Dexter Construction: Will Pave Windsor Road for $1.8 M

Dexter Construction will pave a section of the Windsor Road for $1.8 million. The company submitted the low bid for work on a nine kilometre stretch between Canaan Road and Kaizer Meadow Road. The tender process closed yesterday with a total of six bids. Area Manager Matt Covey says the bids were extremely close with the highest coming in at $2.1 million.  The paving is planned for this summer.

Town of Lockeport Celebrates 105th Birthday

The Town of Lockeport will receive a special gift as part of its 105th birthday celebrations. The photography class from the NSCC Waterfront Campus in Dartmouth will present council with a collection of photos from the community during a presentation this afternoon. The photos were taken last April when 40 students from the class traveled to the seaside town in hopes of capturing the heart of the community. They compiled their work into a 116 page photo book that includes a collection of people, places and beauty of Lockeport. The town was incorporated on February 26th in 1907 and will celebrate its 105th birthday on Sunday. www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2988940

Health care meeting in Mahone Bay

Kyle Buott

A Nova Scotia solution for a National Dilemma. That's the focus for Friday night's health meeting in Mahone Bay hosted by the South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians. The group is particularly focused on the 2014 Health Accord. The current accord that sets funding and health care agreements between the provincial, territorial and federal governments expires in 2014 and needs to be renegotiated. Guest speaker, Kyle Buott, of the Nova Scotia Citizens' Health Care Network says the meeting will also talk about solutions being generated across the province.

"Often time when we talk about public health care, we often talk about all the problems that we're facing, the challenges we see, but tonight its going to be about some of the solutions that are happening across the country. So, it should be a little bit more a positive and uplifting meeting."

The meeting will be held at the Mahone Bay Centre at 7:30pm.

Park View ready to host JV Basketball provincials

It's provincial basketball time in Bridgewater. The Park View Panthers Junior Varsity boys host the championships beginning at 2pm Friday afternoon. The six team tournament includes Citadel, C.P. Allen, Sydney Academy, Riverview and Cobequid. Play will held Friday night and Saturday in the Park View gym. Tournament schedule is below.








Pool A                                         Pool B


Team A - Citadel            Team B - C.P. Allen

Team D - C.E.C.            Team C - Park View

Team E - Sydney Academy   Team F - Riverview


Friday:

2pm Citadel vs. CEC

4pm CP Allen vs. Park View

5:30pm Opening Ceremonies

6:15pm Citadel vs. Sydney Academy

8:15pm CP Allen vs. Riverview


Saturday:

9am CEC vs. Sydney Academy

11am Park View vs. Riverview

1pm 3rd Pool A vs. 3rd Pool B

3pm Bronze Medal Game
       2nd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B

5pm CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
        1st Pool A vs 1st Pool B

Mill Cove Residents Argue Boundary Changes

A long standing boundary issue between Mill Cove and Birchy Head has reached its tipping point. About 10 residents residents of Mill Cove attended this morning's council meeting in Chester to discuss a petition on the proposed boundary change. Many residents told council the original petition was confusing and that they wanted to change their vote. Councillor Floyd Shattford is hoping a second petition - mailed out by the municipality - will give the issue some clarity. 'We'll get it right at the end of the day. It's not going to change peoples lives, it's not going to change peoples postal address its just a matter of moving a sign from one place to another - it's sensitive for some people and I understand that but hopefully at the end of the day all will go well...and no hard feelings,"  According to the proposed boundary changes, residents who currently reside in Mill Cove would technically be living in the community of Birchy Head. Council will revisit the issue at a future meeting.

BREAKING: SSRSB identifies six schools for review

The South Shore Regional School Board has identified six schools for review this year. Board member Judith Sullivan-Corney stated Gold River-Western Shore Elementary, Pentz Elementary, Petite Riviere Elementary, Hebbville Academy, Bridgewater Junior/Senior High and Mill Village Consolidated will go through the review process. Sullivan-Corney says there is a need to look at some schools.

"I think its important for us to review schools that are close together, schools that are very small that require a lot of repair, we need to look at that because I think over time, we're not going to be able to maintain all of those schools."

A decision was delayed on four schools including New Ross Consolidated, Newcombville Elementary, and both New Germany Elementary and New Germany High. Sullivan-Corney also indicated Aspotogan Consolidated Elementary, North Queens Community School and Greenfield Elementary would not be reviewed. She says a decision on the four delayed schools could come as early as next month. The review process has many options including recommending a facility be closed, upgraded or consolidated. Check out the video below of Sullivan-Corney explaining why the board decided to send six schools to the review process.

