Queens County Man Found Guilty of Child Luring

A Queens County man will be sentenced later this month for luring a child.

Richard Austin Maclean of Wellington Road, Greenfield pleaded guilty in Halifax Provincial Court Yesterday.

Between October 14th and November 1st Maclean made contact with a undercover police officer posing as a fifteen year-old girl.

Maclean was arrested in the parking lot of the Bloomfield Center in Halifax as he sat waiting for a meeting with the girl.

Chris Hansen of the Public Prosecution Service says its premature to speculate on his sentencing.

But says Maclean's lack of a prior record and his level of remorse for the crime, will play a role.

Maclean will be due back in court for sentencing on November 1st.

OPPOSITION GROWS TO HIGHWAY 103 CONNECTOR FOR ST. MARGARET'S BAY

A growing number of residents in the St. Margaret's Bay area are becoming increasingly alarmed by the province's proposed connector road to highway 103.
The transportation department has selected 5 possible locations for the route and expects to decide soon which one is best.
The budget for the project is 10-million dollars.
Many residents in the area are opposed to any connector being built thats going to gobble up properties.
They're calling for a referendum to settle the issue.
Residents have shown their opposition to the connector since they first learned it was in the planning process with a write-in campaign to the Transportation Minister and a public meeting in Black Point earlier this summer which attracted several hundred people.

Egging in Bridgewater

A Bridgewater residence has egg on their facade.

a Brook street home was egged last night around 10;30 pm.

Police say a small vehicle was heard accelerating away from the residence.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Bridgewater Police or Crime Stoppers.

The house was not damaged in the incident.

RCMP Report an Increase in Break and Enters

Break and Enters are on the rise in Lunenburg County.

Comparing reports from news years day until the end of July in 2009 to the same six-month period for this year, shows an increase of 19.6 percent.

Staff Sergeant Bruce Hill says two major factors encourage people to commit these crimes.

Convenience and addictions.

“A person may see something unattended and ma y use that occasion to commit a break and enter,or enter a house or a building and take something. We also find a lot of break and enters are related to the use prescription and non-prescription drugs,” says Hill.

The most items most commonly stolen include jewelry and electronics.

Hill says many of these items are easily sold to friends or traded at pawn shops, no questions asked.

He says people can protect themselves from theft by securing their homes with locks and alarms and keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood.

One-hundred and thirty-four break and enters have taken place in the county so far this year.

A figure, Hill says is comparable with other regions throughout the province.

Woman Held Captive by Welchtown Man

Shelburne County RCMP say they received an unusual call early this morning.

Sergeant Barry MacLellan explains.

“Members of our detachment received a 9-1-1 call that there was a woman being held against her will in a residence in Welchtown,” says MacLellan.

The twenty-seven year old woman was allegedly forced from her vehicle and held at knife point inside the home for several hours.

RCMP responded to the call at approximately three o'clock in the morning and the woman was able to flee the home, unharmed.

A thirty year-old man was found asleep inside and arrested without incident.

The accused faces charges of assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and sexual assault in Yarmouth Provincial Court today.

Maclellan says this was an unusual incident for local Mounties.

“It's not something we normally respond to. It's considered an isolated incident in this area,” says MacLellan.

Fire at Bull's Head Wharf

A suspicious fire at Bull's Head Wharf in Stoney Island, Cape Sable Island has sparked a police investigation.

The fire destroyed a bait shed and extensively damaged a nearby storage building.

Island and Barrington Passage Fire Department responded to the call at 12:30 this morning.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Barrington Detachment or Crime Stoppers.

Theft on Prince Street

Bridgewater Police are investigating a theft.

A large quantity of cash was taken from a Prince Street residence on Friday.

According to police the crime took place between 10am and 2pm.

Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact the Bridgewater detachment or the Crime Stoppers hotline.

Thief at Bridgewater Mall

Bridgewater Police are seeking help from the public in an investigation.

An unknown male came into Cardinal Fire and Safety outlet in the Bridgewater Mall and took a large sum of money from the till.

The male then departed the mall with a female companion.

The crime took place on the evening of August 4th at approximately 10 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bridgewater Police or Crime Stoppers.

Barrington Man Faces Child Pornagraphy Charges

A thirty three year old man was arrested and charged with accessing child pornography on Friday.

He has been released on numerous conditions.

He must remain in Nova Scotia, notify Barrington RCMP of any changes in address or employment and not possess any form of pornography.

He is also barred from unsupervised contact with individuals under the age of eighteen or accessing the Internet outside of work.

The charges come after an investigation by the Barrington detachment , the Atlantic Region Integrated Tech Crime Unit and Nova Scotia Internet Child Exploitation Unit of the RCMP.

The man is due in Barrington Provincial court on October 14th

Fire on North King Street

Lunenburg County RCMP are investigating a fire at the parking lot of South Shore Truck Centre along North King Street in Lower Branch.

The Northfield District Fire Department and the Bridgewater Fire Department responded to the call at approximately 10:45 p.m. on Sunday.

