Local Fire Fighter To Battle Quebec Fires

A Lunenburg County man is one of 21 wildfire fighters from the province being sent to Quebec to help battle several forest fires. Corey Conrad with the Department of Natural Resources will fly out to Quebec on Saturday. He's the lone official from the South Shore making the trip. The province is responding to Quebec's request for help just as other jurisdictions have helped Nova Scotia fight wildfires in the past. The firefighting crew will be battling one or several fires over a 14-day assignment period.

Weekend: Bayswater Beach WILL Re-Open

Bayswater Beach will re-open after a swimming ban was imposed due to high levels of bacteria in the water. The Department of Health and Wellness issued the original closure notice Wednesday.

Chester: CAO Preparing Options For Former School

The keys to Gold River-Western Shore Elementary School will fall into the hands of the Municipality of Chester today. School board officials will revert the building back into the municipality's possession following the closure earlier this spring. The municipality is in the process of getting the school appraised and the CAO expects to deliver a list of options to council in early August. Warden Allen Webber reserved his opinion on the matter until he gets more details.



Webber expects the options will include demolition, selling the property or keep it for municipal use. A major obstacle with the school is the roof, which is slated to cost $110,000 to replace.

Zach In A Box Fund Raiser Set To Go

The Liberal MLA for Yarmouth feels he's reaching for new heights in raising money for a charitable organization. Zach Churchill will climb into a bucket at the end of a construction crane in the Yarmouth Mall parking lot over the supper hour today to begin raising money for the Yarmouth High School's Memorial Club. He will stay there for 24 hours except for brief breaks along the way. Churchill says he couldn't resist the challenge.



Money raised this weekend by the "Zach In A Box" campaign will go to the Memorial Club and its programs to help veterans and seniors in the community.

Investigators Probe Fatal Shooting In Wedgeport

Investigators remain at the scene of a fatal shooting in Wedgeport. RCMP in Yarmouth say they will continue to investigate the matter but don't expect to lay charges. A 47 year-old man was found dead early Thursday morning on Corporon Road. An autopsy on the victim's body is being conducted today in Halifax. In a media release, police say a 46-year-old man was also injured but they aren't releasing how the incident unfolded. A 49-year-old female also connected to the shooting was not hurt. More details on the shooting are expected to be released early next week.

Gas Prices Climb Almost Four Cents

As expected, Nova Scotia gas prices took a hike overnight. Here on the South Shore, the price for a litre of regular self-serve is now $1.40.4.  Thats an increase of almost 4 cents from yesterday.  High test is up by a similar amount.  However, diesel remains steady, no increase.  Its selling for $1.34.4 per litre.

Yarmouth Seafest Celebrates Life By The Sea

A salute to the area fishing industry and the town of Yarmouth is underway! This is the 35th year for Seafest.
Yarmouth mayor Pam Mood says the event has grown into a major tourist attraction and money maker for the town. She says there's good reason for it!



Among the scores of events are dorey races, a walking tour of the town looking at the area's history, scallop & oyster shucking, double rope splicing & rope coiling, lobster shucking and banding, haddock filleting, lobster pot building, net knitting and knitting bait bags. Seafest in Yarmouth runs until July 27th with activities scheduled at numerous venues across the town.

Minor Injuries After Vehicles Collide In Conquerall Mills

An elderly woman has been taken to South Shore Regional Hospital after a two-vehicle collision in Conquerall Mills. Constable David Cullen with Bridgewater RCMP says it appears a car pulled out of Lakeview Circle and was hit by a half-ton truck travelling the Conquerall Mills Road near Fancy Lake. The incident happened around 1:20 this afternoon. The driver and passenger in the truck were unharmed. Police say the 77-year-old driver of the car is dealing with minor injuries.

Nowe Wins, Chandler Tenth At Atlantic Golf Championship

Bridgewater's Ryan Nowe has gone wire-to-wire to win the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship in Antigonish. Nowe shot a final round two-over par, 74, Thursday to win by seven shots over Bedford's Bruce Tomie. The 17-year-old never trailed in the event and earns an exemption into the 2013 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 29 to August 2 at the Timberwolf Golf Club in Sudbury, Ont. Meanwhile, Chester's Allison Chandler struggled to a 92 today, but managed to finish in 10th place.

MODL: Council Awards Riverside Work To Dexter Construction

Dexter Construction Company Ltd. is being hired to provide upgrades to the Riverside Wastewater System. The Municipality of Lunenburg awarded a tender contract to the group, who had the lowest bid out of five companies. The scope of the work will focus on replacing the collection system and installing treatment plant equipment. Mayor Don Downe says they're trying to get the system working properly.



The tender price from Dexter Construction was $462,242.50. Downe expects work to begin soon.

Chester: Council Seeks Crown Land In Western Shore

A parcel of land in Western Shore could become property of the Municipality of Chester. The Nova Scotia Government owns roughly an acre of Wild Rose Park. The municipality is interested in acquiring the land through a 20-year lease arrangement that would include an out-clause regarding the seawall, which is provincially-owned. Warden Allen Webber says they don't want to be held responsible if the seawall erodes and causes flooding. He says the lease would provide the municipality with a sense of security.