Mitchell: Steele inaccurate over no tax increase claim

A Bridgewater town councillor disagrees with Finance Minister Graham Steele that taxes won't be raised in the province this year. David Mitchell says the message Steele is sending is not exactly true. He says although the province may not increase taxes, municipalities might be forced to.

"I find it humorous because at the provincial level it's easier for them to say no tax increases and send that message out to the people of Nova Scotia, yet, they increase the burden on municipalities, which may result in a lot of them increasing their taxes."

Mitchell doesn't expect the town of Bridgewater to be affected after population growth and an increase in tax revenue because of development. But he notes, total property values in the province increased by an average of six per cent from last year, meaning some homeowners should expect a hike on their tax bills.

LCLC in negotiating phase

The LCLC has entered the negotiation phase. Chair Paul Belliveau says they met with the project manager and architects Tuesday to discuss the results of the tender. He says the manager and architects have come up with a list of items where the price could be reduced and closer to budget. Belliveau says they have to negotiate with Bird Construction to see if they can reduce costs.

"The $24.389-million bid that came in was between $500,000 to $900,000 more than what we had budgeted for. So, we're working to get that number back, closer to our budget, so we can get the very same facility, same components, for the dollars that we have available."

Bird Construction submitted the low bid of almost $24.4-million. Belliveau says they're looking at reducing costs in items dealing with the appearance of the structure, not the functional use. He says they expect to fundraise if they can't cut costs to meet their budget. Belliveau says they would like to have work start on-site around the middle of March.

Record Year for Lunenburg's High Liner Foods

A record year of sales and profit for High Liner Foods. The Lunenburg based company reports overall sales increased by 14.3 percent to $668.6 million up from $584.7 million in 2010. It's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) increased by an impressive 15.9 percent to $54.7 million up from $47.2 million. High Liner Foods banner year was helped by the acquistions of Viking Seafoods Inc and Icelandic Group's US and Asian Operations. The US$232.7 million dollar Icelandic deal was completed in December making High Liner Foods the leading value-added seafood supplier in North America. CEO Henry Demone says the companies US operations grew in both food service and retail but sales volumes in Canada were unchanged due to a challenging retail market. However, the company did report a 4.1 percent increase in Canaidian sales.

Province commits $750,000 to Black Loyalist Centre



Design for the new Black Loyalist Heritage Centre

The province is supporting the new Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Shelburne County. The Nova Scotia government has committed $750,000 to the Birchtown project through the Community Development Trust Fund. The Centre is expected to tell the story of the Black Loyalists, who relocated to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick after fighting for the British in the American Revolutionary War. Hundreds settled in Birchtown during the 1780s. The province also provides $250,000 annually in operational funding for the Centre. The federal government has also pledged roughly $2.6-million towards the new centre. African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister Percy Paris says the Black Loyalists are a fundamental part of the province's history and the new centre will help make sure their story is told for generations to come. Construction will begin in late May, with the centre expected to be open in July 2013.

Morning Rollover on Italy Cross Road

Slippery roads are to blame for a single vehicle rollover on the Italy Cross Road this morning. RCMP say a woman in her early 50's was taken to hospital when her vehicle slid of the road and flipped into the ditch. The woman was trapped inside her car until emergency crews arrived and cut out the windshield. Police describe the woman's injuries as minor.

Plan Needed To Fight Prescription Drug Abuse: Glavine

The prescription pain killer .. OxyContin ... will not be funded anymore by the Nova Scotia government's Pharmacare Program.  The move is aimed at reducing prescription painkiller abuse.
However, Liberal health critic Leo Glavine tells us its only a half-hearted attempt to address the problem with no government strategy in place.  He says drug abuse is a fact of today's life for many people and there needs to be greater government-funded rehab to help those who need and want help.
Glavine tells us: "Its a 21 day program. I know the one at Fishermen's Memorial has a couple of tremendous counsellors in the program. But very often, 21 days is just the beginning of changing behaviours and re-equipping people with the skills and tools for better decision making and re-managing their lives."
Glavine says the government promised more than two years ago it would come up with a plan to deal with prescription drug abuse and he says nothing will change until that happens.

