Bridgewater: Man In Serious Condition After Stabbing

A man is in serious condition after he was stabbed outside a Bridgewater tavern early Sunday morning. Bridgewater Police say the victim received a single stab wound to his chest around 2:20am. The man was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital for treatment. Police have the alleged suspect in custody. Anyone who witnessed the incident and hasn't spoke to police already is encouraged to contact the Bridgewater detachment.

Queens: Market Street Project Nears Completion

Months of traffic slowdowns around Market and Main Streets in Liverpool could be coming to an end soon. The Region of Queens says the Market Street Infrastructure Renewal Project should be done by the end of the month. Crews with Public Works have been working nearly around the clock to ensure that the large scale water, sewer and storm drain renewal project is completed as quickly as possible. The project involved replacing century old water lines, deteriorated sewage lines, installation of a storm drainage system, and renewal of sidewalks and pavement. The Region of Queens says there were some challenges including a large amount of intact timber cribbing interlaced with existing water and sewer lines.

Leaders Stay Busy Ahead Of Tuesday Election

No rest for the three major political party leaders just a few days before the provincial election. PC Leader Jamie Baillie will be around the South Shore this afternoon. He's expected to be in Chester, Mill Village and Blockhouse. Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil will also visit the area this afternoon. He's scheduled to be in Mahone Bay and Bridgewater. Meanwhile, NDP Leader Darrell Dexter is spending today in Antigonish and Cape Breton ridings. The election will be held Tuesday.

Mustangs Host Gladiators At LCLC

The South Shore Mustangs are home to the Newbridge Academy Gladiators. The Mustangs are coming off a road loss to the Halifax McDonalds earlier this week. Both the Stangs and Gladiators are fighting for second and third place in the standings. Puck drops between the two teams at noon at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre.

Electric Car Chargers On Site At LCLC

Electric car users have a spot to plug-in at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. A handful of electrical car charging stations can be found on site; the first of their kind in Bridgewater. General Manager Kevin Benjamin says the outlets, along with a number of different items including a system that gathers rain-water to flush toilets are all working towards the facility's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design measure. Benjamin says the electric car chargers are a good investment for the site.



Benjamin says the chargers are helping the facility reach LEED Gold standards, which will help certify it as environmentally responsible and resource-efficient.

Queens: Province Recognizes Woodland Owner Of the Year

A Queens County woodland owner will be recognized by the province this weekend. Georgie and Helen Uhlman ae receiving the provincial and western region woodland owners of the year award from the Department of Natural Resources. An open house and public tours will be held Saturday afternoon at the Uhlman woodland in West Caledonia. The event takes place at 12:30. If you're interested in attending, from Bridgewater, take Exit 13 off Highway 103 and turn right onto Trunk 325. Drive 25 kilometres and then turn left onto Trunk 208. Drive about 18 kilometres and turn right onto Trunk 8. Drive about 5 kilometres, then turn left onto Hibernia Road, then turn right on West Caledonia Road. Continue for about a kilometre, turn right and watch for signs.

d'Entremont Seeks Election In Argyle-Barrington

Chris d'Entremont has been a member of the Nova Scotia Legislature for more than a decade. He's a former health minister and he's running this time for the PC's in the new riding of Argyle-Barrington. d'Entremont tells us its like everywhere else in the province. Jobs and the sluggish economy are big campaign issues in his riding.



d'Entremont's challengers for his job on election day will be Liberal Kent Blades and Kenn Baynton of the NDP.

Irwin Seeks Election For PC's In Chester-St. Margarets

Candidates in South Shore ridings will be spending a busy weekend on the campaign trail as Tuesday's election draws near. In Chester-St. Margarets, Progressive Conservative Janet Irwin is hoping her past year of hard work will pay off at the polls. She's hoping to unseat incumbent NDP MLA and cabinet minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse.



Irwin is a former journalist, spending much of her career at the CBC. Its her first run at provincial politics.

