SPORTS: Lumberjacks battle Mariners in Liverpool

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks and Yarmouth Mariners square off at the new Queens Place-Emera Centre Thursday night in Liverpool. The Lumberjacks come into the game riding a two game winning streak while the Mariners snapped a two game skid with a win Sunday. The two teams had an offensive flurry the last time they met, exploding for 16 goals in a 10-6 win for Yarmouth. Game time is 7:30 in Liverpool.

Municipality of Shelburne frustrated over Internet delay

It's been four years and the Municipality of Shelburne is still waiting for its high speed Internet. The provincial government awarded a contract to Eastlink in 2007 on the basis that rural areas of Shelburne and Queens County would have high speed at the end of the four year agreement. But, pockets of people continue to complain to the local government regarding the state of their Internet. CAO of the Municipality of Shelburne, Kirk Cox, says he doesn't blame them.

"Those people who don't have access to that service are still unfortunately left with just dial-up and that, I think, for most communities in Nova Scotia would be very obsolete technology."

Cox has sent a letter to Minister of Economic Development, Percy Paris, in hopes the government can intervene and ensure Eastlink's commitment is fulfilled. Meanwhile, Bell Aliant recently announced Bridgewater will be getting FibreOp Internet service sometime this month.  

Mustangs Captain breaks second team record

Brennan Bailey

South Shore Mustangs captain Brennan Bailey has broken another team record. Bailey's overtime goal Tuesday night gives him 14 on the season, surpassing Pete LeCain's previous mark of 13 by a defenseman set in 1997-98. Bailey says although he's in the hunt for a third team record, he's more worried about finishing strong with only two games left in the regular season. Bailey broke his first team record in December when the third-year Mustang became the teams all-time leading scoring defenseman. He's tied with Pete LeCain for most points in a season with 34 and has two games remaining this weekend to best that mark.

Local Businesses win awards in Halifax

A pair of local businesses have been awarded by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet in Mahone Bay took gold in the New Business of the Year award and Cedar Bay Grilling Company in Blandford also received gold for Small Business of the Year. A news  release says "the awards recognize those who are willing to take chances, push the boundaries and stretch the limits for success." The awards were handed out Thursday January 26.

1688 Lobster Association in Liverpool on Thursday

The 1688 Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association are taking their movement to Queens. The PLFA will host their second meeting within the South Shore this afternoon at the Liverpool Fire Department. President James Mood will lead the discussion. The meeting will focus on the recent formation of the association, price and industry related issues. Approximately 30 fishermen attended a similar event hosted in Chester last week. The meeting in Liverpool begins at 1:30PM.

Breaking: Electric Co-op Extend Negotiations with Power Suppliers

The five municipal units involved in the province's electric co-op are still trying to hammer out a new energy deal for their customers. The municipal electric co-op formed in 1997 and its members include the town's of Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Riverport, Berwick and Antigonish. The co-op has been involved in serious negotiations for the few past months with two unidentified energy suppliers. In a CKBW/HANK interview, Mahone Bay Mayor Joe Feeney says the parties involved are close to a deal and have agreed to extend negotiations until the end of this month. "We're being...I don't think overly cautious...but we're being very cautious, but if we can get the final few stumbling blocks sorted out here...I'm confident we're going to be able to make a pretty good deal here for our customers spanning the next 20 years,"  The municipal units operate their own electric utilities and buy their power in bulk from Nova Scotia Power. However, the co-op announced an MOU between two new power suppliers last month that will bring cleaner, cheaper energy to their customers.

South Canoe Wind Project: Public Consultation this Month

The three proponents behind the South Canoe Wind project will begin public consultations this month. Oxford Frozen Foods along with Minas Basin Pulp and Paper have partnered with Nova Scotia Power on the proposed wind farm. The South Canoe Wind Project would feature up to 50 wind turbines spread over 6,400 hectares between Chester and Windsor. President of Energy Development for Minas Basin John Woods says public meetings will be held in Vaughan and Chester. "We're coming to the end of the competitive process, so it's time to involve the public and engage in public consultations so we're on schedule and we hope to be successful in several months time," The Vaughan meeting goes on February 11th, while the meeting in Chester will be held on Feb 13th at the Legion. The successful bid will be announced in April or May.