Finance Minister: No Tax Hikes & Budget Targets Attainable

Finance Minister Graham Steele's pre-budget consultations have reached the South Shore. Steele along with Lunenburg West MLA Gary Ramey met with select groups in the Bridgewater area last night to discuss how the upcoming fiscal plan should look. The government is projecting a $365-million deficit for this year, with a deficit of about $215 million next spring and a balanced budget the following year. In a interview with CKBW/HANK FM, Steele says the government is on track to reach those targets. "I'm happy to say as the finance minster that we are on track to do exactly that, it hasn't been easy but the plan is working," Meanwhile, Steele says Nova Scotians won't see any tax increases in the upcoming budget which he says will be delivered in early April.

VIDEO: Keddy visits Lunenburg Foundry

It's the first time he's seen it, and already he's impressed. MP for South Shore- St. Margaret's Gerald Keddy got his initial look at the Lunenburg Foundry's KDM system, which uses two mirrors to harness the sun's power for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Keddy says he was impressed by what the system could do.

"This thing has potential, not just to make bronze castings and brass castings but this has potential for applications in third world countries around the world, for applications to heat hot water here we are on a February day and they are going up to a couple thousand degrees Celsius in order to melt a bronze/magnesium mixture."

Keddy stopped by the Foundry Tuesday afternoon to get a first-hand look at practices the company is involved in. He also says he likes the look of the Bluenose II. Keddy says the build is drawing a lot of attention.

"This is the most important build on the planet and I'm not exaggerating that. You know, everybody who is remotely interested in sailing vessels and wooden ships is watching this on the webcam, its that big."

 He says the visit is to help inspire companies to pursue supply chain opportunities that will be created by the Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan.

Check out the video below to see the KDM system work with comments from Lunenburg Foundry President Peter Kinley and MP for South Shore- St. Margaret's Gerald Keddy.

NB Contractor Files Lawsuit Against Grace Murray Inc.

A New Brunswick based contractor has filed a lawsuit in Nova Scotia Supreme Court against Grace Murray Inc. Saulnier Losier Management claims it is owed just over $400,000 for extra costs it had to cover when they built the Bridgewater Best Western Hotel. Grace Murray Inc is co-owned by Rodney Grace and former NHL'er Glen Murray. In a prepared statement, Grace told CKBW/HANK FM News his company 'entered into a fixed price contract with Saulnier Losier and has no intention of paying more than what was agreed upon for a turnkey complete project.' Saulnier Losier was contracted in October 2009 to build the three-story 63-room Best Western in Cookville. Saulnier Losier claims the project experienced numerous cost overruns during construction and the construction contract between the two parties was breached. They are also seeking interest and costs. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Calls to Saulnier Losier of New Brunswick this afternoon have not been returned.

MODL secures waste collection until 2019

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has secured waste collection services until 2019. Council has approved awarding the lone tender received to G.E.'s All Trucking for just over $10.6-million for seven years, beginning in 2013. The new contract contains the same services as the current agreement with additional items including a route supervisor, Christmas tree pickup and a green cart administrator. The new services add more than $348,000 to the seven year budget.

Potential Bus Service for Shelburne County

A Shelburne County organization is looking at establishing a bus service for its residents. The Sou'west Nova Transit Association has filed an application to the province's Utility and Review Board for a motor carrier license. The request would allow the group to operate a 14-passenger bus with three wheelchair accessible seats and eight passenger seats. It could then drive people along the South Shore as far as Halifax and Yarmouth. The chair of the Association, David Meyer, says it could be a valued service for the area.

"Our service must be pre-booked, it will be door-to-door and will be specifically intended for people who have mobility problems or medical problems, the elderly, people in a low income situation and people who require transportation that they can arrange ahead of time."

Objections to the service need to be received by March 14 to board@gov.ns.ca . If there are none, the UARB could grant the application without a public hearing. You can check out the groups website at http://www.petprojects.ca/swnt/index.html .

Osprey Ridge to host Canadian Junior Boys Championship

A local golf course will host this year's Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Osprey Ridge has been selected by the Canadian Golf Association to test the best junior golfers in the country from July 30 to August 3. Over 150 golfers from coast to coast are expected to tee it up for the event. The championship will be 72 holes of stroke play. Kevin Kwon of B.C. won last year's title.

Liberal MLA wants February holiday in Nova Scotia

Today is a holiday in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and PEI. Having the third Monday in February as a holiday gives everyone a break from the rigours of winter. In our province though, today is just another Monday and we won't be getting a break until Easter in April. Halifax-area Liberal MLA Diana Whalen has been trying for years to establish a February holiday and she tells CKBW/HANK FM News she's applying more pressure to have her idea in place by next year. She says communities here would make good use of the holiday. "They really create a lot of exciting in the communities, I know there are a lot of activities like winter carnivals that take place and things of that nature and I'm sure the people of the South Shore would jump right in and do that...tt becomes a real family weekend," Next year, Whalen is hoping Nova Scotia will join the list of those having mid-February holidays.