Lumberjacks In New Brunswick For Three Game Road Trip

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks travel to New Brunswick for three games in three days. The Bridgewater club is searching for their first win as they take on the Campbellton Tigers Friday evening. The Lumberjacks are winless in six starts this season, while Campbellton has yet to win in regulation. Forward Ryan Groom feels they're close to getting their first win.



The Lumberjacks will also visit Miramichi and Woodstock on their road trip. Game time tonight is 7:30pm.

One Person Injured After Two Vehicle Crash In Lilydale

One person was taken to hospital following a two-vehicle collision in Lilydale. RCMP Corporal Bill Wilcox says the incident happened around 10:45 this morning on the Northwest Road. He says it involved a car and a truck. A woman was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater with what was believed to be non life-threatening injuries. He says police are still investigating the cause.

Chester: Council Working Towards Seffernsville Name Change

What's in a name? Well, apparently an unnecessary letter. The Municipality of Chester has started a process Thursday to try and fix the name of Seffernsville. The New Ross Regional Development Society say the only family living in the area suggest it should be spelled without the second 's', as Seffernville. Warden Allen Webber says they will consult with local residents about the change.



Webber says council is interested in protecting their heritage in physical structures or names. He expects correspondence to be sent to residents in Seffernsville in the next week.

Report: Youth Leaving Lunenburg County At Alarming Rate

The Lunenburg County Community Fund has released its second report on how things are shaping up in the local area. The 2013 Vital Signs report is a follow-up from a 2010 report and provides information on critical issues concerning residents in the county including the economy, health, and housing. One of the glaring statistics deals with the amount of youth leaving the community. Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, Allison Kouzovnikov, says youth are leaving at an alarming rate.



She says there are just over 6,000 youth compared to over 10,000 seniors in the county. Kouzovnikov points to a lack of employment opportunities as a reason why youth could be leaving. The full report can be found here.

Little Change Expected In Gasoline Prices

You can expect gasoline prices on the South Shore to remain steady or perhaps fall slightly when the utility and review board sets the coming week's prices at midnight.  In New Brunswick this morning, gas is down less than a third of a cent.  Regular self-serve in New Brunswick is now sellling for about $1.26.3 per litre.

Liverpool Hosting World Junior 'A' Consolation Game

Some of the world's top junior hockey players will be in Liverpool in November. Hockey Canada along with the World Junior 'A' Challenge host committee have announced that Liverpool will host the consolation game at Queens Place Emera Centre. The game is planned for November 9 at 7pm. Tickets are now on sale for $15 at Queens Place Emera Centre or online here. It is the second consecutive year Liverpool will host a game with the World Junior 'A' Challenge after the Czech Republic beat the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks in a pre-tournament contest. This year's World Junior 'A' Challenge is scheduled for Nov. 4-10 in Yarmouth. It is the second year in a row Yarmouth will play host, the first time in the eight-year history of the event it is returning to a previous host city.

Warrant Issued For Shelburne County Man

Shelburne RCMP say a warrant has been issued for a man who was charged with abducting his baby in 2011. Corporal Nancy Mason says the Mounties are looking for 45-year-old Collin James Lawrence. He didn't show up to his Supreme Court trial earlier this week for child abduction. Mason says Lawrence isn't considered dangerous, but police are concerned and want to find him as quickly as possible.



Lawrence was arrested in 2011 near the New Brunswick border after allegedly taking his newborn child from its mother. He was released from jail on strict conditions and was scheduled for trial Monday. Police say they don't suspect Lawrence is in Nova Scotia and are pursuing a number of leads outside the province.

Lunenburg County: Police Urge Residents To Lock Cars

Lots of car hopping going on in Lunenburg County. Police want people to lock their car doors and are urging people not to leave your keys in the vehicle.  Over the past week, police have been called to 25 thefts from vehicles and seven stolen vehicles. The incidents have occurred in and around the Bridgewater area. RCMP and Bridgewater Police say the stolen vehicles were a result of the keys being left inside the car. All the thefts were a result of the vehicles being left unlocked.

