Bridgewater School Hosting Astronaut For World Record Attempt

Grade six students at Bridgewater Elementary and the entire student population at Bridgewater Junior-Senior High are looking to be part of a Guinness World Record. Canadian Space Agency Astronaut David Saint-Jacques will join students in Bridgewater for the event, which has been slugged, the "Largest Science Lesson" ever. School Board spokesperson, Trish Smith, says the students will be involved in a simple experiment.



About 500 students in Bridgewater along with another 10,000 nationwide are expected to try and set the Guinness World Record. The event will be held at 2pm Friday at Bridgewater Junior-Senior High School.

Bridgewater Health Centre Receives Hefty Donation

A large donation for Bridgewater's health centre will ensure the facility is well equipped to serve patient needs. The South Shore Regional Hospital Auxiliary has donated $145,000 to help buy items that range from exam tables to scales and office chairs. Auxiliary President Mary Fulleman says their members are passionate about health care and understand how critical is it for people to have a family doctor. She says it couldn't be done without the support of the community through fund raising. The Bridgewater and Area Family Health Centre is under construction on Glen Allen Drive and is expected to open later this fall.

Chester: Council Probing Province About Bayswater Beach

Bayswater Beach remains top of mind for the Municipality of Chester. Council members agreed to send a letter to the province's Department of Natural Resources asking for updates on the situation and making sure more closures don't happen. Bayswater Beach was closed a few times over the summer due to high levels of bacteria. Warden Allen Webber says people deserve to know what is happening.



Webber says they will work with the province to make sure the beach is available to the public.

Wanting Out: Lumberjacks Look To Trade Captain Henneberry

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks are without their captain. The team has sent 20-year-old Mitchell Henneberry home after he requested a trade from the club. Owner Ken Petrie says Henneberry indicated he no longer wanted to play for the Lumberjacks. Petrie says he doesn't want to lose Henneberry because he's a great kid and always worked hard. However, Petrie says the team will try and trade him to help him continue his hockey career. Henneberry had just two assists in 11 games this season.

Gas Price Hike Likely

South Shore gas prices may take a hike overnight tonight. In New Brunswick this morning (Thursday), the price for regular self serve is up 2 cents a litre. Diesel is also up this morning in New Brunswick by about a cent.

Unexpected ER Closure In Lunenburg

The Emergency Room at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg is closed this morning (Thursday). It will remain that way until this afternoon at 3:30. South Shore Health says a shortage of ER staff is responsible for the closure. Officials advise anyone needing emergency service should call 911 or visit the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater. Those who have non-emergencies should contact their family doctor or call Health Link 811 for medical advice.

Legislature Should Be Recalled: Baillie

Nova Scotia's Opposition Leader is calling upon premier-designate Stephen McNeil to recall the legislature as soon as possible. In a CKBW/Hank-fm News interview, Jaime Baillie of the Progressive Conservatives says election celebrations are over and its time for all MLA's to roll their sleeves up and get to work.



Baillie says the house should resume sitting, even if only for a short session, to get a general concensus on how to move forward in putting new life into the economy.

Hearing Reconvenes To Discuss Proposed Blockhouse Facility

Two more days have been set aside for the province's regulatory board to gather information on a proposed facility in Blockhouse. The Utility and Review Board will reconvene its hearing with Halifax C and D and the Municipality of Lunenburg Thursday morning. Both sides met for two days late last month. The Halifax-based company appealed a decision by municipal council which refused to issue a development agreement for the proposed construction and demolition transfer and processing facility on the Cornwall Road. The hearing resumes at 9am Thursday at the Best Western in Cookville.

Bridgewater Receives Additional Money For Downtown Plan

Bridgewater has thousands of reasons to smile. The town has received an additional $40,000 from the province's NS Moves program to help with preliminary and detailed design work for projects listed in phase one of the Downtown Master Plan. The money adds to the $60,000 already designated to the town in August from the program. Mayor David Walker says the funding is a big help.



The detailed designs for phase one include wider sidewalks and resting places on King Street, re-development of the south parkade, the Old Bridge and parking options on King Street. The additional funding means Bridgewater has reached their target budget of $250,000 to do the work. A request for proposal closed earlier this month and a recommendation is expected to be made to council at their next meeting on October 28.

World Junior 'A': Barrington's Messenger Invited To Canada East Camp

A South Shore hockey player will try and represent his country at the World Junior 'A' Hockey Challenge in Yarmouth next month. Hockey Canada released the Canada East roster today for the upcoming tryouts in Oakville, Ontario from October 27-30. Barrington's Morgan Messenger has earned a tryout. The 18-year-old plays with the Yarmouth Mariners Junior 'A' team, and has 10 points in 10 games so far this season. Messenger played in the CJHL prospects game during last year's event in Yarmouth. Overall, 66 players have been invited to the camp including seven from the Maritime Hockey League. The World Junior 'A' Hockey Challenge is scheduled from November 4-10 in Yarmouth. The full roster can be seen here .

Pharmacies Offer Flu Shot Across The South Shore

The flu shot is now available at a pharmacy near you. The province changed its regulations in May, allowing pharmacists to provide the flu vaccine. Elderly people, healthy pregnant women and anyone with chronic medical conditions are encouraged to get vaccinated. There are over 20 locations along the South Shore where people can get the flu shot. A full list can be found here .

