Local Pastor Named New Chaplain For Bridgewater Police Service

The Bridgewater Police Service is turning to a local pastor to be their new chaplain. Reverend Paul Jensen of St. Paul's Lutheran Church has been named to the position. He was recognized during a reception earlier this week. Jensen says he looks forward to helping police.




Jensen is also expected to assist in police duties from time to time.

Wind Farm Opponents Present Case To Utility Board

A regulatory hearing is underway in relation to a large wind farm near New Ross. Eight days have been set aside for the hearing before the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. Fifteen witnesses will be called to present evidence in relation to wind energy. The Friends of South Canoe Lake claim Chester council didn't have enough information on wind power before approving the project. Three developers want to construct 34 turbines stretching between Vaughan and New Ross. Chester council approved the $200 million wind farm in March.

Town Approves Grants To Organizations Policy

The town of Bridgewater has approved a new policy dealing with grants to organizations. The policy is needed to help provide guidelines for awarding money to non-profit organizations or societies that apply to the town for financial assistance. Deputy Mayor Bill McInnis says its council's intent to contact groups who have been applying since 2008.



Under the policy, there is now criteria for determining eligible applicants, separate grant categories and a process for reviewing and shortlisting applications.

Taylor Named To Canadian Sevens For University Games

A Bridgewater native has been named to the Canadian rugby sevens team for this summer's World University Games. Matt Taylor goes to school at the Royal Military College of Canada. He's listed as a centre on the school's team roster. Taylor is the lone Nova Scotian on the squad, which was announced on Tuesday. The Canadian rugby sevens team will make its debut at the World University Games July 14-17 in Kazan, Russia.

Public Input Sought In Yarmouth Arson Investigation

The RCMP in Yarmouth is hoping the public will help in their investigation of two recent suspicious fires. Late in the evening on April 11th, a fire in an apartment building on Forbes Street in the town was put out by a tenant before the fire department arrived. Then, late in the evening on April 29th, RCMP were again called to the same Forbes Street location after the Yarmouth Fire Department responded to another blaze which they again labelled suspicious. Both fires are being investigated and the RCMP hopes the public will help them locate a suspect or suspects. If you have any information regarding these crimes, please contact the Yarmouth Town RCMP at 902-742-8777 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Data Released On Hand Hygiene, C. Difficile At South Shore Health

The public can now access statistics on how often health workers clean their hands and patients get ill from the hospital-acquired C. difficile. The province's Health and Wellness Minister announced the new public reports during an announcement Wednesday at the regional hospital in Bridgewater. The reports indicate South Shore Health has the top hand-washing practices in the province for the first three months of this year. The health authority has an 87 per cent hand-washing rate before patient contact and a 92 per cent mark afterwards. President and CEO, Dr. Peter Vaughan, says they need to continue working towards their goal of 100 per cent.



South Shore Health is also above the provincial average of C. difficile for the same time period. The data says five people out of 10,000 patients contracted the bacteria, while the province averages about three. The Nova Scotia government passed law in May 2012 called the Patient Safety Act that requires hospitals to collect information called Patient Safety Indicators and report results to Department of Health and Wellness and the public. The findings can be found on the department's website.

Regulatory Hearing For Wind Farm Begins

A hearing before the province's regulatory board regarding a large wind farm begins today in New Ross. The Friends of South Canoe Lake are leading an appeal with the Nova Scotia Utilities and Review Board on the $200 million South Canoe Wind Project. They claim the development will lower their property value and cause health issues. The organization is appealing Chester council's decision to enter into a development agreement with the proponents of the wind farm. Councillors voted 6-1 on March 14 to approve the project after a pair of exhaustive public hearings. Minas Basin Pulp and Power, Oxford Frozen Foods and Nova Scotia Power are leading the project. If it moves ahead, it would generate enough power to heat 32,000 homes.

Gail Benoit's Case Delayed Again In Bridgewater

A notorious dog broker failed to appear in Bridgewater court this afternoon. Gail Benoit was scheduled to enter pleas on charges of fraud, theft and identity fraud. The charges are related to the alleged illegal sale of two boxer dogs. Crown Lawyer Lloyd Tancock told court he wants to change Benoit's release conditions which currently prohibit her from selling dogs. However, Tancock would not reveal the new conditions. He says the accused needs to be present in order to make the changes. The matter has been put over until June 19th.

Exterior Upgrades Improve Forties Community Centre

The exterior of the Forties Community Centre in New Ross has been spruced up with the help of the federal and provincial government. The facility has new siding, insulation and gutters after receiving $28,000 from Ottawa and $10,000 from the province. The Municipality of Chester also chipped-in with $8,000 and the centre itself raised $15,000 to complete the renovations. The total cost was around $61,000. In a release, board of directors chair Phillip Broome says the upgrades give a new face to a facility that enhances the lives of people in the region. The Forties Community Centre hosts a variety of events including dinners, crib tournaments and craft fairs.