Shelburne: Water Rates Could Skyrocket

Residents of Shelburne are facing a large increase on their water bill. The town has applied to the province's regulatory board for an increase because the utility is facing a $200,000 shortfall. If approved, water bills in an average household could jump from $820 per year to $1,400. It represents an increase of 70 percent. CAO Dylan Heide says the utility is in the red because consumption has declined and costs over-runs associated with a major line extension project.



Heide says the town could look at reducing the water rates once the utility is in a better financial position. The new rates could take effect on January 1st. However, no dates for a regulatory hearing have been set.

Father To Son: Holm Realty Limited Sold

A Bridgewater company is being handed down from father to son. Owner and President of Holm Realty Limited, Bob Richards, has sold the company to long-time employee Jay Richards. Bob Richards says after 40 years, he's decided to take a step back and hand the company over to his son. He says it's something that means a lot to him.



Richards says he's semi-retiring, but will continue to advise his son and sell properties. He says he will focus most of his attention on LaHave Heights II, the remaining phase of LaHave Heights currently under construction in Bridgewater.

Mustangs Face-Off Against Unbeaten McDonalds

A tall task for the South Shore Mustangs tonight in Halifax. The major midget hockey club travels to the city to play the unbeaten McDonalds. Halifax is 8-0 on the year and sit in first place, while the Mustangs are 4-2 and are in a tie for third. Puck drop is at 7pm at the Halifax Forum.

Baillie Troubled By Local Candidate Harris' Remarks

The leader of the Nova Scotia PC party is calling on the Liberal candidate in Chester-St. Margaret's to apologize following remarks at a forum in Sir John A MacDonald High School in Upper Tantallon. Tim Harris told another media outlet that candidate participation was "a lot of effort for only three votes", after three students raised there hands that were eligible to vote. Jamie Baillie says he's disappointed in the comments and feels they will discourage young people from the political process. He says the Harris' comments are troubling.



A call to Harris wasn't returned. Baillie also wants Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil to address the comments and provide an apology as well.

RCMP: Grow Operation Dismantled In Shelburne County

Police arrested a man after finding a marihauna grow operation inside a home in Shelburne County. RCMP dismantled the grow-op on Birchtown Road around 5pm yesterday evening, seizing 17 marihuana plants. A 46-year-old man was arrested and later released. He's been charged with production of marihuana and will appear in Shelburne court December 4th.

Soft Opening For LCLC Arena

The arena at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre is open for public use. General Manager Kevin Benjamin says its a soft opening, but the public are allowed to view or use the ice surface between 1pm and 11pm daily. The arena officially opened for use last Saturday. Benjamin says there's still minor work to be done.



Benjamin says the work includes touch-ups for painting, and finishing up storage and mechanical rooms. He expects the work to take another 3-4 weeks before the arena opens at full capacity.

High Liner Acquires American Pride Seafoods

A Lunenburg-based seafood company is expanding its portfolio. High Liner Foods has acquired the east coast processing operations of American Seafoods Group. The company shelled out US$34.5-million for the New Bedford, Massachusetts whitefish and scallop processing plant American Pride Seafoods. American Pride distributes frozen products to restaurants, health care and education markets in the U.S. High Liner says in a release, it will delay integrating American Pride into its U.S. operations to allow them to realize benefits from its 2011 acquisition of Icelandic USA. High Liner expects most of the cost-savings from acquiring American Pride won't be realized until 2015.

Two More Debates Set In Chester-St.Margaret's Riding

Two more debates will be held in the riding of Chester-St. Margaret's before voters head to the polls on October 8th. The first will be hosted by the Hubbards Area Business Association tonight (Tuesday). It gets underway at the Shore Club at 7 o'clock. The candidates are Tim Harris of the Liberals, incumbent Denise Peterson-Rafuse of the NDP and PC candidate Janet Irwin. Another forum will be hosted by the Chester and Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday night - that event will be held at the Chester Legion. Start time is also 7 o'clock.

Chester: Council Decides Against Night Meetings

The Municipality of Chester is moving away from holding night meetings. An online poll has been held for months, asking respondents if they wanted night meetings. Warden Allen Webber says 110 people voted. Fifty-nine people said 'no', 43 voted 'yes' and eight voters said they did not care. Webber says the poll shows there was a lack of interest from the public.



