Three People Face Drug Charges In Pleasantville

RCMP have arrested three people after searching a home on New Cumberland Road near Pleasantville. Police entered the home Tuesday morning seizing 80 marihuana plants, a quantity of processed marihuana, and eight long guns that were improperly stored. A 54-year-old woman, 57-year-old man and a 56-year-old man, all from the Pleasantville area, are facing charges of production and possession of marihuana. The 57-year-old man will also be charged with firearm-related offences. They will appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court at a later date.

Chester Race Week Begins

It's hailed as Canada's largest keel boat regatta. Over 130 boats are expected to make a splash in the water at the Chester Yacht Club for Race Week from Wednesday until Saturday. Local competitors from Bridgewater, Lunenburg and LaHave are in the field as well as others across the province and Saint John, New Brunswick and Charlottetown, PEI. Boats will race around four different courses including the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Yacht Club Commodore Randy Stevens says the event should provide some spin-offs to the area.



Live entertainment is also provided for people once the races are complete. More details can be found at http://chesterraceweek.com/.

Chester Race Week: Pub Night Changes

There are some changes this year in the way the traditional pub nights are held during "Race Week". Live music will be shut down nightly at 1AM this year. Organizers of the event and municipal council in Chester reached common ground on the issue during a meeting in March. The change is in response to numerous concerns and noise complaints raised by people who live near the Yatch Club - which is the main venue for evening after party's during "Race Week". Guests are still permitted on the property until 2AM.

Bluenose II: Dome Tear Down Almost Complete

 

The massive dome covering the Bluenose II during its rebuild in Lunenburg is nearly dismantled. The temporary shelter has protected the schooner during its restoration over the last two years on the Lunenburg waterfront. The tear down, signals a major step in the process towards re-launching the vessel. After the dome is removed, Bluenose II needs to be moved to the slipway in preparation for the relaunch. Further prep work and tide conditions will then play a large factor in determining when the vessel returns to the water. The schooner is expected to be completely rigged towards the end of the year and ready for public sailing next summer.

Bridgewater Police In Need Of New Radio System

The next step for a new radio system for municipal police will go through a call for proposals. Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer spoke to town council Monday night about the desperate need for a new system. Collyer says they are in need of a more modern radio system.



Collyer says they experienced a number of failures with their system in June and need to replace it as soon as possible. The police service has set aside $30,000 to replace the current model. Collyer is hopeful the new system can be purchased for under $40,000.

Opposition Leaders Concerned About Latest Electoral Boundaries Commission Hearings

The province's electoral boundaries commission brings its latest series of public meetings to the South Shore this evening. If its anything like the session in Yarmouth yesterday, it will be a boisterous one. The province's opposition parties are against these latest meetings, re-visiting territory largely covered by the commission months ago. It recommended in its initial report, keeping the 4 protected ridings of Argyle, Clare, Richmond and Preston. However, the Dexter government then ordered the commission to re-write its report saying it didn't stick to its original terms of reference. PC leader Jamie Baillie says thats just wrong.




Meanwhile, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says losing the four "protected" ridings would be an irreparable loss.



Tonight's meeting begins at 6 o'clock at the Bridgewater Best Western. The commission's final report is expected August 31st.

MODL: Veinot Re-offering For District 8

There will be a candidate race for District 8 in the Municipality of Lunenburg. John Veinot has announced he will seek re-election after spending 18 years as councillor. He has served the district from 1988 to 1997 and again from 2003 until now. Veinot says it took some time to make the decision.



Veinot says he wants to keep working on reducing the municipal debt. Dan Hennessey has also announced his intention to run in the district.

Too Many Unsecured Dollars Going To Big Corporations: McNeil

The province's NDP government promised, prior to being elected three years ago, to create 2 thousand jobs a year. However, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says that promise fizzled in the early-going and now close to 8-thousand jobs have been lost. He says much of the problem has been created by the government handing out millions of dollars in un-secured grants and subsidies.


McNeil says 5 large corporations, including Bowater Mersey owner Resolute Forest Products, have received or were promised funds by the Dexter government and have ended up laying off a total of almost 11-hundred workers. In Bowater's case, the entire operation was closed for good throwing 320 people out of work.

Acadia First Nation's Well-Paid Chief & Councillors

The chief and band councillors of the Acadia First Nation are being challenged to explain their salaries and expenses. Acadia represents aboriginals living along the South Shore to Yarmouth. Last year, the band quietly reduced the annual salaries of chief and council after complaints from its membership.Canadian Taxpayers Federation Atlantic President Kevin Lacey says the band's chief Deborah Robinson and councillors need to be more open.



The Acadia chief has held her position for 25 years and stands to gain a pension of 125-thousand dollars when she retires. Her annual salary is now totals $150-thousand dollars.

Welcome Home Celebration Planned For Jenna

 

It's a welcome home party for the South Shore's biggest role model. Municipal and community leaders are organizing a victory party for Jenna Martin as she returns home from the London Olympics. The event will be held on Thursday night at HB Studio's Sports Centre on Glen Allen Drive in Bridgewater beginning at 7:30PM. Municipality of Lunenburg mayor Don Downe says it's an opportunity to show Martin that the region is proud of her efforts.



