Town Developing Committee To Create Grant Policy

The town of Bridgewater is creating a new committee to deal with the way it doles out money for community groups. Mayor David Walker says they don't have a clearly defined policy for organizations to apply for grants. The committee will consist of four councillors along with a town staff member. Walker says it will be their job to provide clarity to the issue.



The committee is expected to be approved during this evening's town council session.

Serious Injuries In Caledonia Crash

Two people have been taken to hospital following a single vehicle crash in Caledonia. The incident occurred around 8:30pm Sunday evening along Highway 8. Sgt. Alain LeBlanc says a car was traveling southbound when it overturned into a ditch. He says a 29-year-old man from Caledonia and 24-year-old woman from Mahone Bay were both ejected from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. The woman was taken by lifeflight to the QEII Hospital in Halifax while the man was transported to South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater. The cause of the incident is under investigation. 

Valley Wildcats Win Major Midget Hockey Atlantics, Move On to Telus Cup

The Valley Wildcats captured the Atlantic Major Midget Hockey championship today in Moncton with a 4-3 victory over Cornwall, PEI. The Cats move on to the Telus Cup National championship in Sault St. Marie, Ontario later this month.

Liberals Nominate Former Social Worker In Barrington-Argyle

A former social worker in Yarmouth, has won the Liberal nomination for the new riding of Argyle-Barrington. Kent Blades secured the nomination during a meeting Saturday in Barrington. Blades served three terms on Barrington Municipal Council. The 63-year old native of Cape Sable Island attributed his win to the establishment of a vigorous campaign with supporters from all corners of the constituency. Blades believes key issues in the upcoming campaign will include the return of the Yarmouth ferry, the local economy, power rates, health care and education.

Officials Investigate Beech Hill Fire

 

A mobile home in Beech Hill was gutted by fire last night. Firefighters with the Chester Basin and Western Shore Fire Departments were called to the scene  around mignight after a neighbour reported the blaze. Western Shore Fire Chief Scott Rafuse says they had the fire knocked down quickly but they are unsure how it started. It also wasn't known if anyone was still in the home at the time of the fire. RCMP and the provincial fire marshal's office are investigating.

Chester Clippers Fall In Semis At Atlantics

It was a heart-wrenching loss for the Chester Clippers. The local junior 'C' hockey club fell 5-4 in double overtime to the host Hampton Hurricanes, eliminating them from the Atlantic championships and ending their season abruptly. The loss is one that is tough to swallow for the Clippers, who allowed the tying goal with only six seconds left in the game. It will be an all-New Brunswick final, as the Western Valley Panthers won the other semi-final. Ben Bailey, Kyle Dilosa, Jeremy Church and Justin Bowen are this year's overage players and will not be back for another year.

Mooseheads Shutout Gatineau Again For 2-0 Series Lead

The Halifax Mooseheads shutout Gatineau 5-0 Saturday night at the Metro Centre to grab a 2-0 lead in that "Q" League best of seven quarter-final. The Olympiques are still searching for their first goal in the series after being blanked 7-0 on Friday night. Game three goes Tuesday night in Gatineau. 

Chester Earns Semi-Final Berth At Atlantics

Alex Armstrong, Jack Strowbridge and Connor Nauss each scored as the Chester Clippers defeated the Hampton Hurricanes 3-1 Friday night to wrap up the round robin at the Junior 'C' hockey Atlantics in Hampton, New Brunswick.  The win puts the Clippers in fourth place with a 2-2 record and means the two teams will meet again Saturday night in the semi-finals. Hampton finished in first place at 3-1. The game gets underway at 7pm and you can watch it by clicking here .

Mooseheads Win Game One Against Gatineau

The Halifax Mooseheads remain perfect in the playoffs. Last night at the Metro Centre the Moose blanked Gatineau 7-0 in that "Q" quarter-final opener. The best of seven series continues tonight at 7 in Halifax.

Liberals Set To Nominate In New Ridings

The provincial Liberal party is set to nominate their candidate in two new riding's. It's a two way race in Argyle-Barrington. The candidates seeking the nomination are Kent Blades and Louis d'Entremont.  Meanwhile, in Queens-Shelburne, Sheldon Brannen and Benson Frail are seeking the nod in that respective riding.
The successful candidates will carry the banner for the grits in the next provincial election. Liberal leader Stephen McNeil will be guest speaker at both events. The first nomination meeting will be held at Barrington Municipal High School. It gets underway at 2 o'clock. The second goes at the West Queens Community Centre at 7 o`clock.