Three Dozen Abandon Cats Recovering

More than three dozen malnourished cats that were rescued from a home outside of Lockeport are on the road to recovery. Members of the Beulah Burman Memorial Animal Shelter in Shelburne took in 31 cats from an abandon home in Rockland earlier this month. The cats were suffering from frostbite, infection and starvation when they were found but volunteers have been nursing the animals back to health. Shelter volunteer Shelley Leblanc says its been a heart warming experience to watch the community rally around the animals. "Rescuing cats has been one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. It's over whelming but if you look at the future that these cats now have - they are going to have a life, they are going to be warm, they are going to be fed and its such a rewarding thing because it makes such a difference in your life," Five of the cats have already been adopted to new homes while another half dozen are ready to go to a good home. Anyone interested donating time, money or adoption can log on to http://www.petprojects.ca/ for more information.

Bridgewater's Lohnes Picks Up "Michener Award"

A special honor for judo champ Whitney Lohnes of Bridgewater. The 19 year old is one of two recipients of the 2011 Roland Michener Canada Games Award. Lohnes won gold at last year's Canada Winter Games in Halifax. More recently she picked up gold at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Wales. Lohnes was given the Michener Award in recognition of her leadership skills and scholastic and athletic achievements. Lohnes is training in Montreal these days and attending Concordia University.

Bridgewater projecting budget surplus

Dawn Keizer

The town of Bridgewater is currently forecasting a healthy surplus. Director of Finance, Dawn Keizer, released her third quarter numbers during the February 13 council meeting. She is indicating a projected surplus of $639,400. The third quarter financial report for 2011-12 ended December 31, with projections to March 31, 2012. Keizer is projecting protective services, recreation and culture and environmental health to finish in the black, while transportation is anticipated to be in the red. While the numbers look good at the moment, Keizer says it is important to note that much can change in the next month.

South Shore resident wins 'Award of Sexcellence'

A member of South Shore Health has picked up an award from the Nova Scotia Association for Sexual Health. Lori McCracken has won the 'Award of Sexcellence' for her contributions to the field. McCracken says its nice to be recognized.

"Well, sometimes I don't consider myself a forerunner in terms of sexual reproductive health. I can definitely now say that this topic is maybe not what everybody does in their job, so it's great to be recognized for that."

McCracken has helped develop a youth health centre in New Germany, and a sexual health board game for teens.

Mustangs look to stave off elimination against Valley

A must-win situation Saturday night for the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs. The local major midget club needs a victory to avoid being swept of their best of five series against the Valley Wildcats. The Wildcats earned one goal victories in Bridgewater earlier this week, to lead the series 2-0. The game will be held at 8pm Saturday night in Berwick.

Lumberjacks double up Bearcats

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have finally beat the Truro Bearcats this season. Michael Crawley scored three goals and added three assists as the Jacks doubled up the Bearcats 8-4 Friday night in Bridgewater. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says it was the best character win for his club this season.

"Guys stepped up tonight and backed each other up and everything come together the way it should come together. They battled hard and deserved the win, that's fate and we talked about, you know, all year Truro had our number and got luck with us and we didn't get any luck, we earned everything we got tonight and kudos to the kids man, they worked great, I was so proud of those 19 individuals in there I can't say enough about them."

Jake Bullen added five assists while Cody Coffin also scored twice and added two assists. Dylan McQuaid stopped 48 shots in the win. The Bearcats had the Lumberjacks number prior to Friday night's game, winning the five previous games this season by a 36-9 margin. The Jacks take on the Mariners in Yarmouth Saturday night at 7:30.

BREAKING: Cooke Aquaculture Confirms Salmon Virus Scare

(Photo: courtesy of SouthCoastToday.ca)

Cooke Aquaculture says it has a suspected outbreak of the infectious salmon anemia virus at one of its fish farms. In a statement, the seafood company says it destroyed thousands of fish contained in two cages at one of its fish farming sites after routine tests and surveillance of its stocks. But the company declined to say where the outbreak is suspected. It's believed the fish farm in question is located in Shelburne. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating, but it too declined to say where the suspected outbreak is located. Dr. Con Kiley, director of the agency's aquatic animal health program says the virus is not a human health or food risk. "I think the important thing to say is that it is not confirmed to date, the other thing is people need to understand is that infectious salmon anemia is not a human health or food safety issue...it's not,"He says tests will be conducted at a federal lab in Moncton to confirm whether the virus is present.

