New Tenant At Former Centre School

The Fisheries Marine Museum has struck a deal with the Municipality of Lunenburg to lease the former Centre Consolidated school. The museum signed a two-year lease with an option to extend the contract. The deal is expected to save the municipality $128,000 in operating costs over the two years. Mayor Don Downe says it's a win-win situation.



Downe says the museum is expected to use about 75% of the school's space for storage, office and educational purposes. He expects the museum to start moving into the school once the tourist season winds down.

MODL Receives Cheque For PRO Kids

The Municipality of Lunenburg has received a cheque for $2415.00 for the PRO Kids program in the local area. The fundraising efforts were led by Mary Jayne Veinot, who organized events like a silent auction with items from Olympian Jenna Martin to help raise money for the initiative. The program helps children from low-income families a chance to participate in sports. Nick Foley, Kaylen Bruce and Mayor Don Downe are also in the picture.

MODL Purchases Land On Big Tancook Island

The Municipality of Lunenburg has acquired a small parcel of land on Big Tancook Island. Mayor Don Downe says the municipality spent $1,800 to buy the property from the Federal Government. The land is around 4,000 square feet and located near the old government wharf in Southwest Cove. Downe says it's a good purchase.



The land will eventually be turned into a park with picnic tables and benches. He hopes work will begin on transforming the property at some point next year. Downe says the municipality will partner with the community to develop and manage the site.

LeBlanc Facing New Charges - Appears In Court

Mounties have laid five new charges against David James LeBlanc after leading police on a weeklong man hunt which ended last week in northern Ontario. The 47 year-old is facing seven charges in total including forcible confinement, two counts of sexual assault, kidnapping, uttering threats, breach of conditions and administering a noxious substance. He made his first court appearance this morning in a Bridgewater courtroom. LeBlanc looked frail, walked with a limp and wore bandages around his frostbitten feet. His feet suffered significant damage while he was on the run near Thunder Bay. When police picked him up, LeBlanc was walking on a logging road with no shoes in near freezing temperatures. Leblanc was ordered to appear in court again on October 23rd. He will remain in police custody in Halifax.

Former Shelburne Mayor Wants Job Back

P.G. Comeau

There will be two debates this evening (Oct 9) in separate communities along the South Shore. The first is in Shelburne where residents will hear from all four candidates vying for the mayor`s seat in an open forum. Incumbent Al Delaney is being challenged by P.G. Comeau, Robert Sinden and Karen Mattatall. The debate gets underway at 7PM at the Shelburne Community Centre.
----
One of the candidates for mayor in Shelburne is a familiar face to the office. P.G. Comeau is a former mayor. He says one of the biggest issues ahead for the community is electoral boundaries. Comeau believes the recent report by the commission which suggests Argyle become part of the constituency of Barrington and a part of Shelburne become part of Queens would be a mistake.



Meanwhile, the eight candidates seeking one of six seats on town council in Mahone Bay will also debate the issues tonight. The debate will be held at the Mahone Bay Fire Hall starting at 7:30pm.

Court Appearance This Morning For LeBlanc In Bridgewater

47 year old David James LeBlanc is expected to make his first court appearance today in Bridgewater since his arrest more than a week ago. LeBlanc is charged with forcible confinement and sexual assault in connection with an incident in Upper Chelsea where a 16 year-old boy claims he was held captive and sexually assaulted for nearly two weeks. LeBlanc was arrested on September 30th in northern Ontario.
When police picked him up, he was found walking on a logging road with no shoes and little clothing in near freezing temperatures. He spent nearly four days in hospital recovering from frostbite and was flown back to Halifax in a police airplane on Friday. The body of his co-accused, Wayne Cunningham, was found near an abandoned vehicle on October 3rd, not far from where LeBlanc was arrested.

Bridgewater Boy Run Over By Car

No word this morning on the condition of a four-year-old boy, run over by a car on the weekend in Bridgewater. It happened on Deepwood Crescent when a car rolled backwards and over the boy. Police say two youths were seen near the vehicle before it suddenly moved. The boy was apparently alert after the incident, was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital and then flown to the IWK in Halifax. No charges have been laid but the police investigation is continuing.

This Morning's Local News, Sports & Weather - Oct 9

Here is this morning's South Shore News, Sports and Weather.
(Click on arrow below to listen)

Retired Administrator Runs For School Board

Nearly three decades of work with the local school board isn't enough for Jerome Tanner. He's running for the town of Bridgewater's seat on the board after spending time as the board's director of finance before retiring in 2009. Tanner believes he's the right person for the job.



Tanner says declining enrolment and reduced funding are the two biggest issues affecting the school board. He's running against Cheryl Fougere for the town of Bridgewater's lone seat on school board.

Bridgewater Named Baseball Association Of The Year

Bridgewater Baseball has been named 'Association of the Year' by Baseball Nova Scotia. The club had another stand out year with two local teams representing the town at the Eastern Canadian Championships. The Bridgewater club's placed first and third respectively. President Dennis Woodworth says the award means a lot to him and the community.



Bridgewater's Mark Phillips also received major player of the year honours. Baseball Nova Scotia's awards banquet is October 27 in Halifax.

Election: Debates Heat Up Campaign Trial

There will be two debates this evening in separate communities along the South Shore. The first goes in Shelburne where residents will hear from all four candidates vying for the mayor`s seat in an open forum. Incumbent Al Delaney is being challenged by P.G. Comeau, Robert Sinden and Karen Mattatall. The debate gets underway at 7PM from the Shelburne Community Centre.Meanwhile, the eight candidates seeking one of six seats on town council in Mahone Bay will also debate the issues tonight. The debate will be held at the Mahone Bay Fire Hall and will begin at 7o'clock. Municipal elections will be held on October 20th.