Chester Clippers Earn First 'W' At Atlantics

The Chester Clippers have their first win at the Atlantic Junior 'C' Hockey Championships. The local club flexed their muscles offensively, scoring a 9-2 win over the Tignish Aces of PEI Friday afternoon. The win moves Chester into a spot in the semi-finals. They currently sit fourth out of five teams. They may be able to improve their position with a win at 8pm tonight against the host club, the Hampton Hurricanes.

Sustainability Expo Back For Its Second Year

Food is the theme for this year's South Shore Sustainability Expo at the NSCC campus in Bridgewater. The event will showcase the best in local and regional business and community practices for sustainability. A discussion led by a three-person panel from Lunenburg County will also focus on the importance of local food. Co-organizer Andrew Caines says people are feeling the financial crunch and growing your own food can help.



This is the second year for the event. The expo gets underway at 9am tomorrow. Full details on the event are available here .

Welcome Home Event Planned For Jessica Carver

It's been dubbed as a 'Welcome Home' event for a South Shore native who underwent double-lung transplant surgery last December. A planned get together and dance for Jessica Carver will be held Saturday night at the Michelin Social Club in Bridgewater. The 33-year-old recently returned home after a nine-month stay in Toronto because of the surgery. She says the event is the easiest way to say 'thank you'.



Carver has Cystic Fibrosis and she says she's looking forward to dancing the night away. All are welcome to the event, which gets underway at 7:30pm tomorrow night. Anyone who is planning to attend is urged to wear green in support of organ donation.

Argyle MLA Ponders Sad State Of Rural Economy

The opposition parties are raising doubts about whether the Dexter government has actually produced a balanced budget. Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil says the budget is nothing more than a pre-election document. He says its assumptions on the amount of revenues it will receive are based on what he calls "wacky'' assumptions. Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie says the lack of a jobs-plan means the province will have a difficult time keeping the books in the black. PC Argyle MLA Chris d'Entremont says the government is paying little attention to rural areas and concentrating on metro Halifax, where help isn't really needed.




d'Entremont says the government would do better if it stopped paying so much attention to its over-abundant NDP-ridings in Halifax and concentrated more in helping rural areas like the South Shore.

Insulin Pump Funding Lauded By Yarmouth MLA

The Dexter government says it will cover insulin pumps for children with Type 1 diabetes and pay for the pump's supplies for those under 25. It is part of the provincial budget presented yesterday and follows pressure from lobby groups and families of those living with the disease. The MLA for Yarmouth says its about time! Zach Churchill says his Liberal party has been pushing for the funding for years.




The government estimates the move will cost 5.3 million dollars a year, which is a fraction of the Health Department's overall 3.9-billion-dollar budget.

Chester Clippers Remain Winless At Atlantics

The Chester Clippers remain winless at the Atlantic Junior 'C' Hockey Championship in Hampton, New Brunswick. The provincial champs were dumped 8-4 Thursday night by the Kivalliq Canucks from Nunavut. The Clippers held a 3-0 lead after the first period on the strength of three goals by Kyle Dilosa. But the Nunavut squad stormed back with a four goal second period and never trailed after that. Dilosa added a fourth goal in the third period. Chester sits at 0-2 heading into today's final round robin games. They will face the PEI champions Tignish Aces at 3pm, and then the tournament hosts, Hampton Hurricanes at 8pm. To watch today's action, click here .

Clippers Drop Opening Game At Junior 'C' Hockey Atlantics

The Western Valley Panthers scored twice in the final 10 minutes to earn a 3-2 win over the Chester Clippers at the Atlantic Junior 'C' Hockey Championship. Western Valley scored first to lead 1-0 after the first period, but a power-play goal from Alex Armstrong late in the second notched things at 1-1 going into the third period. Kyle Dilosa added a third period marker to give Chester their first lead of the game with 11 minutes left. The loss puts the Clippers at 0-1 to start the tourney. The Clippers will be back on the ice at 8:30 tonight to play last year's Atlantic runner-up, the Kivilliq Canucks of Nunavut.

White Point General Manager Resigns After 30 Years

The general manager of White Point says it's time to move on after 30 years on the job. Danny Morton has dealt with the highs and lows of the popular Queens County resort for the last three decades. Now, he says the timing is right to pursue something else.



