Bridgewater's McIntosh Finishes Fourth In Holland

Bridgewater's Rachael McIntosh is back in Canada after a fourth place finish in a women's heptathlon event in Holland. McIntosh competed in the 11th International Meeting of Combined Events against some of Europe's top heptathletes. The 22-year-old narrowly missed out on the bronze medal. She finished with a total of 5,443 points, only 48 behind third place. McIntosh won the 800 metre run and finished third in the 200 metre run and shot put. (Photo Courtesy of Fiona Clark)

Belliveau Selected As NDP Candidate In Queens-Shelburne

Fisheries and Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau will be the NDP candidate in Queens-Shelburne for the next provincial election.  He was chosen at a nominating meeting last night in Liverpool.  Belliveau says he's inheriting a legacy of community service by retiring MLA Vicki Conrad.



Belliveau was unopposed for the nomination.  He says some of the issues in the riding in the upcoming election campaign will include jobs, aquaculture, health care and seniors programs. Belliveau also says he's proud to have helped the area re-group after the closure of Bowater.  As a result of electoral boundary changes, his present riding of Shelburne has been split in two parts, Queens-Shelburne (in which he will be running) and Argyle-Barrington.

Province Adding Relief Staff To Adult Day Centres

Four South Shore agencies are among 29 groups soon to benefit from staffing improvements in adult centres for persons with disabilities. The province announced roughly $900,000 in annual funding to provide relief staff in the centres when regular workers are sick or need to be away. The money will go towards salaries for relief staff and kicks-in January 1, 2014. Minister of Community Services, Denise Peterson-Rafuse, says its an initiative she's been working on for over a year.



Local groups that will benefit include The Ark in Bridgewater, Penny Lane Enterprises in Queens, the Shelburne Association Supporting Inclusion and Kaye Nickerson Adult Service Centre in Yarmouth.

Lunenburg Academy's Future In Question

The mayor of Lunenburg says the town has to regroup when it comes to the future of Lunenburg Academy. A plan to host a graduate school for music, starting this fall, has been scaled back after funding sources fell through. The program was looking for roughly $4.6-million to cover start-up fees and three-year initiation period for the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, or LAMP. Rachel Bailey is optimistic they can find a solution.



Bailey says the town is providing roughly $250,000 in this year's budget for operating costs and capital repairs. She says council will meet to discuss options in the near future.

Bridgewater: Tickets/Fines If Caught With Grass? Maybe

If you're caught with a joint or a dime baggie full of grass you might be slapped with a ticket and fine. Canada's Police Chiefs are suggesting it might be the way to move forward after they supported the motion during a meeting last week in Winnipeg. John Collyer of Bridgewater Police says it would still leave the door open to proceed with criminal charges depending on how much pot the person has on them. He says by issuing a ticket, like they do for open liquor, it could give his members more time on the streets and in the community to deal with other matters.



However, Collyer was quick to point out, police do not support the legalization of marihuana. Police still have to work with government to amend legislation in order for the change to take affect.

Liverpool: Strike Vote At Queens Manor

Nursing home workers in Liverpool can legally go on strike. The 56 members of CUPE local 2648 at Queens Manor have voted 98 percent in favour of the action. The main issue deals with sick leave. The workers can strike after 48 hours notice to the Minister of Labour. However, both sides have agreed to bring in a conciliator to resume talks. A date hasn't been set for the talks. Unionized staff at the manor include continuing care assistants, cooks, licensed practical nurses and personal care workers.

Lumberjacks Make Cuts At Training Camp

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have trimmed down their training camp roster. The Junior hockey club released five players following last night's inter-squad game including Josh Bowman, Ryan Campbell, Alex Rawding, Zack Foster and goaltender Dylan Frank. The cuts aren't the first to be made as Joel Cleveland, Brandon Barrett and Tim LaFleur were left go following opening ice times in Liverpool over the weekend. Owner Ken Petrie also revealed this morning that Josh Fitzgerald is heading back to Newfoundland to complete his grade 12 and play major midget. The cuts leave 33 players at training camp. The team has an off day today before players return to the ice in Bridgewater Wednesday.