The fire destroyed two semi tractors and damaged a third.

Staff Sergeant Bruce Hill says the cause of the fire is still not known to police.

"One of the leads were following up (on) is that the fire may have been caused by a malfunction of one of the vehicles. But it's still under investigation," says Hill.

Investigators are asking anyone anyone who may witnessed the fire before the authorities arrived to contact Bridgewater Police or Crime Stoppers.

Firearms and Drug Charges Pending

Two males are facing numerous charges after a routine traffic checkpoint on highway 331 in Petite Riviere.

RCMP and members of the South Shore Traffic Services arrested two occupants of a vehicle on Friday.

A search of a vehicle resulted in seizure of a small amount of marijuana and sawed-off 12 gauge shotgun.

the youth and adult were held in custody and then released to appear in court at a later date.

There a pending charges against both, including firearms offences, possession of a controlled substance and breaching court orders.

The investigation continues.

Vandalism in Chester

The Lunenburg District RCMP are investigating acts of vandalism on Water Street in Chester.

Eight vehicles had their drivers side mirrors damaged in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Lilydale RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

History on Stage

Lunenburg History will come alive on stage this Wednesday. Glimpses: a look at history through scene and song, will be performed live onstage at Empire Theatres, in Bridgewater,August 25, 7:30 p.m. Glimpses is the second production of the recently-formed Bridgewater & Area Performing Arts Society. The Society was established to promote the performing arts on the South Shore. The August 25 production of Glimpses an expanded version of the show that first appeared at the Fisheries Museum in Lunenburg, in 2008.

LUNENBURG FIRE INJURES ONE PERSON

One person was sent to hospital this morning (Friday) suffering smoke inhalation as a result of a house fire in Lunenburg.
The fire caused extensive damage to the building, located in the middle of the downtown heritage district.
Lunenburg fire-fighters were aided in battling the blaze by fire-fighters and a "pumper"-truck from the Mahone Bay department and a "rig"-team from the Dayspring and District Fire Department.
The Bridgewater Fire Department sent personel to stand-by at the Lunenburg Fire House.
Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control within an hour or so.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause.

Keji Managment Plan

Establishing a Mi’kmaq advisory committee and redevelopment of Jeremy's Bay Campground are two of the priorities in a management plant for Kejimkujik National Park .The management plan has now been tabled in Parliament .
The management plan was developed through extensive public consultation and input from many people and organizations, including the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia, local residents, visitors and stakeholders. Management plans are the primary accountability documents for the management of protected heritage places under Parks Canada’s care and will provide clear direction for the management and operations of the park for the next 10 to 15 years. The Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site Management Plan is available on the Parks Canada website at:http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/plan.aspx

Boathouse Vandalized

RCMP are looking for a couple of youths believed to be responsible for vandalizing a boathouse in Marriott's Cove . The property damage happened sometime between noon and 1 pm on Wednesday August 18th. A window was broken during the incident and patio furniture was thrown into the harbour. The suspects are described as two boys between the ages of 11 and 12, and were said to be riding black bicycles.

Goin Green Saturday

Growing Green...is the theme of a Sustainability Festival being hosted by the Town of Bridgewater on Saturday, August 21st. Together with the Farmer's Market and the Bridgewater Century Ride, the Festival is planning activities and entertainment on King Street from 8:30 am to 3:30 p.m. Sustainability Planner Leon de Vreede says the festival will be a "Family Friendly" sustainable event which hopes to leave a lasting positive "green" impression on the community long after it is over.

VANDALS TARGET SCENIC CLARK'S HARBOUR BOARDWALK

RCMP in Barrington are trying to track down those responsible for vandalism along the boardwalk.
Several light poles and fixtures have been targetted causing substantial damage.
Investigators have no suspects and they're seeking public help in finding them.

ANOTHER SOUTH SHORE ISLAND HEADED FOR FULL PROTECTION

A South Shore coastal conservancy group has bought half of an island and hopes to be able to buy the rest so that West Ironbound Island will be protected forever.
The 57-hectare island is off the tip of Gaff Point, south of Lunenburg, and went on the market two years ago.
The group tried to buy it last year, but John Campbell of the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy says it withdrew its bid when it couldn't raise enough money.
But he says an anonymous buyer came forward, bought the island, and then sold half of it to the conservancy for $775,000.
He has given the community group an option to buy the other half if it can raise the $775,000 by Dec. 20, 2011.
The island was first mapped by Samuel de Champlain in 1604 and initially settled in 1765 as a fishing outport.

TENTATIVE AGREEMENT IN FARMERS DAIRY DISPUTE

A labor dispute between Farmers Dairy and its unionized workers may be coming to an end.
A tentative agreement has been reached between the company and Local 40N of the Communications and Energy Paperworkers Union.
Workers at Local 40N, including those on the South Shore, have been off the job since July 10.
Farmers claims it was a strike but the workers say they were locked out.
Details of the tentative agreement will be outlined to the workers before they vote on the package in the next few days.