Morton says he isn't rushing to take another position at another job, but hopes he will remain in Nova Scotia. His resignation is effective April 14. Chief Financial Officer Joanne Veinot will serve as acting general manager in the interim.

Chester Council Supports Request To Delay School Closures

The Municipality of Chester is supporting the province's education minister in her request to delay any school closings for the next year. Council has agreed to write a letter to the school board, asking members to respect the minister's decision and re-evaluate their situation. Gold River-Western Shore Elementary falls within the municipality's jurisdiction and is scheduled to close this fall. Warden Allen Webber says he understands the board is in a tight spot.



The chair of the school board noted they will seek legal opinion regarding its options. The matter is expected to be further discussed at the school board meeting next week.

Accounting Firm Still Interested In Future Library Space

The president of a Bridgewater accounting firm says the future space of the library building is his best option to move into. John Swain of Swain and Associates says an opportunity to move his business to another location in the town has fallen through. He explains the company has been growing and are in need of a new spot.



Swain's group, along with the non-profit group Cafe 12 are under consideration for the library space, once they move into their new home near the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The issue is expected to be in front of town council next week.

RCMP To Review Its Operations In Shelburne Town

The RCMP will conduct its own review of service to the Town of Shelburne. This follows a meeting this week between the Mayor and CAO of the town and the regional superintendent of the force. Mayor Karen Mattattal says the review should not be interpreted as a sign the Mounties might be doing a bad job in her town but rather to determine several things.



The mayor says a shortage of RCMP officers in the town is being addressed. A new officer has arrived and another is on the way and a third will hopefully be added in the coming months.

Court: Dog Dealer Drops Appeal, Due Back In May

A well-known dog dealer has dropped her bid to reserve a court ordered ban prohibiting her from selling canines. Gail Benoit was schedule to have a hearing on the matter today. However, she notified the court of her intention to drop the appeal Wednesday. Benoit will still return to court next month in relation to various charges of fraud and theft. The 43 year-old was charged in March based on allegations that she sold two boxers that she didn't own. A New Brunswick woman contacted police after she noticed her dogs were up for sale on the Internet. It's alleged Benoit was looking after the dogs at the time. Following a police investigation the dogs were returned to their rightful owner in Saint John.

Clippers Set To Defend Atlantic Junior 'C' Hockey Crown

The Chester Clippers open up play today at the Atlantic Junior 'C' Hockey Championship. The club is traveling to Hampton, New Brunswick to defend their title from last year. They will represent Nova Scotia following a five game series win over the Barrington Ice Dogs. Chester hits the ice at 3:30 this afternoon against the Western Valley Panthers of New Brunswick. The Clippers will then play last year's Atlantic runner-up, the Kivilliq Canucks of Nunavut at 8:30pm. You can follow all the action by clicking here .

New Germany: Child Hospitalized After Dog-Attack

RCMP are investigating after a pit-bull attacked a five-year-old child at a home in New Germany. Police say they responded to a 911 call from a home owner stating that her 18-month-old pit bull attacked a child. The call came in at 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. RCMP and paramedics responded to the incident and the child, who suffered serious facial injuries, was transported to the IWK hospital in Halifax by ambulance. The dog has been seized by the Lunenburg County Animal Control officer and will be put down at the owner's direction. Police do not anticipate charges.

UPDATED: Minister Halts Review, Board Chair Questions Timing

In a stunning move, the province's Education Minister has requested school boards suspend the school review process for next year while a new process be developed. Ramona Jennex has also asked school boards to delay any school closings decided this year until the new process is in place. This includes four South Shore schools, most notably Gold River-Western Shore Elementary, which the board decided would close this fall. Jennex says they want to delay a decision for one year.



The department of education is waiting for a report from 'The Commission on Building Our New Economy' to help develop the new approach. Meanwhile, the chair of the South Shore Regional School Board says she's surprised by the announcement. Jennifer Naugler says board members worked hard and dedicated themselves to putting time and energy into their recent decisions on school closures. She says she's caught off guard by the education minister.



The new review will also look at the current process of turning schools over to municipalities after they are closed. A discussion paper for public input will be ready this fall, with the new process expected to be in place early next year.

BREAKING: Education Minister Suspends School Review Process

Education Minister Ramona Jennex is calling for new school review process to be developed. This new process requests school boards across NS to suspend school review in for 2013-14. School boards are also being asked to delay any school closings decided this year until the new process is in place. Four schools in the South Shore region were slated for closure within the next few years. They now get a reprieve. We'll have more on this story shortly.

