 20 and 35 centimeters of heavy snow over the next day or so. It should peter out on the weekend with sunshine for cleaning up on Saturday and temperatures above zero on Sunday and Monday.