Tenders close for LCLC; decision coming next week

The chair of the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre hopes the winning tender for the project will be announced in the next week. Paul Belliveau says the tender process closed earlier this week with eight construction companies vying to build the centre. Bird Construction of Halifax had the lowest bid at just over $24-million. If that group wins the bid, Belliveau says they would need to fundraise roughly $500-thousand to meet the budget needs. He doesn't expect to approach local governments for more funding. Belliveau says they're looking good.

"So at this point, to come in that we're roughly very close to our budget, we're going to have a facility that looks roughly like what we wanted it to look like and we maintained the integrity of having all of the components, I think we're in pretty good shape. We said that we would try and deliver something within the 33.5-million dollar range and I think we're going to get there."

Construction is still planned to start around mid-March, with the project pegged to be completed by next spring.

BREAKING: Thousands of Salmon Destroyed Because of Viral Scare

Thousands of fish have been destroyed because of a suspected finding of infectious salmon anemia in Nova Scotia. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating the matter but would not confirm the location of the potential finding. The suspected case of ISA is believed to be at a fish farm in Shelburne owned by New Brunswick based Cooke Aquaculture. Director of the National Aquatic and Animal Health Program for CFIA, Dr. Con Kiley says samples have already been sent to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans laboratory in Moncton for testing. "The disease has not been confirmed to date, the agency with the co-operation of the company has place a quarantine on the facility. That means we have disease control measures in place and confirmatory testing is underway and results are expected over the next few weeks," ISA is a flu-like virus that affects Atlantic salmon. It is harmless to the public but it is the single most feared virus in the fish industry because its highly contagious and impact on wild salmon populations.

Conservatives Focus on South Shore Ridings

The leader of Nova Scotia's PC Party spent time with South Shore residents Thursday night in Bridgewater. Jamie Baillie held a question and answer session at the Bridgewater Fire Hall. In a sit down interview with CKBW/HANK-FM, Baillie tells us he wasn't happy during last election after the NDP swept all the seats along the South Shore. But, Baillie looks forward to the next election because local NDP MLAs have to face the music for decisions they've made."Like, Lunenburg West - Gary Ramey, like, Lunenburg Pam Birdsall who have to answer to the people of the South Shore why they voted with the back room union interests with the NDP and against those jobs at places like Michelin. I am very proud to say we are with them - the employees of Michelin and the ones that want to work there in fighting that bill bu they didn't stand with their own constituents," Baillie says the South Shore region is important to his party because he feels the NDP has forgotten about residents.

Mustangs fall to Valley; down 2-0 in playoff series

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs are in danger of being swept out of the playoffs. The Valley Wildcats scored the go ahead goal midway through the 2nd period for a 2-1 win over the Mustangs. The victory gives the Valley a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Head Coach Tim Boyce says his club needs to stay confident.

"We've outplayed them for two games as far as I'm concerned, you know, we've dominated the shot clock just haven't been able to put the puck in the net, powerplay hasn't been great, but you know what, give them credit, they've clogged up the middle of the ice in the little rink and their defencemen are blocking a lot of shots in front, so hopefully we'll go down there to Berwick, it's a bigger ice surface and it's going to be tougher for their defencemen to do that."

Boyce adds its been a frustrating series so far.

"Like I said to the guys, it's one thing to be completely dominated by a team and go into the dressing room down 0-2 thinking you don't have a chance because they've outplayed you. That's not the case here. I've felt we've carried the play here in the two games, just got to start finishing."

Avery Clarke scored the lone goal for the Mustangs while Cole Skinner stopped 18 shots in the loss. Game 3 goes Saturday night in Berwick.

Mahone Bay appoints new police chief

There is a new police chief in Mahone Bay. Rob James has held the job since last June, but the town formally appointed him to the position during Tuesday night's council meeting. James says the RCMP don't typically have police chiefs, so its more of an honorary title. He says there's been a little bit more workload because of the new title.

"I look after any investigations in Mahone Bay, but I'm also, for example, the traffic authority, I look after any bylaws that need tending in Mahone Bay. I also liaise with the town council, with the police advisory board things like that. I'm more less a liaison between the detachment and town of Mahone Bay."

James says its been an easy transition becoming the head officer in Mahone Bay after spending over six years covering Lunenburg County.