Power Outage Reported In Gold River-Western Shore Area

Nova Scotia Power is reporting an outage in Gold River, Western Shore and surrounding communities as of 12:30 this afternoon. The utility says the outage is due to planned maintenance in the area. It is affecting roughly 280 residents. NSP expects power to be restored by 3:45pm.

Funding Declined For "Our Health Centre" Project

Chester council has decided to pump the breaks on a funding request for a $6 million dollar collaborative emergency centre for the municipality. Warden Allen Webber says council will not provide funding for the "Our Health Centre" project in this fiscal year. However, he says they could revisit the idea down the road.



The municipality was forced to raise their residential tax rate to help boost revenues and are already involved in a number of significant capital projects. Members of "Our Health Centre" had asked council for one million dollars to help with construction.

Tax Rates Remain Status Quo In MODL

The mayor of the Municipality of Lunenburg calls it a budget with no surprises and continues to pay down the debt. Council agreed to hold the line on residential and commercial tax rates. The residential remains at $0.81 cents per 100 of assessment while the commercial rate stays at $1.95 per 100 of assessment. The residential rate stayed the same for the fourth year in a row while the commercial decreased by $0.10 cents last year. Don Downe says its a responsible budget.



The 2013-14 operating budget will be $28.3 million while the capital budget is $4.4 million. Capital projects for this year includes over $900,000 in sewer infrastructure and $200,000 to implement an active transportation plan. The municipality's CAO feels the budget meets their needs and sets the course for years to come.

Crews Working To Fix Water Line Break On North Street

A significant water main break on North Street in Bridgewater is causing some traffic issues today. A water line busted near the EHS base last night. Crews with the town's public works department are on scene. They have found the break and are working to correct the problem. The area has been reduced to a single lane. Motorists should expect some minor delays on North Street while the area is cleaned up.

Province Providing Funds To Bridgewater Curling Club

It's some much needed funding for the Bridgewater Curling Club. The Nova Scotia Government is expected to provide significant funding to help the club with repairs. The curling rink has been looking to replace its aging ice making and refrigeration system. The club also needs to overhaul its sprinkler system. The Bridgewater rink needs about $225,000 in total repairs. An official announcement is expected to take place next week.

Injuries Result From Queens County Accident

A man and woman were sent to hospital yesterday afternoon with non-life-threatening injuries following a single vehicle roll-over in Queens County. The accident happened mid-afternoon along Highway 8 near Greenfield. The injured woman was trapped in her car until she could be rescued by emergency crews. The highway was closed for a couple of hours and traffic re-routed. Queens RCMP continue their investigation.

Spts-New Germany Jr. Girls Are Regional Champs!

The New Germany Rural High School junior girls softball team are Regional Champions! They defeated Par-en-Bas yesterday (Tuesday) 12-1 then went on to defeat Annapolis Royal 15-3 in the championship game. The girls were undefeated through the entire season. Their win adds to the successful year of both junior and senior girls squads at the school. Monday, the seniors won their regional softball championship, defeating North Queens in the final.

UPDATED: Traffic Now Moving On Highway 8

Emergency officials were called to single vehicle rollover near Milton this afternoon. The crash occurred shortly after 3 o'clock. It's not known how it happened or if there are any injuries. Police say a section of Highway 8 was closed for a short period just north of Milton.

VIDEO: Mooseheads Celebrate Historic Year

The Halifax Mooseheads were greeted to thousands of fans as they left the Metro Centre today in the wake of their historic President Cup and Memorial Cup victories. Players and coaches arrived home yesterday evening in time for a celebratory event Tuesday at noon in Halifax's Grand Parade near City Hall. Some players got on stage answered questions and thanked fans including Nathan MacKinnon, Stephen MacAuley, Zachary Fucale and co-captain Trey Lewis. It will be a short turnaround for MacKinnon, Fucale and Jonathan Drouin as they will head to Toronto for the NHL Scouting Combine, which include team interviews and a rigorous fitness test. Below is video of the parade portion of today's event.

VIDEO: Local Olympian Nominated For RICOH Sports Award

 Bridgewater's Jenna Martin has been nominated for a prestigious award which recognizes Nova Scotia's greatest athletes, coaches and teams. Martin is up for a RICOH  Sports Awards in the Individual Female Athlete of the Year category. She'll be up against fellow Olympian Ellie Black and Alex Duckworth of Kingsburg. Martin made her first appearance at the Olympics games in London last summer. The 25 year-old was solid in her Olympic debut and qualified for the semi-finals in the 400 metre event. The awards will be presented during a ceremony in Halifax on June 1st.

What Road Is The Worst In The Region?

South Shore residents have just three days left after today to vote for what they believe is the worst road in the region. Its the Canadian Automobile Association's annual Worst Roads campaign. Spokesman Gary Howard tells us there are no prizes; just recognition for that bumpy, irritating road you love to hate.



Since voting began May 1st, the Forties Road in New Ross has bumped its way up the scale from 4th to 2nd place and is close to knocking-off the current worst road in Atlantic Canada, the Cape John Road in River John. Highway 203 near Yarmouth is now 5th overall, up from 7th in early May. You can vote for your worst road at www.atlantic.caa.ca/worstroads.