VIDEO: Finance Minister speaks to Bridgewater Rotary Club

Nova Scotia Finance Minister Graham Steele was one of three guest speakers to talk with prospective andcurrent members of the Rotary Club of Bridgewater and District. Steele spoke about his involvement in Rotary and other topics during the clubs open house at the Bridgewater Days Inn Tuesday night.

South Shore Regional working on Safety Violations

South Shore Health is well on their way to becoming fully compliant with the province's fire inspectors. The fire marshal's office noted 59 violations at South Shore Shore Regional Hospital in its inspections last November. The communications director with South Shore Health, Barb Johnson, mentions some of the 59 recommendations that were made.

"Some of the issues were around recommendations of a different type of fire extinguisher, 23 of the recommendations were around clutter or storage, items that we had to move out of hallways or in some cases, for example, staff had items stored on top of lockers."

But, as of this week, only five deficiencies remain in the hospital including the need for fire doors in specific areas, changes to power sources for ovens, and the need for better storage. Johnson says the Fire Marshal returned a few weeks ago and was very pleased with the changes already made. She says they've ordered the necessary supplies and hope to have all issues sorted out by the end of February.

Bailey knots OT winner as Mustangs beat Valley

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs earned a hard-fought 4-3 overtime win over the Valley Wildcats Tuesday night. The club battled back from an early 2-0 deficit, improving their position in the league standings to 3rd place with only two games remaining. Head Coach Tim Boyce says it was a big win for his club because it gave them some confidence after losing two straight over the weekend. Captain Brennan Bailey scored the overtime winner for the Stangs while Cole Skinner got the 'W' between the pipes. The Mustangs are back on the road Saturday and Sunday against Dartmouth and Cole Harbour to close out the regular season.

MLA Birdsall endorses Nash as next Federal NDP Leader

Pam Birdsall

The MLA for Lunenburg is throwing her support behind Peggy Nash as the future leader of the Federal NDP party. Pam Birdsall says she chose the Toronto MP because she believes she has all the qualities of a leader.

"She's one of those people, in my mind, who can bring people together, a real consensus builder and I think that's exactly like Jack (Layton) was. He was a man that worked with his team and any of us who knew Jack and knew the way he worked, that was what he was known for and Peggy is very much like that."

Birdsall says Nash would have no problems bucking heads with Prime Minister Stephen Harper because she's a former hard-nosed labour negotiator.

"She was the first female labour union negotiator in North America, you know I mean, that speaks volumes if you know what labour negotiation is all about. So, I mean this is someone who doesn't just say oh well, ok, whatever you say and I think that's a real quality of being able to be not easily provoked and calm under pressure."

Queens MLA Vicki Conrad also announced her endorsement of Nash. The party's leadership convention is slated for March 23-24 in Toronto.

Bridgewater: Huge Support for Cook's Cancer Battle

A benefit breakfast held over the weekend for a resident of Bridgewater was an overwhelming success. The fundraiser at the Bridgewater Fire Hall on Saturday was organized for 35 year-old Jody Cook who is fighting breast cancer. More $8,800 dollars was raised through the sale of 600 breakfast plates in addition to cash donations and tickets sales. Food was donated by local businesses while members of the Bridgewater Fire Department volunteered their time to help out with the breakfast.

Black Bull Resources Report Net Losses in 2011

The future of a Nova Scotia company is unclear following another year of poor market conditions. Black Bull Resources is reporting net losses  exceeding $380,000 for the year ending September 30th. The company owns the White Rock Mine near Shelburne and officials say the company will be placed into hibernation mode until further notice. CEO Joseph MacDonald says the company's focus is to reserve cash by reducing overall expenses. A handful of part-time employees remain at the mine for routine care and maintenance. The White Rock Mine produces a unique, bright white high purity quartz marketed under Scotia White.