Chester Mulls Buying Land Along East River

The Municipality of Chester is mulling over whether or not to purchase a 12 hectare parcel of land along the East River. The piece of land is located along the west side of the river and is bordered by the Chester Connection Trail. The area is known as a good spot for fishing, hunting, hiking and canoeing and is up for sale for just under $100,000. Councillor Marshall Hector says he's in favour of buying the land because the land has lots of recreational value. Council discussed the issue at length but decided to defer the issue until their meeting next week.

Residents lack support to pave Dawson Heights

Dawson Heights Road won't be added to the province's paving program this spring. Only 28 per cent of residents agreed to pay half the estimated $307-thousand cost to pave it. That represents about nine of the 32 property owners on the Pine Grove road. The street improvement bylaw says a minimum 75 per cent approval is needed before any paving work could have been done. Mayor Don Downe says residents have the option of revisiting the issue next year.

Bridgewater changes benefits for non-unionized staff

Bridgewater council is offering its non-unionized staff an updated benefits package. The new perks include personal sick days increasing to five from two, increased time off for bereavement and changes to overtime policy for senior management and non-management. Mayor Carroll Publicover likes the changes.

"We've got an excellent non-unionized work force. They're very professional, they represent the town in an exemplary way. I think you treat your professional staff in the best way that you can within the means that you have. We're not giving away the ship, we're compensating them reasonably for what they do."

However, councillor Bill McInnis disagreed with the mayor, saying benefits in the public sector are excessive compared to the private sector. Councillor Jim Bell also voted against the updated benefit package. Council voted 4-2 in favour of the change, with councillor Patrick Hirtle missing the meeting. The town also increased pension contributions to seven per cent, with the option of raising it from its current amount of five per cent.

Elderly Man Crashes Into BMO in Lunenburg

An elderly man is in hospital after his vehicle smashed into the Bank of Montreal in Lunenburg. Police say the man suffered minor injuries and no one else was hurt. Mounties report the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated, jumped the curb and smashed into the bank. The vehicle hit the building with enough impact to deploy both airbags. There was minor damage to the bank itself which remained opened for regular business.

Radiothon: Donations Could Reach $70,000

The 2nd annual "Gift For The Heart" Radiothon yesterday on CKBW (HANK-FM) brought in nearly 63-thousand dollars toward a new piece of cardiac monitoring equipment at South Shore Regional Hospital. Bernadette Jordan of the Health Services Foundation says money is still rolling in and she's predicting donations could total 70,000 in the days ahead. She's now asking those who donated to honor their pledges and its easy to do. "They could either drop into the foundation office at South Shore Regional Hospital or Fishermen's Memorial Hospital between 8:30AM and 4:30PM Monday to Friday or they could leave them at the switchboard as well,"  Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 492 in Bridgewater. Postal code: B4V 2X6.

Tories will host Town Hall Meeting in Bridgewater

The high cost of living will be the focus of a town hall meeting in Bridgewater this week. Conservative leader Jamie Baillie will host the meeting that will focus on issues such as jobs, power rates and daycare. In an interview with CKBW/HANK FM, Baillie says he wants to hear from South Shore residents on what needs to change to make life more affordable. "We need to look very closely with the way electricity prices are set...I don't know about you but I got my power bill this week and holy smokes, what a shock. So if there was ever an argument to go back to the drawing board on a electricity policy its that," Baillie says fundamental changes such as balanced budgets and lower taxes are needed in order to help people make ends meet. The meeting will be held Thursday night at the Bridgewater Fire Hall at 7 o'clock.

White Point: Virtual Design of Main Lodge Unveiled

The owner of a popular beach resort in White Point says the new lodge will serve as a perfect tribute. Robert Risley made the comment as officials unveiled the new design plan for the main lodge yesterday. The designs were released only three months after a devastating fire destroyed the White Point Beach Resort's Main Lodge. The new lodge will be constructed with local material, such as wood and stone with modern windows and energy efficient components. The new lodge will feature a pool, hot tub and sauna in addition to wood burning fire places, a lounge and meeting space. The lodge will be constructed over the next few months and be ready to re-open in the fall.  For a virtual tour of the lodge - click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6a8CsNJrY4

VIDEO: Downe rejects takeover of Centre Consolidated

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has learned it will take over Centre Consolidated at the end of March. The province informed Don Downe recently and the mayor isn't too pleased about the situation. He says the Municipality already spent thousands of dollars on demolishing the Centre Jail, and they've inherited the Blockhouse School and Riverport Community School. Downe says inheriting Centre Consolidated would be a burden on the Municipality.