The move means the municipality will hold all council meetings during the day. Webber says he's not opposed to having council meetings at night, but he needs to hear more from the public.

MODL: Street Light Ownership Decision Rescinded

A change of heart from the Municipality of Lunenburg. Council decided in June to take over ownership of non-high mast street lights in the municipality, excluding Riverport. However, that decision has been overturned. Council has instead, reverted back to lease street lights from Nova Scotia Power. Residents will continue to pay an area rate, depending on where they live. The municipality is sending letters to the Minister of Energy and Nova Scotia Power to let them know of their decision.

ATV Meeting Held In Bridgewater

A public meeting will be held Monday night to discuss ATV use on the Centennial Trail in Bridgewater. The Central Nova ATV group is looking to be able to use the vehicles on portions of the trail. Representatives from the town of Bridgewater and the Municipality of Lunenburg are hosting the meeting. It gets underway at 6:30pm this evening at Park View Education Centre.

New Development Officer Hired In Queens

The Region of Queens has hired a new economic development officer. Richard Lane has been hired to fill the role designed to help target new business opportunities and grow the economy. The Caledonia native has owned and operated his own web development business since 1996. He is also serving as a director of the North Queens Board of Trade. Lane says there is a growing sense of opportunity and renewal in the county and he's looking forward to working with council on new initiatives.

South Shore Sports: Weekend Wrap Up

In Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League action Sunday at the LCLC, the Cape Breton West Islanders dumped the South Shore Mustangs 4-1. Keith Getson had the Stangs' lone marker. The two teams split the weekend series, as the Stangs won the opener Saturday night 3-0. Goals by Jered Scott, Ty Duffus and Scott Perry.  The locals next contest is Wednesday night when they travel to Halifax to face the unbeaten McDonalds.
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The Halifax Mooseheads got some good news Sunday. The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they are sending forward Jonathan Drouin back to Halifax. The Herd have struggled offensively this season with only 17 goals in seven games. Their record dropped to 3-4 on Sunday when they lost 2-1 to visiting Sherbrooke.
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The early season troubles continued last Friday night for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks as they fell 5-2 to the visiting Valley Wildcats. The clubs were tied at two early in the third before the Cats scored three unanswered goals. Ryan Daley and Jesse McInnis scored for the Jacks who are now winless in six starts. The team is on the road this weekend in New Brunswick with stops in Dieppe Friday night and Miramichi Saturday.

Photo: Puck Drops At Lifestyle Centre

Here's a shot of the inaugural puck drop on Saturday at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The first game at Clearwater Seafood Arena featured the South Shore Mustangs and Cape Breton West Islanders. The Mustangs dropped the Islanders 3-0.

Lunenburg: Candidates Forum Set For Wednesday

There will be an all candidates forum in the riding of Lunenburg later this week. The debate is being organized by the Riverport District Board of Trade and Mahone Bay and Area Chamber of Commerce. The candidates in the riding include incumbent Pam Birdsall of the NDP, Suzanne Lohnes-Croft for the Liberals and Brian Pickings of the Progressive Conservatives. The event will be held on Wednesday at the Riverport Community Centre. It gets underway at 7 o'clock.

Pain Killers Seized During Traffic Stop

A pair of Shelburne County residents are facing charges after police seized dozens of pain killers during a weekend traffic stop. Police made the find when they pulled over a car on Saturday afternoon on Highway 103. RCMP say they seized 60 hydromorphone capsules, marihuana and cash. A 21 year-old woman and 37 year-old man were arrested and taken into custody. They both face possession and trafficking charges.

Faulty Wiring Behind Fire In Lunenburg

It appears faulty wiring may have caused a large fire along the Lunenburg waterfront on Friday night. The fire at the Scotia Trawler building was reported around 7 o'clock. Roughly 16 fire departments attended the fire and were on scene throughout the night. Crews from Bridgewater to the Annapolis Valley helped with the fire.  The blaze isn't considered suspicious. No injuries were reported but the 80 year-old building was heavily damaged.