Chester: Group Given December Target For Lordly Park

The Chester Municipal Heritage Society is on the clock to raise money to keep a section of Lordly Park. Proponents with the group asked municipal council to delay a decision to a later date regarding a parcel of land at the corner of Union and Prince streets. The society agreed to pay $80,000 to purchase the property. Warden Allen Webber says the group has struggled to meet its commitment.



The municipality indicated they would sell the property for another use, but community members opposed that idea, and want to keep the entire park as public space. A group of residents have agreed to match funding. The society has until December to raise enough money.

Baseball: NS Teams Miss Podium At National Events

A number of local baseball players have returned home empty-handed from national events. Aiden O'Brien, Zach Zinck, Ryan O'Toole, Cameron MacPherson, Nathan McCarthy and coach Dennis Woodworth from the Bridgewater Baseball Association represented Nova Scotia at the Bantam Boys Championships in Vaughn, Ontario. They lost to Ontario in the semis before suffering a 5-1 defeat to Quebec in the bronze medal match to finish fourth. It's Nova Scotia's best finish ever in the tournament's history. In girl's play at the under-16 invitational in Bedford, Bridgewater's Mackenzie Dimmell led Nova Scotia to a fifth place finish after beating Alberta 13-8.

Bridgewater: MLA's Set For Funding Announcement

South Shore MLA's will be in Bridgewater for a funding announcement Tuesday afternoon. Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse will unveil details of new money to help adults with disabilities. The event will be held at 1 o'clock at the Ark in Bridgewater. Both Lunenburg area MLA's Gary Ramey and Pam Birdsall will be on hand for the event. The Ark is located on King Street and gives those with disabilities employment opportunities and a place to grow.

Bridgewater, MODL Explore Joint Birthday Celebrations

The Municipality of Lunenburg and town of Bridgewater are exploring the option of celebrating their birthdays together next spring. Bridgewater turns 115 years-old next February while the District of Lunenburg is 135 years-old in April. Bridgewater's mayor recently sent a letter to Don Downe, asking the municipality to celebrate the occasions on one day. Downe says working with the town is a good option.



Downe hopes birthday celebrations could be held in communities throughout the municipality. The idea will go to committee for further discussion.

Fisheries Minister Seeks Nod In Queens-Shelburne

New Democrats in the new riding of Queens-Shelburne will officially nominate their candidate tomorrow. Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau is seeking the nomination for the governing NDP. He is unopposed. Belliveau has represented residents of Shelburne since he was first elected in 2006. He was also twice elected as Warden of the Municipality of Barrington. The nomination meeting will be held at Queens Place in Liverpool at 7 o'clock.

Canadians Sweep Dory Races In Lunenburg

It was a complete sweep for Canadian rowers at the the International Dory Races in Lunenburg. Local rowers captured victories in every event they raced in over the weekend. Races were held along the waterfront in Junior, Senior, Women's, Over 40 and Co-ed division. In the "Over-40" Lockeport’s Danny Moody and Walter Nickerson finished in a time of just over six minutes and 15 seconds. It's the last year for that division as race officials have agreed to change to an over-50 style event beginning next year. It was the 61st running of the International Dory Races. Canada won the first leg of the competition in Gloucester, Massachusetts by winning two of the three races in June.

Former NS Health Minister Calls For Better ER Staff Recruitment

There were a couple of emergency room closures over the weekend at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg.  As with all the other ER closures at Fishermen's, this latest one was also a result of a staff shortage.  Former Tory Health Minister and Argyle MLA, Chris d'Entremont, says a shakeup is needed in the system, especially when it comes to emergency rooms and who's available to work.



d'Entremont says the health care system needs to be overhauled to make it more cost-efficient and able to meet the medical needs of all Nova Scotians.