Martin is expected to talk about her experiences in London while a number of local dignitaries are expected to deliver speeches as well. The 24 year-old created a huge buzz when she qualified for the semi-final in the 400M sprint event in her first appearance at an Olympic Games. Martin returns to Nova Scotia today after taking part in last night's closing ceremony of the 2012 London Games.

Hector Will Re-Offer For Seat On Chester Council

The councillor for Blandford-East Chester will seek re-election in municipal elections in October. Marshal Hector was elected in 2000 and is seeking his fourth term on Chester council. Hector has enjoyed his 12 years as an elected official and says he has the time and energy to seek another term. He says a key goal for him and council is to help improve the quality of life for residents throughout the municipality.



Hector says another key initiative is make sure there is continued support for community organizations. He is a retired businessman and the former owner of Hubbards Home Hardware. Municipal and school board elections will be held throughout the province on October 20th.

NSP: Failed Insulator Caused Power Outage

Nova Scotia Power is reporting a failed insulator at their substation in Auberndale to be the cause for last night's outage. Over 6,000 people were without power because of the incident, which occurred around 8:30pm. Company spokesperson, David Rodenhiser, says the failed insulator could cause a loud bang and flash.



Power was restored early this morning. The outage affected people all across the South Shore.

What Was That Big BANG!?

People from Liverpool to Yarmouth and through the Annapolis Valley are scratching their heads trying to figure out what was that big bang and rumbling they heard last night. Its also big chat this morning on Facebook and on Twitter. "The Big Bang Theory" has been ruled out but some people are wondering if it had anything to do with power outages in the region last night and earlier this morning. There has been no word from any officials about it.

MODL Mayor Reappointed To FCM Standing Committee

The mayor of the Municipality of Lunenburg says he feels honoured to be recognized by his peers. Don Downe was selected to serve his third term as standing committee chair with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He will chair the standing committee on Municipal Finance and Intergovernmental Arrangements. Downe says its a chance to learn more at the national level and bring information back to council.



The committee partners with the federal and provincial governments to secure new revenue sources that support increased demands on municipal infrastructure and services.

Rental Units Planned For Liverpool Waterfront

 

The Liverpool waterfront will soon be home to some new rental housing by this time next year. The development is know as "Rovers Quay" and will consist of 18 rental units in total to be constructed at Shipyards Point. Local developers Barry Tomalin and Steward Horton are leading the project. The units will target both current Queens County residents and those who choose to live in Liverpool for lifestyle reasons. A live webcam will be up and running when work begins on the project. Construction is expected to begin this summer with the first units available for rent early in 2013. For more info check out http://www.roversquay.ca/

Seabury's Sister Schooner Awaits Buyer

With the launch of the Martha Seabury earlier this week, the focus switches to find an owner for its sister ship. Work began on both vessels over two years ago. Now, the unnamed boat remains ready for purchase along the Lunenburg waterfront. The hull of the sister ship is complete. General Manager for Dawson Moreland and Associates, Susan Corkum-Greek, says the vessel is ready for the next step.


Corkum-Greek says they are fielding inquiries about the vessel and are optimistic a buyer will step forward soon. The hull will be showcased when the Martha Seabury travels to Newport in mid-September for an international boat show.

Bridgewater: RCMP Officer Released From Custody

An RCMP officer charged in a case of domestic violence has been released from custody. The release was granted during a court appearance today in Bridgewater. The officer, in his 30s, was taken into custody late Tuesday night. His release was granted with a number of conditions; including he reside in Ontario except for court appearances in Nova Scotia. Other conditions include no contact with the female involved in the alleged incident and a ban on firearms and prohibited weapons. The case had been put over until October 10th when the accused is scheduled to enter a plea to the charges.

Phil Mooney Not Re-offering As Yarmouth Mayor

Mayor Phil Mooney

Phil Mooney's name will not be on the mayor's ballot in this fall's municipal elections in Yarmouth. He says he's leaving the mayor's position to have more time for family matters and to being a town councillor, a role he took-on for a term in the mid-1980's. Mooney believes he can be as effective in pushing for change as the time-consuming mayor's job.



Projects like revitalizing the downtown, development of a farmers' market, devising a plan for greater financial stability and working to re-instate the ferry to Maine. Mooney says there are several things he's most proud-of during his 4 years as mayor. One was the new high school.



Three people remain in the running for the mayor's job. They are consultant Pam Mood, deputy-mayor Byron Boudreau and former Yarmouth mayor Charles Crosby.

Chester Council Supports Woodland Purchase

A coalition group is trying to encourage the provincial government to buy back the former Bowater Mersey woodlands. Members of "Buy Back The Mersey" made a presentation to Chester council yesterday in an effort to drum up support for their group. Resolute owns more than 200,000 hectares of land spread over three large sections of the province. Councillor Marshall Hector says the coalition is doing good work and council is behind their efforts.



Chester council would like to see all the woodlands managed by the province. However, their letter of support will focus on 40,000 hectares of the land in the St. Margaret's District.

Valley Vocational Centre Robbed

Thieves have targeted a vocational centre in the Annapolis Valley that helps disabled adults. "New Boundaries" in Windsor was robbed overnight Wednesday and police are still investigating. A safe and a pickup truck were among the items stolen. Officials say the safe held a small amount of cash and pay-cheques for clients with intellectual disabilities. The agency has about 40 adults earning a training allowance.
Thieves apparently entered the one-storey building through an addition under construction. The burned shell of the centre's truck was discovered 25 kilometres away.