Webber didn't know the cost but says its a marginal amount of money. The matter has been back and forth between the municipality and the province for over a year.

Wedgeport: RCMP Investigate Fatal Shooting

A man has died after a shooting overnight in Wedgeport. According to the RCMP, the incident happened on the Corporon Road around 1:20am. They say a 47-year-old man died and a 46-year-old man was injured. A 49-year-old female also connected to the shooting was not hurt. Mounties say all those involved are known to each other and investigators don't consider the shooting a random act. The RCMP Southwest Nova Major Crimes unit is in the preliminary stages of their investigation.

Gold River: Accused In Alleged Shooting Remains In Jail

A Gold River man will remain behind bars after an alleged shooting over the weekend on the Lunenburg County reserve. Ronald Lorne Paul is facing three charges after an incident Saturday night that sent a man to hospital with an apparent gunshot wound. The 60 year-old has been charged with aggravated assault, discharging a firearm with intent to endanger a life and assault with a weapon. The 31 year-old shooting victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Paul will return to court August 2nd.

Dish Washing Made Easier At South Shore Regional Hospital

Doing the dishes at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater has just become a lot easier and safer. A new system of loading up the dish-washers involves staff now only having to put dishes in the racks, pushing a button and automation doing the heavy work. Gone are the days of manually lifting heavy dish racks on to a conveyor belt. South Shore Health's Manager of Facility Services, Robert Barss, says tried-and-true manufacturers could not solve the problem. It took a local company to come up with something new.



According to Barss, its the first such automated system in the province. Funding for it, $150,000. came from the provincial Department of Health and Wellness.

UPDATE: 103-Exit 12 Crash-Woman In QE-2 Hospital

A woman who was injured yesterday as a result of a two-vehicle crash on the 103 near Bridgewater is in the QE-2 Hospital in Halifax. She was driving a pickup truck Wednesday afternoon when her vehicle collided with a sport utility vehicle at Exit-12 in Cookville. The victim was airlifted to the QE-2 from the site. She is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. Two occupants of the S-U-V were not injured. The accident is still being investigated. The cause hasn't been determined yet.

Gas Prices Expected To Rise Yet Again

Here we go again! Gas prices are expected to take another jump at South Shore pumps overnight tonight. In New Brunswick this morning, the provincial energy and utilities board has increased the price for regular self-serve there by 5.2 cents a liter. That brings the new maximum price in New Brunswick to $1.37.4 per liter. If a similar increase happens tonight here, the price for a liter of regular self serve will surpass $1.41. By the way, gas prices have gone up in New Brunswick 10.5 cents a liter in the past two weeks.

Men Defeat Women In Charity Softball Match

It was the men triumphing over the women in a battle of the sexes softball match Wednesday night in Mahone Bay. The men's team scored plenty of runs, despite batting from their weak side of the plate, notching a 23-15 victory. The game helped raise roughly $100 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Lots of fun was had by all players, with the idea of holding a game annually. The match was a prelude to the 'Batting For Breast Cancer' event, planned for Friday evening on ball fields across Lunenburg County.

Queens County: Injuries After House Fire

Nine fire departments were needed to contain a house fire in Queens County. The fire was reported late Wednesday afternoon on Charleston River Road. A person inside the home suffered undisclosed injuries and was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital. Firefighters spent more than four hours on the scene making sure the blaze was put out. RCMP, EHS and Nova Scotia Power Crews were also called to the scene. The home is described as a complete loss.

UPDATED: Serious Crash Near Exit 12

Mounties say a section of Highway 103 has re-opened. The highway was closed for roughly three hours near Exit 12 after a serious two-vehicle collision involving a pick-up truck and an SUV. RCMP say a woman who was driving the pick-up has been airlifted to the QE II Hospital in Halifax. Her condition is not known at this time. The two occupants of the SUV were not hurt. RCMP are asking motorists use alternate routes until the highway re-opens. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

Nowe Leads CN Future Links Atlantic Golf Championship By Four

Bridgewater's Ryan Nowe is poised to win the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship at the Antigonish Golf and Country Club. The 17-year-old fired an even-par round of 72 today, to remain at one-under overall through 36 holes. Nowe made four birdies, which were offset by four bogeys. He remains four shots ahead of the pack, heading into Thursday's final round. Meanwhile, Chester's Allison Chandler shot her consecutive 11-over par, 83 to sit in a tie for fifth place. She sits nine shots back. Chester Basin's Cole Mulrooney withdrew from the tournament. The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2013 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at the Timberwolf Golf Club in Garson, Ont. The Junior Girls champion will earn an exemption into the 2013 Royale Cup Canadian Junior Girls Championship at the Cherry Downs Golf and Country Club in Pickering, Ont. Both events are scheduled July 29 to August 2.