Phone Survey planned for town and municipality of Shelburne

The town and municipality of Shelburne are conducting a phone survey to see how physically active members of the community were over the last two years. The survey, conducted by IPSOS Reid Research, will be conducted beginning February 1 until February 13. The physical activity and community school coordinator, Lisa Landry, says the survey will help gather information for the community's physical activity strategy.

"It's a way for us to get input from the community and it's also a follow-up from the survey we did in 2009, so this will give us comparative information so we can gauge the changes in physical activity levels since then."

Landry says they have created more opportunities for people to become active in leisure programs or sports since 2009. She says 300 people will be polled during the phone survey and expects the results to be released by mid-March.

Finance Minister among guests at Rotary Open House

Graham Steele

The Bridgewater Rotary Club is holding an open house Tuesday night to offer people a chance to learn more about the volunteer organization. Current and past members are expected to meet at the Bridgewater Days Inn at 6pm. Nova Scotia Finance Minister Graham Steele is among the guest speakers, as well as incoming District Governor Greg Caldwell and Windsor Rotary Club President Jonathan DeMont.

Pet Food Drive raises over $2,000 for Queens SPCA

Karissa Boudreau

The people came out in droves Saturday to help raise money for the Queens County SPCA. The 4th annual Karissa Boudreau Memorial Pet Food Drive raised $2,048 in cash and an estimated 12-14 shopping carts full of supplies. The president of the Queens County SPCA, Martin Hilliard, says they received a variety of different items.

"Hundreds of pounds of dog food, cat food, toys, treats, all kinds of stuff, it was absolutely overwhelming."

Hilliard says the fundraiser is a huge help because a busy summer and fall season has left a big strain on their finances. One of the organizers, Wendy Whalen, says after four years, it was nice to see people still care so much.The 12-year-old Boudreau will always be remembered as a young girl who loved animals, with aspirations of being a veterinarian. It's expected the last pet food drive will be held next year before organizers move on.

Town of Lunenburg: Not Interested in Shared Services Review

The Town of Lunenburg says its not opposed to sharing some services but council isn't interested in regional governance. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney made the comments as Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the District of Lunenburg move forward with a detailed review of regional governance and shared services. Mawhinney says he wanted to clear the air because residents have been asking why the town isn't part of the review. "We certainly wish the other three well as they continue their review and discussion, but we were not looking at regional governance per say. We're happy to look at shared services, yes. But a review focused on regional governance as the first step, in our opinion, was not the way He notes the town recently withdrew from a partnership with the three municipal units on the Waste Management Committee. Mawhinney called the venture less than satisfactory and felt the towns views were not considered seriously. The town is currently negotiating with the Municipality of Chester on a new waste disposal agreement at Kaizer Meadow.

Composites Atlantic: Calls Back Some Laid-Off Workers

Composites Atlantic has re-hired five employees that were victims of a mid-November lay-off. At the time, 37 employees were laid off as the result of an unexpected change in delivery schedules from several major customers. President and CEO Claude Baril says their market has picked up over the past few weeks. "Actually when we did lay-off...we had not underestimated but maybe went a bit too far and we re-hired some more people because we were late on some programs and dealing with overtime, so we adjusted," Baril says work orders at the plant will be stable for at least the first six months of this year and the company will re-evaluate later in the summer. The Lunenburg based aerospace plant employs more than 300 people and manufactures lightweight aircraft parts.

Final "Shared Services" Meeting Goes Tonight

Don Downe

The last of 5 public meetings in Lunenburg County discussing the sharing of some services will be held tonight. A report on the feasibility of sharing some municipal services among Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has recommended .... in favor. The meetings have been designed to get public feedback and help councillors in the communities make their decisions on the proposal. District of Lunenburg Mayor Don Downe says that's important. He says: "We need to make sure we consult and get an idea on how our community feels about it. At the same, we are prepared to show leadership. But I think its important to have them come forward with some very interesting questions that they have about the report and we need to give them the answers." Tonight's meeting begins at 7 o'clock at the Petite Riviere Fire Hall.