Bridgewater: Temporary Skate Park Approved Near LCLC

A temporary skate park will be constructed on site of the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The town of Bridgewater along with the LCLC board have agreed to the initiative. The town has signed a lease for a permanent structure, but the new facility is still in the design phase. Mayor David Walker feels a temporary park shows their behind the project.



Walker says the temporary location will be in the LCLC parking lot to Cook Road. The park will be available for use beginning in April.

Queens: Planned Power Outage At Hospital

A planned power outage will cause some service disruptions at Queens General Hospital this weekend. The outage will last for roughly an hour between 8am and 9am o'clock on Sunday morning.
South Shore Health says some services such as the X-ray unit will be affected. However, the emergency department will remain open and the inpatient medical unit will not be impacted. The power outage is part of electrical work associated with the hospital construction project. Electrical work is expected to continue throughout the day which will impact some services including X-ray.

Fire Crews Battle Lunenburg Waterfront Blaze

Sixteen Fire Departments were needed after a fire on Montague Street in Lunenburg Friday night. The blaze reportedly broke out in a three-storey building that RCMP identified as the Scotia Trawler Building near Foodland. The structure was completely engulfed in flames when emergency responders reached the scene just before 7pm. There are no injuries known at this time.

Fire officials on scene included members from Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Riverport, Blockhouse, Dayspring, Bridgewater, Oak Hill, Conquerall Bank, Chester, Northfield and Cornwall.

South Shore Mustangs Host Cape Breton West

The South Shore Mustangs host the Cape Breton West Islanders for a pair of games this weekend. The Mustangs sit at 3-1 on the young season, while the Islanders are searching for their first win. The opening game will be held Saturday evening at 8pm. The second contest is scheduled for Sunday at noon in Bridgewater.

Chester: Fundraiser Supporting PRO Kids And Junior Golfers

Two Chester groups are benefiting from a local artist's paintbrush. Sharon Boyd painted four different views around Chester Golf Club. There are 250 of each print available, with money raised going towards Chester PRO Kids and Chester Golf Club's junior programs. One of the people involved, Steve Foran, says the prints highlight some of the best views on the golf course.



Individual prints are professionally printed and pre-matted and can be purchased at the Chester Golf Club. Foran says if each print is sold, over $60,000 could be raised for the charities. More details are available here .

Lower Gasoline Prices

For the 4th week in a row, good news from the South Shore gas pumps. Prices are down again today.
Regular self serve is 2.5 cents lower, selling for $1.25.9 per litre. High test is also down by the same amount to $1.34.8. Diesel is also down to $1.30.8 per litre. The utility and review board set the new prices at midnight last night.

Bridgewater Man Going To Trial In Antigonish

A Bridgewater man will head to trial in Antigonish after an incident earlier this summer. Police charged 47-year-old Ronald Douglas Farrell with uttering threats and impaired driving following an incident at the Bayfield Wharf in June. Farrell pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this week in Antigonish court. The trial is scheduled to begin January 7, 2014.

Lunenburg West: More Than 200 Take In Debate

More than 200 people packed the Best Western to hear candidates in Lunenburg West debate local issues. Incumbent NDP candidate Gary Ramey, Mark Furey of the Liberals and PC candidate David Mitchell each took part in last night's forum. Green Party candidate Robert Pierce did not attend. The main issues were around creating local jobs, education and health care. Ramey says his party has been working on attracting doctors and reducing ER closures through establishing emergency and health centres in places like Lunenburg and Bridgewater.



Meanwhile, Mitchell wants to see improvements in the system by eliminating duplication in administration. He says the savings would be reinvested into front line health care.



Furey says the Liberals support the collaborative emergency centre model and also favour reducing the number of health boards so more money could be pumped into the system. Last night's event was hosted by the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce.

RCMP: Yarmouth Man Facing Drug-Related Charges

A Yarmouth man has been charged after police seized a number of drugs from his vehicle earlier this week. RCMP conducted a traffic stop Monday around 5:40pm on Brunswick Street. They arrested a 39-year-old man after marihuana, hydromorphone and an unknown amount of cash were found. Police also seized more marihuana at a home in Yarmouth County. The man faces several charges including possession. He's scheduled to enter a plea in Yarmouth court December 3.