"That is a huge liability to this council. On top of the millions we've talked about, this school alone, to put into a condition for a sale, would be around $2-million of repairs that need to be dealt with immediately."

Downe says they're not accepting the takeover and wants the province to put a moratorium on it. He says the Municipality can't afford to pay for Centre and he plans to write detailed letters to local MLAs, the Minister responsible and the Premier about the situation.

Sports: Mustangs drop game one to Valley

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs let a two-goal lead slip away, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Valley Wildcats in game one of their best of five playoff series. The Mustangs led 2-0 midway through the first period when an apparent missed icing call happened, resulting in the Valley's first goal. Mustangs Head Coach Tim Boyce says it killed their early momentum.

"We're up 2-0, we're outshooting them 17-1, they clearly ice the puck, nobody is even around it, everybody in the rink thinks its icing and it doesn't get blown down and then after the fact they tell us that it was tipped, but it couldn't of been tipped, nobody was around the puck."

Despite the early loss, Boyce says he isn't ringing the alarm bells just yet.

"I didn't expect to beat these guys three straight. They're just as hungry as us to get a playoff win. We're ok. Like I said, we come back Thursday, and hope to even it up. We played very well in the Valley this year, we haven't lost a game down there this year, so, we'll just focus on Thursday and take it from there."

Connor Hirtle, Stone Harnish and Jamie Blair scored for the Mustangs while Cole Skinner stopped 20 shots in the loss. Game two goes Thursday night at 7:30 at the Bridgewater Arena.

RCMP: Angry Pit Bull Greets Officer

An RCMP officer in Queens County had to fire off a warning shot to scare away an aggressive pit bull while making an arrest in Liverpool this weekend. Police were executing a search warrant on Sunday at a home in Mersey Point when they were greeted at the door by the large dog. According to police, the pet was not harmed and the officer only fired his revolver to scare away the dog. Meanwhile, police arrested a 24 year-old man in relation to an alleged break and enter in the area. The man has been charged with possession of stolen property, break and enter and two counts of breach of probation.  The accused was scheduled to appear in Liverpool Provincial Court today.

Bayport Fisherman Guilty of Avoiding DFO Inspection

A Lunenburg County fisherman has been fined after being convicted in Bridgewater court this week on a charge laid by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Bernard Selig of Bayport was found guilty of off-loading 5-thousand pounds of groundfish from his boat last year and avoiding inspection by DFO officers. He's been fined 500-dollars and ordered by the judge to forfeit the value of more than 3-thousand dollars worth of groundfish. Selig has not received a fishing license-suspension.

SSRSB Superintendent: "To early to speculate on cuts"

Nancy Pynch-Worthylake

There's more than the announced budget cuts coming for the South Shore Regional School Board. Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says they will be facing an estimated $1.4-million in cuts, as well as roughly $660-thousand to $1.3-million in cost of living setbacks. The School Board reduced 19 positions from its regional office last year, along with 11 teachers and 32 school-based support workers. Pynch-Worthylake says its too early to tell what cuts they will make this year.

"We don't yet know what the exact implications will be. It will be very difficult and we will present the board with options for a balanced budget but it would be premature to speculate on what that will look like."

Last year, the Board was forced to trim $2.7-million from its budget because of a reduction in provincial funding and an increase in cost pressures. Pynch-Worthylake says they won't know for sure what they will have to cut until the province releases its final budget for 2012-13. Once that happens, the board has 60 days to release its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Bridgewater turns 113-years-old

Happy belated birthday to Bridgewater. Mayor Carroll Publicover released the information during the opening announcements of Monday night's town council meeting. February 13 was Bridgewater's 113th birthday. Publicover says no celebration was held this year.

"We have been celebrating it, in every fifth year, like this is 113, on 115 there will probably be cake and cookies and lemonade and all kinds of wonderful festivities, but it's not something you do every year, but you acknowledge it."

History tells us in January 1899, an event known as the "Big Fire" completely destroyed the downtown core of Bridgewater.  One month later, the community came together as an Incorporated Town.

Minor injuries after head-on collision in Hebbs Cross

A head-on collision in Hebbs Cross Monday afternoon has left one person with minor injuries. The accident happened along highway 103 just before 3:30pm near the Blarney Stone Restaurant and Naugler Auto. Hebbs Cross Deputy Fire Chief Charles Meisner describes what happened.

"There was a Jeep coming from Liverpool. There was a gentleman that was coming out of Naugler's Service Centre and the Jeep lost control of the road conditions and hit the gentleman that was leaving Naugler's."