Latest South Shore Housing Figures Hold Steady

The housing market on the South Shore remained steady between July and September. The Nova Scotia Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service reveals housing sales are identical between those months this year and in 2012. Overall, 253 homes were sold during the three month period. President Gary Mailman says he's curious to see how it will affect the overall year.



Statistics indicate more people listed their homes for sale from July to September this year, compared to last year. There were 817 listed, an increase from 699 in 2012. The average price of a home on the South Shore also rose slightly by 0.6 percent to almost $186,632.

Lockeport Fighting To Keep Schools Open

A rally is planned in Lockeport in an effort to save two schools in the town. The Tri-County Regional School Board is looking at potentially closing Lockeport Regional High School and Lockeport Elementary because of declining enrolment. The elementary school currently has 99 students while the high school has 124 in its classrooms. Mayor Darian Huskilson says it's not the first time the schools have been up for review.



Huskilson says the community has become frustrated with the uncertainty surrounding its two schools over the last few years. Tonight's rally gets underway at 6:00pm at the Lockeport High School. A meeting with school board members will begin at 6:30pm.

Bridgewater: 78 Charges Laid In Relation To Thefts

Seventy-eight charges have been formally laid against five people including two adults and three youths in Bridgewater court. Its the result of a two month criminal investigation involving multiple thefts from vehicles and vehicle thefts in the town. An adult, Tyler Briffit of Bridgewater, and two youths who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act were remanded in custody pending a later show cause hearing. Twenty-year-old Sonia Allen of Bridgewater is the second adult accused. She will appear in court December 4 to face numerous charges related to the thefts. She and a third youth have been released by Bridgewater Police on a promise to appear and an undertaking with conditions.

Lunenburg Academy Of Music Performance Gets Significant Donation

The Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance has received a major donation. Susan and Guenter Reibling have pledged to give LAMP $100,000 to help the group edge closer to their financial goal of raising $1.2-million over the next three years. The Reiblings have already given $25,000 of the money to help the group secure office space and search for a general manager. Board of Directors member, Ellen Wathen, says they've had to adjust their vision and start small with the program.



The new plan was proposed by community leaders after it was revealed in August that funding sources for the project had fell through. A two-week academy is proposed to start next October at the Lunenburg Academy building.

Long Weekend: RCMP Blitz Nova Scotia Roads

It was a busy weekend for RCMP on Nova Scotia highways. Mounties had a strong presence on the road over the Thanksgiving long weekend. They issued just over 700 speeding tickets and fines to over 100 people for not wearing a seat belt. Constable Kerri Leyte says they also caught 45 people for using their cell phones while driving.



She says police have been cracking down on cellphone use or texting while driving since the law came into effect a few years ago. RCMP also caught nine impaired drivers and issued 15 suspensions.

Focus On Jobs/Economy As Parliament Resumes

The two-year countdown to the next federal election begins tomorrow with a new speech from the throne. Parliament is set to resume Wednesday. It should be an entertaining few days as the opposition is sure to hammer Prime Minister Stephen Harper over the senate spending scandal that has simmered through the summer. South Shore St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy says the Conservatives are set to put a strong focus on jobs and the economy.



Keddy has represented the South Shore at the federal level since 1997. He says the job is still fulfilling and is looking forward to getting back to Ottawa.

Local Hockey Players, Coach Win Gold At Challenge Cup

A pair of South Shore hockey players have returned home with gold medals from this year's Atlantic Challenge Cup in Moncton. Chester's Jacob Myra and Lunenburg's Walter Flower each represented Nova Scotia on the under-15 boys team that won the championship game 3-1 over New Brunswick. Myra scored two goals in four games while Flower was held off the scoresheet. Both players play for the BMO Western Hurricanes major bantam hockey team. Meanwhile, the team's coach also had success in the tourney. Brad Muise was an assistant for Nova Scotia's under-14 boys team that went 4-0 and cruised to the championship title.

Bridgewater Receives Senior Friendly Designation

The town of Bridgewater is being recognized as the province's first senior friendly town. The Senior Friendly program is owned by the Alberta Council on Aging. A representative from the group will present town council with the designation during its meeting on October 28. Program Coordinator Beth George says a lot of hard work has gone into the program since it started in 2009.



The program teaches volunteers to conduct check-ups on town facilities and teach organizations how they can improve access and safety for seniors. The group plans to issue a report to the town later this fall, identifying other ways it can become more senior-friendly.

Lunenburg: Town Still Needs To Discuss Power Partnership

The mayor for the town of Lunenburg is open to the idea of joining a group of municipalities in their quest to generate their own power. The towns of Mahone Bay and Berwick are in the middle of setting up a partnership to own a 16-megawatt windfarm in the Windsor area. It could be up and running sometime in 2015. Meanwhile, Lunenburg and Riverport have been mentioned as possible suitors to benefit from the alternative source of energy. However, Rachel Bailey says it's too early to tell what the town will do.


Bailey says council has yet to discuss the matter, but she expects talks to be held. Lunenburg currently purchases electricity from Nova Scotia Power and re-sells it to residents.