Blockhouse Fisherman Killed In Wharf Incident

Police say a 61 year-old lobster fisherman was the victim of a mishap at a wharf just outside of Mahone Bay. The incident happened Tuesday morning in Indian Point as two fishermen prepared to head out to tend to their lobster traps. The Mounties say one of the two men fell into the water and was found floating unconscious. Police have identified the individual as Reid Risser of Blockhouse. Risser was unconscious when he was pulled out of the water shortly after 7 o'clock. He later died in hospital. Corporal Jamie Vacon of the Lunenburg County RCMP says the matter is being investigated by the Department of Labour.

Former Queens Mayor Gives Amalgamation Pep Talk

There's interest in possibly amalgamating some municipal units in West Hants. The area chamber of commerce has called upon a veteran of the process for some information and guidance. The West Hants Chamber of Commerce has arranged for former District of Queens Mayor John Leefe to address a special meeting. The former mayor will share his experiences with amalgamating the various arms of government into one in Queens County back in 1996. He says it helped simplify the process of government.



The Town of Windsor has already said amalgamation might be an alternative action if suitable cost-sharing arrangements are not realized with the Municipality of West Hants. The amalgamation information meeting is set for tonight (Wednesday) starting at 6:30 at the Hants County War Memorial Community Centre in Windsor. There will be no admission charged.

Acadia Band Chief Questions High Salary Allegation

Fiscal mismanagement at the Acadia First Nation is being alleged by aboriginal protesters. They picketed yesterday outside the band office in Yarmouth. They claim thousands of dollars in salary advances have been paid to some band Councillors and staff, but haven't been re-paid. One protester has alleged Chief Deborah Robinson hauled in more than a million dollars since 2010 in salary and travel reimbursements. The chief says that figure is a puzzler and she doubts the amount quoted is really accurate.



Meanwhile, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has lobbied the federal government for accountability legislation for all politicians and its now being made the law. CTF spokesman Kevin Lacey says the salaries of many band chiefs and councilors are huge!



Acadia First Nation Chief Deborah Robinson says her salary is now 130-thousand dollars a year and another 20 thousand for travel. She says all band councilors and herself are audited regularly and nothing unusual's been found.

School Board: Dr. Jim Gunn Hired As Interim Superintendent

A man with 36 years in public education has been selected to be the interim superintendent for the South Shore Regional School Board. Dr. Jim Gunn has served as a superintendent of the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board for nine years until he retired in 2005. Before that, he was a principal for a decade. He will take over for Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, who has accepted a position with the Department of Education. Gunn says he's only in this for the short term.



He will join the board early next week until at least mid-July. A release from the school board says a request for proposal has been issued to look for a company to begin the search for a full-time superintendent.

Chester: Workshops To Focus On Road Safety

Road safety will be the focus of two workshops in Chester later this week. The municipality has been selected to participate in a "Share the Road" awareness campaign led by the Nova Scotia government and Dalhousie University. The workshops will seek public input and examine how road safety can be improved so drivers, cyclists and pedestrians feel safe using the roads in their community. Chester's transportation co-coordinator, Gordon Tate, says each community offers a different form of road-use.



Chester will partner with Dalhousie for the community consultations set to be held on Thursday. The workshops will be held at Forest Heights in Chester Grant (3PM) and Aspotogan Heritage Trust building in Hubbards (7PM).

South Canoe Wind Project Needs To Clear Another Hurdle

A community group against a large Lunenburg County wind farm has filed an appeal with the province's regulatory board. "Friends of South Canoe Lake" are opposed to the construction of 34 wind turbines between Vaughan and New Russell. They claim the development will lower their property value and cause health issues. The appeal was filed Tuesday with the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. The organization is appealing Chester council's decision to enter into a development agreement with the proponents of the $200 million dollar wind energy project. Councillors voted 6-1 on March 14 to approve the project after a pair of exhaustive public hearings. Minas Basin Pulp and Power, Oxford Frozen Foods and Nova Scotia Power are leading the project. If it moves ahead, it would generate enough power to heat 32,000 homes.