Queens County Adds More Protected Lands

Queens County has aquired another 22-hundred hectares of protected land.
Its a gift from Bowater Mersey, part of the rescue package for the mill back in December. District of Queens Mayor John Leefe says saving pristine areas from development is important. About 19 percent, or 44-thousand hectares, of Queens County's total land mass .... is now protected under the World Wildlife Federation's "Endangered Spaces Program". That figure is well above the 12 percent required under the program.

Shelburne Arena ready for next stage of upgrades

Tony Mahaney

The Shelburne Arena is entering phase two of its upgrade stage. The rink is getting roughly $453,000 worth of work done including repairs and replacement of refrigeration equipment, structural upgrades and accessibility issues. The chair of the Shelburne County Arena Association, Tony Mahaney, says they're moving ahead with their next step of renovations.

"We just finished phase one that did $500,000 worth of improvements that took care of a number of issues concerning lighting and part of the refrigeration, as well as upgrading the players' dressing rooms and washrooms. So, this phase is to accommodate the people viewing the games."

Mahaney adds, one way to help people view the games is by making the rink more accessible including building a ramp to get into the main entrance.

"Once you get into the facility, there's some upgrades that are required for the washroom facilities so that they can easily access the washrooms, as well as a small section that will be set aside for a viewing stage or viewing platform for anybody that is requiring accessibility."

Mahaney says he hopes all the upgrades will help give the arena 20-25 years of use before a new rink will be needed. He says he expects phase two will be complete by 2015.

Hockey: Cole Harbour Thumps Mustangs

In Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League action last night Cole Harbour dumped the visiting South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs 6-2. Brendan Nickerson and Alex Nauss scored for Stangs who are back on the ice this morning against the Valley Wildcats. Puck dropped at 10:30 at the Bridgewater Arena.

RCMP charge three for drug trafficking in Shelburne County

A trio of Shelburne County residents face charges after police seized a number of different drugs on route to the area. RCMP members from Yarmouth, Shelburne and Halifax intercepted a package from British Columbia going to a Roseway home and found 460 grams of mushrooms, 490 grams of marijuana and roughly 50 grams of hash. Police also searched two homes in Lydgate and Roseway. A 55-year-old woman, along with two men, aged 27 and 28, have been charged with possession of controlled substances for the purpose of trafficking. The woman and 27-year-old man are scheduled to appear in Shelburne Provincial Court March 28th while the 28-year-old man is scheduled April 11th.

Federal NDP Forum held in Tantallon

Denise Peterson-Rafuse

The MLA for Chester-St. Margaret's is welcoming her federal friends for an evening in Tantallon. Denise Peterson-Rafuse is hosting the eight NDP leadership hopefuls at a public gathering at the St. Margaret's Centre. Peterson-Rafuse says its a chance for people to meet and talk with candidates running to replace the late Jack Layton.

"We're not having long speeches by each candidate, we felt the best way for people to have a decision-making option was to have the leaders there that you could personally go up and talk to them and ask your questions."

There are eight remaining candidates including the president of the Sackville-Eastern Shore NDP riding association, Martin Singh, the lone Nova Scotian in the leadership race. The discussion gets underway at 4:30 Saturday evening.

Sea Kayak Festival gains support in Shelburne

The Town of Shelburne will move forward with plans to host its first Sea Kayak Festival this summer. Officials held a meeting earlier this week to see if there was enough community interest to support the event. Organizer Jerry Locke says he was pleased with the turnout and the event looks like it will happen. "So we are starting to take a serious look at it and we're looking at a bunch of possibilities for programming and activities to take place. We're still exploring but I'm quite confident we'll go forward with it," Locke says the organization committee will continue to recruit volunteers for the festival and are set to meet again sometime to February. The event will be held at he Islands Provincial Park from August 17th-19th.

Lumberjacks cut down Crushers

A three goal second period helped propel the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks to a 5-1 win over Pictou County. The Jacks got some third and fourth line scoring from Cody Coffin, who potted two goals and added an assist. Luke Warner also chipped-in with a goal and an assist while Luc Ramey had four assists. Shawn Boudreau and Brennan Saulnier also had goals while Billy Clarke turned aside 28 shots. The Jacks will head to Liverpool for a special South Shore match-up against Yarmouth at the new Queens Place Emera Centre Thursday night at 7:30.