Lumberjacks Lose Big In Pictou

An ugly sight in Pictou County Thursday night. The Weeks Crushers scored three goals in the first period and added seven more over the final 40 minutes to blast the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks 10-0. Cory Peterson stopped 21 of 28 shots before being replaced by Billy Clarke, who stopped nine of 12 shots the rest of the way. The Lumberjacks look to bounce back Friday night when they host the Valley Wildcats at 7pm at the Bridgewater Arena.

Provincial 4-H Event Comes To Bridgewater

Thousands of people are expected to attend this weekend's 4-H show in Bridgewater. The Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne County branches are hosting the 36th annual Nova Scotia 4-H show at the South Shore Exhibition. The show features life skills projects, tug-of-war, and livestock competitions. The event co-chair, Eva Cook, says the event is a big deal for members.



Competition opens Friday evening following the opening ceremony and will continue until noon Sunday. Admission to the event is free.

Lumberjacks Travel To Pictou To Play Crushers

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks head to Pictou County tonight still searching for their first win. The junior hockey club is winless through four games this season. Forward Josh Shatford believes the team is close to breaking through.



Pictou won the first meeting between the two teams last week. The Lumberjacks will try and return the favour when the clubs hit the ice at 7pm.

RCMP: High Risk Offender Being Released

The RCMP say a high-risk offender will be released Friday from Dorchester Penitentiary. Police says 36-year-old Shane Leon Smith will be residing in the Aylesford-area after completing a sentence for sexual assaults and other offenses. Smith has been deemed a high-risk to re-offend. The Mounties say his victims have included both boys and girls ages four to 18 years-old. RCMP say Smith will have a number of restrictions for two years including the internet, no contact with children under the age of 16 years or being within 100 meters of any public park, public swimming area, daycare center, school ground or community center.

Yarmouth: Webster Running For NDP

The NDP have found their person for the job in Yarmouth. The local riding association has nominated Charles Webster as the candidate for the upcoming provincial election October 8th. When the provincial election was called earlier this month, the NDP didn't have a person lined up to fill the void. Webster is a minister, with ties to the NDP for over 20 years. However, this is his first time running for MLA in Yarmouth. Municipal councillor John Cunningham is carrying the PC flag. Vanessa Goodwin-Clairmont will represent the Green Party. Liberal Zach Churchill is the incumbent.

Chester: Universal Sewer Rate Discussed

The Municipality of Chester is investigating the idea of creating a universal sewer rate. Warden Allen Webber says there are six areas in the municipality with public sewer systems including the Village of Chester, Mill Cove, Chester Basin, New Ross, Western Shore and Chester Acres. The village is the only area with a surplus of over $242,000, while the other five have deficits between $1,800 and more than $160,000. Webber says some people pay by flat rate, others pay by assessment and some use a hybrid system. He says they want to try and make things consistent.



Webber says no decision has been made. He says staff will provide more information to council about a phased-in approach for a universal sewer rate.

Tall Ships Fest Leaves Legacy In Shelburne

Special events, festivals and promotional projects in Shelburne County can benefit from a just-established fund. Its a 95-hundred dollar surplus resulting from the Tall Ships Festival last year. Shelburne Community and Development Manager Jerry Locke says there's a wide range of potential applicants.



For those groups requesting funding through the Tall Ships Shelburne Legacy Fund, you can apply to the Town of Shelburne by mail or on-line. There is no application form. For the complete Tall Ships Legacy Fund Guidelines and contact information use the following link: http://tiny.cc/6ee1ww

Gasoline Prices May Fall Again Tonight

Look for South Shore gas prices to drop yet again overnight tonight. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will likely follow New Brunswick's lead where prices are down today nearly 3 cents a litre for regular self-serve to $126.5. It’s the third straight weekly decrease with most stations selling in the $1.22 to $1.23 range. Diesel in New Brunswick is down 3 cents per litre with furnace oil falling by 2.6 cents and propane has increased just under a cent per litre.