Meisner says an older man leaving Naugler Auto in a Chevrolet Lumina van suffered a few cuts to his face and did not believe to have any damage to his legs after they were trapped because of the accident. Officials with the Bridgewater Fire Department were called-in with the Jaws of Life to free the man. He was then taken to hospital while a younger man in the Jeep walked away with no injuries.  Meisner says weather is believed to be the main reason for the accident. The highway was shut down as a result of the accident for roughly an hour.

Suspicious Fire on Big Tancook Island

An investigation is underway into a suspicious fire at a cottage on Big Tancook Island. Chester RCMP and the Fire Marshal's office are looking into what caused the blaze and who may be responsible. The fire broke out last Monday and completely destroyed the cottage. Anyone with information is being asked to contact police in Chester or crime stoppers.

Dexter: Bowater Working on Efficiency Upgrades

Premier Darrell Dexter isn't surprised by the upcoming shutdown at Bowater Mersey. He says the market for paper across the continent remains extremely soft and periodic downtime has to be expected. Dexter says taxpayers shouldn't worry about the province's decision to offer a $50 million dollar rescue package for the mill.  He says the mill will remain in operation and officials at Bowater are still working on installing more efficient machinery. Dexter says those upgrades will help make the mill more competitive and avoid lengthy shutdowns in the future. Resolute Forest Products announced on Friday it will temporarily shut down a number of its operations next month due to poor market conditions.  The Liverpool area mill will shut down for three weeks beginning March 11th.

SSRSB Reviewing Electoral Districts

The South Shore Regional School Board is reviewing its electoral districts. Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says the review is necessary after the approved and potential municipality district changes in the South Shore region.

"There have been changes, approved changes, to the Municipality of the District of Queens and the District of Lunenburg has applied for some changes. Our electoral districts are determined, in part, by theirs. Once they have changes to theirs, we need to look at ours."

The School Board is made up of ten district members and two at-large members-one elected African Nova Scotian and one appointed First Nations representative. Pynch-Worthylake says the review will consider lowering the district members between five and 10. The first of three public meetings will be held February 20 from 6-7pm at the School Board Office. Other public meetings will be held Wednesday February 22 from 6-7pm at Forest Heights Community School and Thursday February 23 from 6-7pm at Dr. John C. Wickwire Elementary School. After public consultations are complete, it's expected School Board Member Judith Sullivan Corney will make a decision regarding the number and composition of districts at a Special Meeting Wednesday March 7 at 6:30pm at the School Board Office. A proposal will be made to the Utility and Review Board, who will hold a public consultation and make the final decision.

Health Services Foundation ready for 2nd Annual Radiothon

South Shore's Health Services Foundation 2nd annual Gift for the Heart Radiothon gets underway Tuesday. It will be held on CKBW and HANK-FM this year, in order to raise $244-thousand for a new Echo System. Bernadette Jordan with the Foundation talks about the importance of the system.

"It takes pictures of the heart, it's a non-invasive procedure, so its like an ultrasound but it's strictly cardiac and it will look at valves as well as the heart, and anyone who has any kind of heart issues, or valve issues, the echo is the system they go on."

Jordan is encouraging businesses to challenge each other to see who can donate more, or gather pocket change and donate that way.

"Throw it in a jar and drop it off the day of the event and you know, sometimes people don't realize how much change adds up and it can add up quite quickly and anybody can collect change, I mean, we're talking kids, schools, community groups, everybody can do the change thing quite easily."

South Shore Regional Hospital has the lone echo system from Halifax to Yarmouth. Both radio stations will air the Radiothon from 8am-6pm Tuesday.

Sports: Murphy wins Tankard title over Dacey

There's a new provincial curling champion on the block. Jamie Murphy's club from CFB Halifax got by Mark Dacey 7-5 in the final of the 2012 Molson Tankard Sunday at the Bridgewater Curling Club. Murphy says its a big thrill to win the title.

"It's just been awesome. We've had an awesome week and just can't put it into words, it's just been an awesome day."

Murphy's team came out firing, building up a 5-0 lead after two ends before Dacey fought back to within two after the seventh end. But the two teams just traded singles in the next two ends before Murphy ran Dacey out of rocks in the 10th to seal the victory. Murphy says it's a big win to beat Dacey for the championship.

"It's huge. Mark has was a great competitor all week, extremely supportive of us and a true professional."

Murphy also wins the first provincial title for CFB Halifax since Dave Joens won it in 1992. The Murphy team will now represent Nova Scotia at the 2012 Brier in Saskatoon, beginning the weekend of March.