Police investigating St.Phillips Street assault

Bridgewater Police are investigating an assault on St.Phillips Street near Victoria Road. The incident took place early Thursday evening between two pedestrians and the driver and passenger of a vehicle. Police allege an altercation occurred and Cst. William Creamer confirms one person pulled a knife. The passenger received minor injuries after being assaulted but did not need medical attention. Bridgewater Police brought in their K-9 unit but no one is in custody at the moment.

Weather Closes Schools - Pushes Back Exams

Due to the impending storm conditions (snow and ice pellets), all SSRSB schools will be closed today.  In some schools, this will affect high school exams.   Please note that any exam which was to be written today (Friday, January 27) will be written on Monday, January 30.

Pet Food Drive in honour of Karissa

A young girls love for animals and her aspirations to become a veterinarian are always remembered around this time in January. The 4th Annual Karissa Boudreau Memorial Pet Food Drive goes Saturday and this year the event is helping the Queens County SPCA. Organizer Wendy Whalen says the day is one to reflect, remember and honour Karissa Boudreau.

"It's not a sombre event at all. This is a really positive and happy time for us and it's really an  uplifting and inspiring experience, you know, we'd be happy to see everyone come out and show their support."

People are asked to donate pet food, toys, beds or any other items towards the cause. T-Shirts will also be sold, with funds also being donated. The pet food drive will be held near the Zellers Entrance at the Bridgewater Mall from 10am to 6pm.

VIDEO: Joint Services Meeting held in Bridgewater

A few nay-sayers spoke out during Thursday night's joint services meeting at Bridgewater High School. Several people in the crowd of roughly 30 say they don't believe the report was put together very well and that the towns of Mahone Bay and Bridgewater along with the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg need to work together more before developing a Regional Services Board. Bridgewater resident Mark Furey says he was expecting more from the report.

The last of five public meetings will be held January 30 at 7pm at the Petite Riviere Fire Hall.

VIDEO: SSRSB preparing to decide on School Review

The South Shore Regional School Board has received the school utilization reports. Now, the next step is for staff to prepare the school identification reports for Board Member Judith Sullivan-Corney before the next meeting February 22. At that meeting, its expected Sullivan-Corney will present staffs recommendations on which schools should be reviewed. The board will then respond to the recommendations during its March 21 meeting before school review information has to be forwarded to the Department of Education by March 31. Sullivan-Corney says because there were no schools reviewed last year, she's worried that may hurt the board's chances of receiving any capital funding for 2012-13. The Board has three opportunities to tap into capital funding for 2012-13 to make additions or alterations in schools, capital repairs and any design or scoping work needed. The three capital funding projects total $16-million and all school board's in the province are able to apply for the funding.

No injuries after flue fire in Upper Northfield

No injuries to report after a major flue fire Thursday night in Upper Northfield. Three trucks responded to the blaze from Northfield and District Fire Department shortly before 10pm. The fire happened at 3918 Northfield Road. The house was full of smoke and firefighters fought embers, sparks and cinders from the chimney when they arrived at the scene. Fire crews doused the blaze and cleared the scene in just under an hour.

PLFA Building Membership-Support

The Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association continues to build its membership from the ground up. Approximately 30 fishermen attended a meeting in Chester yesterday afternoon with a majority satisfied with the direction the group is headed. Fisherman Troy Nickerson spoke with CKBW/HANK FM following the meeting. "This is a chance to do something. The big goal is we are looking to next season. We don't want $3.25 next season. It's known that if we don't get our act together that's what going to happen. I'm confident we're going to be able to do it little by little, the old saying taking the land back step by step...well...we're taking the sea back...step by step," The movement began almost three weeks ago following a meeting in Barrington. Since the PFLA formed on January 4th lobster prices at the wharf have jumped from $3.25 to $5.50 per pound. The association now sports close to 600 members and plan to meet again in Liverpool next week.