McIntosh Wraps Up Heptathlon Season In Netherlands

Bridgewater's Rachael McIntosh has one last heptathlon scheduled for the summer season. She's in the Netherlands for the International Combined Events meet, fresh off her gold medal win at the Summer Games. In an email interview, McIntosh says she's hoping to achieve a personal best. The 22-year-old is ranked fifth heading into the event. McIntosh begins competing Saturday.

Baseball: Boys Remain Undefeated, Girls Beat Ontario

Ryan O'Toole doubled and scored a pair of runs to lead Nova Scotia to its third straight win at the boys bantam baseball nationals. The Bridgewater native led the team with two hits in a 10-6 win over Newfoundland Friday morning. Nova Scotia sits atop their group with a 3-0 record. They play Saskatchewan later tonight. On the girls side in Bedford, Nova Scotia got their first 'W' after dumping Ontario 8-6. They're on the field against Alberta at 7pm tonight.

How Seniors Can Avoid Being Targeted By Scammers

A warning for South Shore seniors. A a man has been busted by police in British Columbia, after five years of being on the run and allegedly bilking hundreds of Canadian seniors out of their life savings.  Known as the "Nephew Bandit", 57 year old Richard Rupert was featured recently on "America's Most Wanted" after scores of seniors reported they were the victims of a man claiming he was a long, lost relative needing money. Here in our area, Jill Atkinson of the Better Business Bureau says similar incidents known as the "grand-parents scam" have been reported in recent years. She says many seniors are vulnerable to attacks on their personal information and money and are easy targets of fraudsters.



Atkinson has some tips for seniors on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud. She says seniors should never disclose their personal information to strangers, they should inform their grown-up children, friends or neighbors if they suspect something, don't keep cash or valuables at home and if they feel they're being targeted and victimized by a scammer, contact police right away.  By the way, as for Rupert, the alleged fraudster caught on the West Coast he was arrested at a Vancouver hospital where he was receiving medical treatment, allegedly under a false name.  A hospital worker apparently saw the episode on "America's Most Wanted" and recognized him.

Lunenburg Hosts Second Leg Of International Dory Races

Pride will be on the line this weekend as the second leg of the 61st Annual International Dory Races will be held in Lunenburg. Rowers from the South Shore will represent Canada against their American counterparts along the town's waterfront. Canada won the first leg of the competition in Gloucester, Massachusetts by winning two of the three races in June. Canadian competitor Markus Schmidt says he's ready to race in front of the home crowd.



The competition will be held, starting at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. Competing for Canada will be as follows:

Women's - Gail Atkinson and Kathryn Moore

Men's - Joel George and Markus Schmidt

The over-40 competition - Danny Moody and Walter Nickerson

Junior - John Ernst and Thomas Stuart

Co-ed - Kelly George and Robert Fox.

South Shore Gas Prices Increase

If you need to top-up your vehicle's gas tank today, it will cost you more!  Its no real surprise that prices are up at South Shore pumps. (They increased in New Brunswick as well a day earlier by similar amounts.)  Regular self serve increased almost two cents overnight here. Its selling this morning at South Shore gas stations for $1.36.5 per litre. High test gasoline is also higher by a similar amount.  Diesel is up by two cents as well.  In case you're wondering "why", the world price of oil has been creeping up in recent days and costing more for refiners. Yesterday alone, oil gained $1.18 to stand at $105.03 (US) per barrel. Analysts predict the trend will likely continue for a few days.

Baseball: Boys Undefeated, Girls Winless At Nationals

A great start for team Nova Scotia at the Bantam Boys National Baseball Championships in Vaughn, Ontario. The club is 2-0 after a 5-4 win in their opening game over New Brunswick. They continued their solid play with a 10-0 win against PEI. The team features five players and a coach from the Bridgewater Baseball Association. Nova Scotia is scheduled to play Newfoundland and Labrador Friday morning. Meanwhile, the girls got off on the wrong foot at their under-16 national event in Bedford. They lost to Quebec 8-5 and B.C. 2-1. Bridgewater's Mackenzie Dimmell struggled at the plate, going hitless in both games. The girls play Ontario at noon Friday.