Old School Methods Still Work In Caledonia

A Caledonia couple is being recognized for their old school approach to maintaining their woodlands. Georgie and Helen Uhlman have been named the 2013 Western Region and Provincial Woodland Owners of the Year. A former heavy equipment operator, Georgie maintains his 52-hectare woodland using only horses. Much of their harvest is for furnace wood, although they sell hemlock, spruce and pine logs to a local sawmill. The Uhlmans estimate that more than 70 per cent of their woodland is used for recreation such as sleigh rides, barbecues and horseback rides.  Henry and Elaine Van Berkel, who live in Antigonish County, are the Eastern Region winners and Faye Crawford, of Pictou County took Central Region honours.

Two Vehicles Catch Fire In Liverpool

There were fireworks of sorts in Liverpool last night. A car parked on some private property in the downtown core mysteriously burst into flames around 10:30pm. RCMP say the fire was so intense, it spread to another car parked nearby. Mounties say they aren't expecting to lay any charges in relation to the matter. Corporal Victor Whalen says the Fire Marshal's Office were called in to investigate and it was determined the original fire may have been caused by a defect in the car. No injuries were reported.

VOTE: Bridgewater Vying For $25,000 In Kinsmen Field Upgrades

The time for voting draws near as the South Shore Seahawks look to secure $25,000 towards improvements to Kinsmen Field. The multi-use field in Bridgewater is up against the Windsor Aquatic Club for the right to host the Kraft Celebration Tour. It would also mean a community spotlight and live broadcast of Sportscentre in the town. Seahawks Vice-President, John Peters, says they need all the votes they can get.



People can vote as many times as they want before the voting period ends. Voting opens at 1 o'clock Wednesday afternoon for 24 hours. People can vote at kraft celebration tour dot ca

Weekend: Double Fatal In Yarmouth County

Two men are dead after their truck crashed into a log pile on a gravel road in Yarmouth County. RCMP say the men were driving in the Kemptville area Sunday when the driver lost control of the truck and it crashed. Both men, aged 36 and 38, were taken to hospital where they died from their injuries. Their names have not been released, but police they were from the Yarmouth area. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

South Shore: Health Authority Focus' On Doctor Recruitment

Do you have a family doctor? It's a question a number of South Shore residents answer with a "no". However, Vice President of Health Service Janet Simm says the local health authority is working hard to attract more doctors to the region. She says over the past year they've assigned more staff to work primarily in the area of doctor recruitment.



Another five to seven doctors will be needed to staff Bridgewater's new collaborative emergency centre. The health authority is looking to Dalhousie University to try and fill some of those positions.

Bridgewater's Lohnes Wins Gold At Judo Nationals

A Bridgewater native has won gold at the Canadian Judo Championships in Richmond, B.C. . Whitney Lohnes finished in first place in the senior women's 48 kilogram division. The 20-year-old defeated Ontario's Lea Sheffield in the final. Lohnes will try and make it double gold when she competes in the under-21 category on Sunday.

Martin Finishes Second In Victoria Event

Bridgewater's Jenna Martin wrapped up the National Track League series with a second place performance. The 25-year-old ran 52.55 seconds in the women's 400 metre event at the Victoria International Track Classic in B.C. Mary Wineberg of the U.S won in a time of 51.71 seconds.

Shelburne County Man Facing Drug Charges

A Shelburne County man remains in custody after appearing in court to face drug charges. RCMP found a quantity of marihuana and packaging materials allegedly utilized for marihuana distribution while searching a home along Highway 3 in Woods Harbour Thursday. Twenty-six year-old Thomas Anthony Foster Nickerson was arrested without incident. He is charged with possession of marihuana for the purpose of trafficking and breach of a court order. Nickerson appeared in court Friday, where he was remanded to custody until July 8th in Yarmouth provincial court.

Gas Prices Rise Again

Gas prices are up again today. Regular self serve is selling at South Shore pumps for $1.30.1 per litre.  That's an increase of just over a cent. High test has gone up by a similar amount to $1.39 per litre. Diesel has also increased in price to $1.30.8. That is about 1.5 cents higher than yesterday. Gas prices in the Halifax area are traditionally about half a cent lower than those on the South Shore.

White Point Wins Marketing Award For Main Lodge Rebuild

White Point Beach Resort has picked up a marketing award for rebuilding their main lodge. The Queens County destination received the award recently in Halifax at the Atlantic Interactive Marketing Conference. The resort used different methods to gather ideas for the main lodge including facebook, twitter and online blogs. They also used construction webcams to keep the public involved in the building process. Marketing and Product Development Manager, Donna Hatt, says it's a special award for the resort.