Massive Wind Farm Planned between Chester and Windsor

Lunenburg County will be soon be home to the largest wind farm in the province. A trio of companies have a proposal to construct the South Canoe Wind Project. The project would consist of 33 to 50 turbines and produce enough power to heat approximately 28-thousand homes. Minas Basin Pulp and Paper and Oxford Frozen Foods have partnered with Nova Scotia Power on the project which will help the province meet its renewable energy targets. John Woods, vice-president of energy development for Minas Basin, says getting the site ready would create about 100 jobs. The project will be located between Windsor and Chester and span 6,400 hectares. The award group will be announced in April while the wind farm will be operation by 2015. A public meeting will be held in Chester in the near future to unveil project details to their residents. Meanwhile, another public forum will be held at the Vaughn Fire Hall on February 11th from 2-5PM.

Joint Services Meeting in Bridgewater

The fourth gathering in a series of five public meetings regarding a joint services report goes Thursday night in Bridgewater. Council members from the town, Mahone Bay and Municipality of Lunenburg are expected to take in the event as well consultants from Marathon Human Resources Group. The public is urged to come to the event and ask questions to help the councils learn more about the report and the impact it could have on the three areas. The meeting gets underway at 7pm Thursday night in the Bridgewater High School cafeteria.

Changes needed to accommodate Bridgewater leash-free dog space

The town of Bridgewater will hold a public participation meeting to discuss proposed amendments to its Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use by-law for a leash-free dog park. The town approved the Master Plan for Generations Active Park in principle December 12 and are looking to make changes to their MPS and LUB to allow a leash-free dog space in the park. The Planning Department is also hoping Parks, Recreation and Culture will create a leash-free dog park program to address issues like hours of operation, rules for users and fencing requirements. The public meeting will be held February 8 at 6pm in council chambers.

Fisheries Minister Reacts to "No Show" Comments

Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau says he's been monitoring a series of rotating meetings but explains he's never been formally invited to attend any of them.  He made the comments after he was accused of being a "no-show" at a recent meeting in Digby hosted by the Professional Lobster Fishing Association. In an interview with CKBW/HANK FM News, Belliveau says the industry faces some serious challenges and the government is paying attention. He says several working groups are set to begin consultations within industry via the Lobster Council of Canada. "There's four or five working groups that's going to go across Nova Scotia and our neighbouring provinces over the next few weeks. They will have a lot of discussion and consultation with the industry, there a lot of working going on and I think the industry needs to understand this," The council is expected to report its findings sometime in April.

Bridgewater High Principal: Students to blame for Broken Sprinkler Head

The principal of Bridgewater High is disciplining one or more students after an incident at the school Monday afternoon. Chuck McLellan says it has been determined that students are at fault after a broken sprinkler head caused the Bridgewater Fire Department to respond to a fire alarm sounding at the school. McLellan says he is not allowed to say who is involved, the gender or the ages because of the school's confidentiality framework and the protection of privacy act. He also isn't allowed to confirm the nature of the punishment. No damage was done to the school after an unknown amount of water sprayed out of the broken sprinkler head.

Bridgewater Councillor discusses town history

Patrick Hirtle

A Bridgewater town councillor is swapping hats to be a history teacher for a night. Patrick Hirtle will read from and discuss his book "Going Against the Grain, the Rise of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, 1812-1899." Hirtle says it will give people a chance to learn more about a significant time in the town's history.

"It talks a lot about a really important time in Bridgewater's history. It's a period when the community really rose to prominence in Lunenburg County and really pushed itself into a position to challenge Lunenburg as the unofficial shire town of the county."

Hirtle hopes to see people of all ages attend Thursday night's discussion. The event gets underway at 7pm at the Desbrisay Museum.

SPORTS: Lohnes adds silver to medal collection in Wales

Whitney Lohnes, left, picked up a silver medal Wednesday  in 48kg seniors division at the 2012 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Cardiff, Wales

Bridgewater's Whitney Lohnes now has a silver medal in Cardiff, Wales. Lohnes lost in the 48kg seniors division final Wednesday afternoon to her opponent from England at the 2012 Commonwealth Judo Championships. The silver will be added to her gold she picked up Tuesday after winning the 48kg junior division. Lohnes is now expected to head to Belgium for another tournament this weekend.

