Bridgewater: More Information Needed On Big Rig Racing

A few issues are throwing caution flags in the air for a proposed event in Bridgewater. The town has been exploring the option of allowing South Shore in Motion to add big rig drag racing to its event in August. However, Mayor David Walker says insurance, the number of concrete barriers needed, along with a traffic plan and security are all a concern at this point. He says they're waiting for more details.



Organizers would need to temporary close Dufferin Street, between York Street and Hillcrest Street to hold the afternoon event. Walker says they're hoping to have more information for their next meeting on Monday night.

LaHave Ferry: Repaired Again After Minor Hydraulic Probem

The LaHave River ferry was quickly repaired after more damage was discovered. The ferry was pulled out of service for a few hours this afternoon. However, the Department of Transportation says workers fixed a hydraulic problem. The ferry was originally damaged after it broke free from its cables during a blizzard January 3.

Business Impacted By New Holiday?

Like most parts of Canada, this province will also have its own holiday in mid-February, starting next year. Some businesses in HRM are complaining though about possible lost revenue as a result. On the South Shore, Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce Manager Dan Hennessey doesn't see that happening here.



The holiday on the third Monday of February will honor notable historic figures important to the province. The first one, next February 16th, will honor Viola Desmond, a black activist. A province-wide schools contest to give the holiday a general name is now underway.

Best In Lunenburg-Queens Business Receive Awards

A Liverpool company has been named the best large business in Lunenburg and Queens Counties for 2013. J and H Industries took home the honour during the Lunenburg-Queens Business Excellence Awards Monday night in Cookville. Also, Lanes Privateer Inn of Liverpool was recognized with the hospitality award. Other award winners include Bailly's Fuels in small business, Cocoa Organic Spa for best new business, RPS Composites for exporting and New Voice Language Academy for entrepreneurial.

LaHave Ferry Returns To Service Monday Evening

Good news for LaHave Ferry users. The Brady E. Himmelman has underwent sea trials and will be back in service around 6pm Monday evening. Workers have fought several snow storms and icy conditions the past few weeks trying to get the ferry returned to residents. There was also a problem with the hydraulic pump, which caused another week long delay. The ferry has been out of service since January 3 after a strong wind and snow storm knocked the cable ferry loose and sent it adrift until it ran aground at Oxners Beach. It travels daily from LaHave to East LaHave.

Lunenburg: Mayor Backs Shipyard Alliance On Bluenose II

The town of Lunenburg's mayor is standing behind its shipyard alliance. Covey Island Boatworks, the Lunenburg Industrial Foundry and Engineering Ltd. and Snyder's Shipyard make up the group which is re-building the Bluenose II. The project is making headlines after the Nova Scotia government asked the auditor general to investigate its costs. However, Rachel Bailey feels the alliance isn't at fault.

The last confirmed cost of the Bluenose II was around $16-million, almost $2-million over budget. Bailey says she's interested to hear what the investigation concludes.

Bus Drivers Given Credit During Challenging Winter

It's been a challenging year for bus drivers traveling roads within the South Shore Regional School Board. Superintendent Geoff Cainen says this winter has been atrocious when talking about road conditions. Cainen says local bus drivers deserve credit. He says back roads have been a major challenge.



Even with several major storms, no major incidents involving buses and students have been reported. Cainen says bus drivers face challenges even on the best of days.

Yarmouth: Three People Charged Following Robbery

Three people face charges following a violent robbery in Yarmouth. RCMP say the incident happened in the early hours Sunday morning on Tooker Street. Police arrived on scene to find a 46-year-old man who was assaulted with a weapon. He was taken to Yarmouth hospital with serious injuries and later released. Eighteen-year-old Ronald Higby, 21-year-old Desi Sisco and 22-year-old Trevor Jacquard, all from Yarmouth, are in court today. They have been charged with several offences including robbery and assault causing bodily harm. Police say the victim and suspects know each other and it was not a random act.

Tenth Anniversary of "White Juan's" Mighty Wrath

Remember this!? Ten years ago this week, one of the South Shore's most spectacular storms bore down on the region. It was a snowy hurricane called "White Juan", just a few months after Hurricane Juan smashed into Halifax in September 2003. More than 100 centimeters of snow crippled most of the region and winds, in some cases exceeding 120 kilometers an hour, destroyed trees, roofs and power lines and tied up transportation. Many people had no power for many days. In almost two weeks, the Red Cross helped more than 30,000 people province-wide.

Shelburne County Honours Miss Ally

Porch lights in Shelburne County will be left on over the next few days to remember the five fishermen killed in a tragic fishing accident last year.  It's being seen as a way to honour the young men killed a year ago when the Miss Ally capsized in rough seas. The lobster fishing boat was based out of Woods Harbour. The five fishermen that were killed were Captain Katlin Nickerson, Joel Hopkins, Tyson Townsend, Billy Jack Hatfield and Steven Cole Nickerson. Their bodies were never recovered despite a dramatic search. During the search last year, many people left their lights on in the symbolic hope that the fishermen would find their way home.

No Injuries As Fire Destroys Windsor Home

The Red Cross is helping a young family left homeless over the weekend in the Windsor area as a result of a fire. Firefighters were called to battle the house fire on Tongue Hill Road Saturday afternoon. When they arrived, flames were coming through the garage doors. Several other fire departments were called for help. No one was hurt and the family was apparently away at the time. They're now staying with relatives.