Hatt says they felt it was important to keep the public involved through the rebuild, with all the support they received following the November 2011 fire. She says the award sits near the front desk inside the main lodge. (Photo Courtesy: Michelle Doucette Photography)

Groups Seek Volunteers For Maintenance Work At Gaff Point

A pair of conservation groups are doing some maintenance work to the Gaff Point trail in Lunenburg County and are looking for some extra help. The Nature Conservancy of Canada, along with the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy are in need of volunteers to cut extra brush, put in boardwalks where water has collected and move trail boundaries where cliffs are starting to erode. The work will be done to roughly one kilometre of the three-and-a-half kilometre trail. A coordinator with the NCC, Doug van Hemessen, says it's routine work that's done every year.



van Hemessen says they're looking for a handful of people to donate some time from 10-4 on Saturday. People are asked to submit their names to the volunteer sign-up on the Nature Conservancy of Canada's website, which can be found here . (Photo Courtesy: Gerald Hallowell)

MODL: Council Debate Road Signage Policy

The Municipality of Lunenburg is directing staff to look at all options before implementing a road signage policy. Councillors debated the issue earlier this week, with some of those in favour saying the policy needs to be in place to help emergency service vehicles locate a scene quickly. Those against the issue don't want to see tax bills increase to affected property owners. John Veinot agrees safety needs to be considered but voted against the matter.



The mayor feels the municipality should be setting a standard that is acceptable throughout the district. Don Downe says they're going to explore if there's potential partnership opportunities.



Currently, 163 roads are without proper signage.

'Afterglow' Arts Event Looking To Return To King Street

A local arts and culture event is looking to return to the streets of Bridgewater. Ashton Rodenhiser recently presented to town council about hosting 'Afterglow' on King Street towards the end of September. Over 50 artists participated in last year's event, providing dance or theatre performances, film and video or mobile art. Rodenhiser says it's about bringing people to the area.



The Afterglow group is looking for in-kind support from the town including use of electrical outlets, provide event banners and be covered under the town's liability insurance. Council referred the matter back to staff to look at the financial impact of the group's request.

Acadia Broadcasting Applies To Purchase Moncton Station

Acadia Broadcasting is moving to add another radio station to its stable. The parent company of CKBW/HANK-FM has filed an application with the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission to purchase CKNI-FM - News 91.9 in Moncton from Rogers Broadcasting. The Saint John based company currently owns ten stations here in the Maritimes and Ontario. Vice-President Jim MacMullin says he looks forward to bringing our brand of community focused, quality local radio to Moncton. The CRTC is expected to rule on the application later this year.

Deadline Today For Yarmouth Ferry Proposals

Today is the deadline to submit business plans for a proposed revival of the ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine. The provincial government will make the results known tomorrow. The minister of economic and rural development and tourism, Graham Steele, will outline the submitted proposals and where things go from here. The government previously extended the deadline for business plans by two weeks. The government rejected two bids earlier this year, saying neither met the criteria for a viable operation.

15th Annual 'Hit It For Health' Raises $28,670

A sold out 'Hit It For Health' golf event helped raise $28,670 towards a new fetal monitor at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater. One hundred and forty-four golfers teed-off Wednesday in the event at Osprey Ridge. Development Officer, Bernadette Jordan, says a new monitor costs roughly $30,000, so they're really close to purchasing it. She says it's time for a new one.




She also praised the community for their support.



This is the 15th year for the event, and Jordan says it has raised more than $400,000 towards the purchase of necessary equipment.

Lohnes Chasing Double Gold At Judo Nationals

A Bridgewater judoka is hoping to build off of two bronze medals from last year's Canadian Judo Championships. Twenty-year-old Whitney Lohnes says her goal at nationals this year is double gold. She will compete in the seniors and women's under-21, 48 kilogram divisions. The national competition gets underway Thursday in Richmond, B.C. .

Local Historian Offering Brookside Cemetery Tours

Former business owners, community leaders and prominent women will be the subject of guided tours from a local historian. Peter Oickle is offering the tours at Brookside Cemetery to local residents who want to learn more about the people who made an impact on the town. He says the tours will look at more than just people.




The first tour will be held Thursday evening around 6:50pm at the Brookside Cemetery. Tours will also be held July 11, August 1st and August 8th. Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased at the Desbrisay Museum or people can bring exact change to the tour and pay there.

VIDEO: Crews Douse Vehicle Fire In Bridgewater

No injuries after a car caught fire in the parking lot of the Bridgewater Days Inn. The incident occurred around 10:45 Wednesday morning. Fire Chief Michael Nauss says the female driver noticed smoke coming from underneath her hood and pulled into the hotel parking lot. He says there was very little smoke coming from the vehicle when it was first reported.



Town police and EHS also responded to the call. Video below shows fire officials dousing the vehicle, to make sure the blaze was out.

Chester School Receiving New Tablets In The Fall

A Lunenburg County school is benefiting from a pilot project funded by the Nova Scotia government. Roughly 90 grade seven students at Chester Area Middle School will receive new tablets in September. The $1-million pilot, announced by the Department of Education, will teach math by providing students free online lessons in the Khan Academy program. Director of Programs and Student Services with the South Shore School Board, Jeff DeWolfe, says he's happy a local school was one of four selected across the province.



The exact cost per tablet isn't known because the school will select the model that works for them. DeWolfe says its a one-year project, but is hopeful the project will be carried over at the end of the year based on student success.