VIDEO: Mustangs to get free ice time from Town

Bridgewater town council is awarding the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs with a free ice time. The town is drafting an agreement with the Mustangs to give the team a Friday morning practice from 6:30-8 at no cost. Mayor Carroll Publicover says the club is well-deserving of a free ice time. Publicover says the Mustangs have been in Bridgewater for 27 years and could use the break because of the cost to run the team. Council deferred the team's request in October after requesting the club to make a presentation about the organization and its finances.

SPORTS: Lohnes goes for double gold in Wales

Bridgewater's Whitney Lohnes is going for gold again. She reached the final of the 48 kg senior division at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Cardiff, Wales. It's not known who she will be competing against. Lohnes took home gold last night in the 48kg under-20 division. The final will be held at 2pm local time and to watch her online, go to http://cardiff2012judo.org/live-video/ .

Support Growing for Lobster Fishermen

The Municipality of Shelburne is rallying behind area fishermen and the lobster industry. Council unanimously passed a motion indicating their support for the industry during a meeting on Monday. CAO Kirk Cox says the municipality wants to work with stakeholders to ensure the long term sustainability of the industry. "A lot of work needs to be done to strengthen the domestic and export markets for the industry. There are also some structural questions within the industry, whether there is too much effort or other aspects of the supply chain. We want to take some time to sit down with the industry and see what they would like us to do,"  He says the municipality could also help as an advocate for the industry on behalf of fishermen. Cox says council also supports the newly formed Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association in their bid to strengthen market prices. The PLFA will host their first meeting in Lunenburg County this afternoon in Chester. The meeting begins at the Legion at 1:30PM.

Shelburne: Public Meeting on Council Size Confirmed

The number of council seats in Shelburne will be the subject of a public meeting next month.  The town wants to reduced the number of seats from six to four plus the mayor. Mayor Al Delaney says the town will need to consult with its residents before re-submitting an application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. A declining population and tax base is the main reason behind the application to reduce the size of council. The public meeting will be held at the Shelburne Community Club on February 7th. It begins at 7:00PM.

VIDEO: Skateboard park lease agreement approved

Bridgewater town council has approved a lease agreement for a new skateboard park on site at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The town, along with the Bridgewater Development Association and the Lunenburg County Multipurpose Centre Corporation have all signed off on the lease agreement. Town council voted in favour during Monday night's meeting, with a few members not happy about an addition made to the agreement. A clause now states "after 20 years, the LCMPCC can request the town to dismantle the skateboard park." Mayor Carroll Publicover says the clause doesn't make much sense.

Councillor David Mitchell echoed the mayor's comments, saying he doesn't like the added clause.

"I don't know why you would need that in there, if it's in good condition and being used, why do you need that clause?"

The BDA's Youth Action team is currently fundraising to have the skateboard park built. Construction of the park won't happen until after the LCLC is completed.

Third Joint Services Meeting held in Riverport

Riverport will host the third meeting for three municipal units to discuss potentially sharing services. The meeting offers the public a chance to see the report and ask questions. Council members from Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg are also expected to be in attendance. The meeting gets underway at 7pm Wednesday night at the Riverport Community Centre.

PLFA Gaining Steam and Memberships

The Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association continues its bid to build its membership from the ground up. Approximately 30 fishermen attended a meeting in Chester yesterday afternoon with a majority satisfied with the direction the group is headed. Fisherman Troy Nickerson spoke with CKBW/HANK FM following the meeting. "The big goal is we're looking toward next year, for that next season. We don't want $3.25 next season and its pretty well known that if we don't get our act together that's what is going to happen - we've pretty much been told that by the other side. The old saying "take the land back step-by-step" well, we're taking the sea back step by step," The movement began almost three weeks ago following a meeting in Barrington. Since the PFLA formed on January 4th lobster prices at the wharf have jumped from $3.25 to $5.50 per pound. The association now sports close to 600 members and plan to meet again in Liverpool next week.