Opposition Leader Suspects Bluenose II Cover-Up

Nova Scotia's Opposition Leader says there's something fishy with the excessive expenses incurred by the still-incomplete Bluenose II re-build. Jamie Baillie suspects a coverup and he's calling upon the McNeil government to come clean!



Baillie also suspects the recent "retirement" of Freedom of Information officer Dulcie MacCallum had something to do with the release of information about Bluenose II from her office. He intends to bring the issue up when the Legislature resumes sitting in the spring.



The original cost for the rebuild was $14-million. Then, it jumped to $16-million, and now, many suspect the cost will be pushing $20-million by the time its completed. Bluenose II still has not returned as Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador after nearly 4 years into the project.

Record Breaking Valentine's Day Radiothon

It's a record fundraising drive for an organization trying to purchase new equipment for hospitals in Lunenburg County. The Health Services Foundation was able to raise just over $95,000 during its annual radiothon on Valentine's Day. They had set a goal of $100,000 for the day. However, more donations are expected to pour in over the next few weeks. Announcer with CKBW and HANK FM spent the day at the hospital helping to raise the money. It turned out to be an overwhelming success. It's the fourth annual radiothon. The foundation is looking to raise enough money to buy a mobile x-ray unit for the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater. The total cost of the unit is $225,000.  More fundraisers are planned to help reach the target.

Officials Gather To Assess Emergency Situations

Three different scenarios forced Lunenburg County's Regional Emergency Measures Organization in action for a short time on Friday. The group activated its operations centre in Bridgewater for roughly 90 minutes to assess emergency calls for flooded basements, a fatal crash in New Germany and an overturned oil truck in Chester Grant. However, spokesperson John Collyer says they decided to shut down the centre because all situations were handled.



Collyer says officials will continue to watch the weather forecast with freezing rain, snow and rain in the forecast for Saturday evening.

South Shore Senior Groups Benefit From Provincial Grant

Four South Shore groups are getting financial support from the province. Senior Safety programs in Lunenburg, Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens counties are all receiving money from Nova Scotia's senior safety grant. The money was announced earlier this week for South Shore Safe Communities, Yarmouth Town and County Crime Prevention Association, Shelburne County Senior Safety Society and Queens County Crime Prevention Association. The money helps support non-profit groups educate and raise awareness of senior abuse, prevent crime and encourage the overall health and safety of seniors. Funding for the groups is listed below.

South Shore Safe Communities:  Lunenburg County Seniors Safety - $20,000

Yarmouth Town and County Crime Prevention Association - $20,000

Shelburne County Senior Safety Society: Safety for Seniors - $19,998.12

Queens County Crime Prevention Association - $18,170

Bridgewater: Town Moving Ahead With New Logo

Bridgewater is moving ahead with plans to tweak a proposed new logo. The town has agreed to spend up to $5,000 to give its logo a facelift.  The proposed logo is a circle that includes the colours green, white and blue. The white represents the LaHave River while the green promotes sustainability and the blue represents the sky. Mayor David Walker says the colours remain up for discussion.



Walker says council hasn't made up its mind on the colours, which could change the final design. The logo would be placed on everything including town vehicles, signs welcoming people to the town and bills. Mayor David Walker welcomes the change.

The money is pre-approved from next year's budget. 

Emergency Officials Meet To Discuss Flooding

Emergency management officials in Lunenburg County are meeting to discuss a potential action plan after the region was hit with 40 to 50 millimetres of rain. A number of people are dealing with flooded basements. Officials are also dealing flooding on road ways. We'll update this story when we have more information.

Fatal Crash In New Germany

Police say a 60 year-old was killed when his car slammed into the ditch in New Germany. The crash occurred shortly after 4 a.m. Mounties say the man was from Pinehurst. A section of Highway 10 was shut down four more than four hours while investigators checked out the scene. Road conditions were poor at the time of the crash. However, police did not say if that was a factor.

Storm Causes Flooding, Closes Schools

It's a messy morning. The South Shore Regional School Board has cancelled classes in Lunenburg and Queens Counties. Also, no classes at the Waldorf school in Blockhouse or the French School in Cookville. Schools under the Tri-County Regional School Board are open. However, buses will not travel on gravel roads. More rain is also expected today, another 20 to 30 mm of rain is in the forecast before changing to flurries later this afternoon. Some South Shore residents are reporting basement flooding as result of all the rain overnight. Meanwhile, RCMP are reminding motorist to reduce speeds in case of hydroplaning. There was a single vehicle crash this morning on Highway 10. A section of the highway is closed near Guppy's Restaurant in New Germany. No other details on the crash have been released. About 2,500 Nova Scotia Power custmers are in the dark this morning, outages are being reported in Digby, Halifax and Sydney.

Martin, Duckworth Receive Funding From New Program

A pair of South Shore athletes will benefit from funding for Atlantic Canadian Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. The Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic and several businesses have launched Elevate, a program providing assistance to athletes striving for the international podium. Snowboarder Alex Duckworth from Kingsburg and Bridgewater's Jenna Martin are among seven athletes from Nova Scotia and P.E.I. receiving funding. The groups have announced $100,000 in funding will be provided annually over the next four years towards the program. Money will be used to access training facilities, performance professionals, nutritional guidance, leadership and mentoring.