BREAKING: Fisherman Dies After Falling Overboard

Lunenburg County RCMP have confirmed a fisherman who fell overboard earlier today in waters around Indian Point has died. The individual passed away shortly after he was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital. Mounties say they are investigating the incident that occurred at the Indian Point wharf around 7 o'clock this morning. They say two fishermen were heading out to check their traps when a man fell into the water. The individual was unconscious when emergency crews pulled him out. The man's name has not been released.

Funding To Improve Shelburne County Wharf

A Shelburne County wharf will see additional improvements thanks to some federal funding from Ottawa. Roughly $450,000 has been announced to assist with improvements to Jones Harbour in Sable River. MP Gerald Keddy made the announcement on behalf of Defence Minister Peter MacKay. The money will be used for ongoing wharf reconstruction at Jones Harbour to provide safe and additional berthage for fishing vessels and to ensure safe navigation. The work is in addition to major projects and dredging work being carried out at approximately 95 fishing harbours throughout the country announced last July.

Bridgewater: Exhibition Funding Request Going To Budget Deliberations

The South Shore Exhibition will have to wait to find out if the town of Bridgewater will become a major sponsor for this year's event. Council has sent a funding request between $3,000 and $5,000 to their budget deliberations. Over 42,000 people attended last year's event, and has grown to become the largest exhibition in the province. Mayor David Walker says it's a major event for the town.



Walker believes this is the first time officials with the exhibition have come to council for a financial contribution. This is the 122nd year for the South Shore Exhibition. The budget is expected to be approved by the end of May.

Man In Serious Condition After Indian Point Incident

An incident in Indian Point this morning (Tuesday) has resulted in a man being hospitalized. It happened at the Indian Point wharf as two fishermen prepared to head out to tend to their lobster traps. One of the two fell overboard, emergency crews were summoned and when they arrived on scene, the man was found floating unconscious in the water. Local fire fighters and paramedics attempted to revive the individual with CPR but were unsuccessful. He was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater, unconscious and in serious condition.

Lunenburg Runner Has Solid Showing & Sets PB

A Lunenburg runner has set a huge eight-second personal best in his opening race at an event in California. Mattias Wolter also broke his own Nova Scotia senior record, running 8:43:73 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The event was the Stanford Invitational Meet over the weekend. Wolter's time now ranks him number one in both the Canadian and NCAA collegiate systems. Its also just three seconds off the Canadian FISU Team standard. They travel to Russia in July. 

Shelburne: RCMP & Town Discuss Officer Shortage

The head of the RCMP in southwest Nova Scotia will be in Shelburne tomorrow to meet with municipal officials regarding a shortage of officers patrolling the town. Mayor Karen Mattatall has expressed concerns over the shortage in recent weeks. Medical, maternity and paternity leaves have reduced the number of Mounties from ten to about five to patrol the town of Shelburne.  Mattatall says she hopes the situation will be resolved soon.



Mattatall says another officer will be added to the force for a total of six. RCMP Superintendent Sylvie Bourassa-Muise hopes to assure Shelburne officials the situation will be corrected soon.

Belliveau Calls For Fed Help in Rural Job Creation

Shelburne area MLA and provincial fisheries minister Sterling Belliveau is putting in a pitch to Ottawa to help create rural jobs. He says the federal government is the biggest obstacle to job creation along the South Shore. Belliveau believes the fishing industry here has plenty more jobs to offer. He says it would help if the federal government would only step up to the plate and lend a hand!



Belliveau is running for re-election these days. He hasn't decided yet which riding he'll be in, either of the new ridings of Barrington-Argyle or Queens-Shelburne.

More Dates For Bridgewater's Non-Urgent Clinic

South Shore Health is extending its non-urgent care clinic in Bridgewater. Five additional dates have been announced for the medical clinic at the South Shore Regional Hospital. The appointment only clinic will be open Tuesday and Wednesday of this week between 10:30am and 3:30pm. Dates have also been selected between Monday and Wednesday of next week. Those with minor illnesses or in need of prescription refills will need to book an appointment in order to see a doctor. 

Additonal Info:

A doctor will be available to see patients with non-urgent health issues
(ie minor cuts or bumps, bites, sore throats, sinus problems and prescription refills)

 
Clinc Hours: 10:30 am to 3:30 pm
Dates: April 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th and 10th

 
Same day appointments can be made by calling 527-5815 between 8 and 10 am on the day of the clinic for that day only.

Chalk Up Another Marker For Whalen

Its another record for Chelsea Whalen of Liverpool. At the 86th annual Texas relays in Austin over the weekend, Whalen posted a new outdoor personal-best and new Nova Scotia senior woman's provincial record in the shot-put. Her throw was 15.68m. She beat her previous mark of 15.59m, set in mid-March at the University of South Florida.