SPORTS: Lohnes wins judo gold in Wales

Whitney Lohnes, far left, with teammates after competing in Cardiff, Wales Tuesday

It was a gold medal performance for Whitney Lohnes. The Bridgewater native took 1st place in the 48kg  under-20 division at the Commonwealth Judo Championships is Cardiff, Wales. Lohnes defeated an Australian women in the final. Her father, Tim Lohnes, watched the fight online and says he's proud of his daughter.

"She's on the mat all the time, she loves it, so to see her actually get on the podium at an international event is just excellent."

Lohnes says his daughter has been training hard since moving to Montreal to go to school at Concordia. Next up for Whitney will be the seniors category Wednesday followed up by a tournament in Belgium this weekend.

Cash Stolen from Lahave Bakery

Thieves are believed to have taken some cash from a bakery shop in Mahone Bay. The Lahave Bakery on Edgewater Street was broken into sometime overnight on Sunday. RCMP are investigating the incident and are asking the public for tips. Mounties believe the break in occurred between 6PM on Sunday night and 8:30AM Monday morning.

South Shore Housing Numbers Jump in 2011

Gary Mailman

More homes were sold on the South Shore last year than in 2010. Stats from the Multiple Listing Service show 895 homes were sold in 2011, a 9.5% increase from the previous year. The vice-president of the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors, Gary Mailman, says he's not surprised by the figures. He believes people are changing the way they sell their homes.

"It could have been in 2010, there could have been more private sales gone through where in 2011, there may have been less private sales and those people who used private means in the past or for sale by owner companies may have chosen to use the realtor route."

MLS stats also show 3,020 homes were listed in 2011, compared to 2,871 in 2010; an increase of 5.2%. The average price for a South Shore home in 2011 also jumped by 7.8%, to sit at $174,785. Mailman says he's not sure why the price went up. But, he says the area's waterfront properties could be helping the spike.

"The South Shore does have a number of high-priced waterfront properties and a few of those had sold in 2011 and that would help drive the price upwards as well because it is an average of all the sales on the South Shore."

Mailman says the South Shore stats affect homes from Hubbards to Shelburne.

New Lobster Association to hold meeting in Chester

Lobster fishermen, business officials and the public are invited to a meeting in Chester Wednesday. The newly-formed Professional Lobster Fishermen's Association will be moving its recruiting campaign east from Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby Counties. The group's goal is to force an increase in prices. South Shore lobster fisherman Kevin Ernst says years of low prices at the wharf have created hardship for many.

"You can't go to sea and catch lobsters for $3.25 or $3.50 a pound, even at $5.00 a pound, we're only breaking even and nobody is making a profit out of that, and I know we all go to work each day in order to make money and support our families and its been a tough go."

Prices have risen from $3.25 a pound earlier this month to about $5.00 now. Wednesday's meeting of the Lobster Fishermen's Association runs between 1:30 and 2:30pm at the Chester Legion Hall.

VIDEO: Parking Meter by-law heads to second reading

Bridgewater town council has pushed their proposed parking meter by-law to second reading. Members voted unanimously in favour of going ahead but not without some clarifications. Councillor Bill McInnis was concerned with enforcement if a parking ticket isn't paid after seven days. There was nothing in the proposed by-law saying residents would face a higher fine if the ticket wasn't paid. Mayor Carroll Publicover says it's a change that needs to be made.

Members also clarified another clause that states 'Parking in excess of time allowed.' Publicover says the rule suggests parking meter users would no longer be able to feed the meters.

"If I put $0.50 an hour in the metre over the course of a day, I'm going to spend less than I would to rent a parking spot somewhere and that's taking up a spot that would be used by shoppers and people that want to do business downtown. I can't imagine it, but I guess there are people that would do that and so that has to be prevented."

Publicover says people who studied the by-law made the recommendation to put the clause in place. Council will proceed with second reading of the proposed by-law at their February 27 council meeting.