MHL Trade: Lumberjacks Acquire Blueline Help

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have made a big move to shore up their blueline. The local Junior A hockey club has dealt former first round pick Damon MacEachern to the Metro Shipbuilders for 18-year old defenceman Brandon Leonardo. The Jacks also get a fifth round pick in the 2013 draft and a seventh round pick in 2014. The six foot one inch, 190 pound Leonardo was a fourth round selection by Woodstock two years ago. The Lantz native has a goal and an assist in nine games this year. MacEachern has just three points in eight games this season after registering only 17 points a year ago. The Lumberjacks next game is Friday night when they welcome Dieppe.

Bridgewater: Leblanc Set To Appear Before Judge

The first court appearance since the arrest of 47 year-old David James Leblanc will be held on Tuesday morning in Bridgewater. Leblanc is charged with forcible confinement and sexual assault in connection with an incident in Upper Chelsea, Lunenburg County where a 16 year-old boy claims he was held captive and sexually assaulted for nearly two weeks. Leblanc was arrested on September 30th in northern Ontario. When police picked him up, he was found walking on a logging road with no shoes and little clothing in near freezing temperatures. He spent nearly four days in hospital recovering from frostbite and was flown back to Halifax in a police airplane on Friday. The body of his co-accused, Wayne Cunningham, was found near an abandoned vehicle on October 3rd,  not far from where Leblanc was arrested.

South Shore Hockey Scores: MHL/Major Midget

A three-goal third period carried Woodstock to a 7-4 win over the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks in MHL action yesterday. The Slammers were holding a slim 4-3 lead entering the final frame. Shawn Boudreau and Luc Ramey each tallied a goal and and assist for the visiting Lumberjacks who gave up four power play markers. The Jacks return to home ice this Friday night when they host Dieppe.

In Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League action in Port Hood the Cape Breton Islanders completed a weekend sweep of the South Shore Mustangs with a 7-6 overtime win. Jordan Messenger led the Stangs with a goal and two assists. 

Accused In Chain's Case To Appear In Bridgewater Court

Mounties say a man facing charges of sexually assaulting and confining a teenage boy will return to later this afterrnoon. Sergeant Alain LeBlanc says 47-year-old David James Leblanc will be returned to the province from Ontario sometime after 5 o'clock via a police airplane. He says Leblanc will appear in court in Bridgewater on Tuesday. Leblanc was arrested Sunday in northern Ontario and was reported to be suffering from frostbite. Police confirmed yesterday that the body of his co-accused, 31-year-old Wayne Alan Cunningham, was found in a wooded area close to where he was arrested. Mounties launched an investigation last week after a woman reported that a partially naked boy showed up at her doorstep in Upper Chelsea with his wrists and ankles bound.

Lunenburg: No Doctors Force Weekend ER Closure

The emergency department will be temporarily closed over the Thanksgiving long-weekend. Officials says the closure will begin on Saturday afternoon at 2:30PM. The ER will remain closed until Monday morning at 7:30AM. The closure is due to a lack of physicians. Anyone requiring emergency services is advised to call 911 or visit the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater. Patients with non-emergencies should contact their family physician or call Health Link 811 for medical advice.

Yarmouth Man Faces Child Porn Charges

A Yarmouth man is facing child porn charges after police raided a home earlier this week. Mounties seized five computers, two cameras, two cell phones, a video camera, floppy disks and USB drives after they conducted a search of a home on Thursday. Police say 53 year-old James Gordon McRae has been charged with possession of child pornography. He's due in court next April. The RCMP encouraging members of the public to report any suspected child sexual exploitation to local police or cybertip.ca.

Loss Of Full Time Jobs, Worrisome Signals: NS Liberal Leader

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil

It's a jobs report that was full of surprises. Statistic Canada says an eye-popping 52,100 jobs were added last month -- five times more than economists expected. But in another surprise, the unemployment rate inched up a tenth of a point to 7.4 because more than 72,000 people joined the work force. Here in this province, the jobless rate is down about one percentage point from August. However, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the numbers were buoyed a bit by part- time and seasonal jobs that came along midway through the summer. He says close to 9,000 jobs have been lost province-wide in the past year, several thousand of them on the South Shore, and many of them, young people. McNeil says there's a tidal wave of young people leaving to go elsewhere to find work.



McNeil predicts the loss of so many full-time jobs will accelerate. He says that, combined with the employment troubles facing youth, are worrying economic signals.

Four Hurricane Players Named To Team NS

Four Western Hurricane hockey players have been selected to represent Nova Scotia at the Atlantic Challenge Cup this weekend in Moncton. The event features the top players from New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for a weekend of competition at the Under-14 and Under-15 age groups. Chester's Jacob Myra made the Under-14 squad. Yarmouth's Colby Muise, Barrington's Christopher Goreham and Bridgewater's Keith Getson cracked the under-15 roster.

No Date Yet For Suspect's Return To NS

Police say they are still trying to determine when a man wanted in connection with an alleged sexual assault and confinement case in Lunenburg County will be returned to the province from northern Ontario. Sgt. Alain LeBlanc of the RCMP says David Leblanc will be returned when he is medically fit following his arrest Sunday. He says the body of Wayne Cunningham -- a co-accused in the case -- was identified yesterday.



Foul play is not suspected in Cunningham's death.  His body was discovered Wednesday night along a logging road in northern Ontario. Police allege Cunningham and Leblanc held a 16-year-old boy against his will and sexually assaulted him over several days in a house in Upper Chelsea before fleeing to Ontario.