QMJHL: Halifax Faces Gatineau In Round 2

The Halifax Moosheads will face the Gatineau Olympiques in the next round of the "Q" League playoffs. Gatineau edged Rimouski 2-1 last night to win that series in six games. The Herd will open the best of seven quarter-final series at home this Friday and Saturday.

Chester Rink Captures Atlantic Championship

The Mary Fay team from Chester has captured the Atlantic Under 18 Women's Curling championship. Fay took the title yesterday with a 6-0 win over New Brunswick's Justine Comeau in the final. The Fay rink, which includes Jennifer Smith, Karlee Burgess, and Janique LeBlanc, completed the Stephenville, Newfoundland event with a perfect 5-0 record.

UPDATED: Two Dead After Blockhouse Crash

Two men involved in a serious crash have died due to injuries sustained in the collision near Blockhouse. The 48-year-old driver of the pickup, Eric Mervin Veinotte, passed away Friday night. The 27-year-old driver of the car, Matthew Arden Deal, died in hospital Saturday morning. The two men are from Lunenburg County. Both men were originally taken to Bridgewater hospital but later moved to Halifax. The passenger of the car remains in South Shore Regional Hospital with serious injuries. Police were called to the scene near the Exit 11 overpass around 4:30am Friday morning. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

School Board: Auditor General's Recommendations Almost Complete

The South Shore Regional School Board is well on their way to fulfilling recommendations from the province's auditor general. The 2008 report from Jacques Lapointe discovered the board did not adequately screen employees through criminal record and child abuse checks. The report also cited failure to carry out fire and safety drills as well as maintenance issues that required buses to be taken out of service until repairs could be made. But, as Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake points out, most of the issues have been taken care of.



Pynch-Worthylake says the lone recommendation they need to resolve deals with policies and practices designed to minimize risk in their system. She expects the auditor general to check-in with the board again later this spring.

Three People In Hospital After Vehicles Collide In Blockhouse

Three men are in hospital following an early morning crash in Blockhouse. RCMP say a car collided with a pickup truck around 4:30am along Highway 324 at the overpass of Exit 11 on Highway 103. Police say two men in the car and the driver of the truck have suffered life-threatening injuries. The car caught on fire and was fully engulfed when police arrived on scene. All three people were originally transported to the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater, however, the driver of the truck was then airlifted to Halifax by EHS Lifeflight and the driver of the car was transported to Halifax by ambulance.  The passenger of the car remains in the South Shore Regional Hospital. Highway 324 was shut down as police continued to investigate with the assistance of a traffic analyst. This portion of the highway should be reopened shortly. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

No Appeals Received On Bylaw Change For Evergreen Road

The province's Utility and Review Board has confirmed that no appeals have been received that would quash a decision for more residents to live at Compassion House in Bridgewater. The deadline passed Wednesday night without any opposition, although an official with the UaRB did note that one appeal was received earlier but withdrawn. Town council voted last month to approve bylaw changes, allowing the LaHave Manor Corporation to have up to five mentally or physically challenged residents in need of care to live under one roof on Evergreen Road. Mayor David Walker says he's pleased the development can proceed.



The corporation applied for the bylaw changes last year. It now defines the home as a single dwelling unit, not an institution and allows five people to live in the home, up from the previous three.

Blood Collection Returns To Queens General

Outpatient blood collection will return to Queens General Hospital Tuesday. The collection area will be located near the reception area on the main level of the hospital. The service has been offered from Queens Place for the past several months in an effort to reduce traffic on site during installation of underground pipes. That work was completed last week. South Shore Health has also announced the reopening of the hospital's kitchen and cafeteria. The health authority is reminding residents the hospital remains a construction area. Work on the Queens General Health project is expected to be complete next spring.

School Board Chair: "We Did The Best We Could"

The chair of the South Shore Regional School Board believes they did the best they could under their current budget situation. Jennifer Naugler says the board took their time, took their roles very seriously and made their decisions. Four out of six schools in the review process have been scheduled to close, including Gold River-Western Shore by September of this year. Naugler says the closure will help generate some savings for their upcoming budget, but it may not be enough.



The board's director of finance says closing Gold River-Western Shore and sending its students to Chester District could save just over $195,000 annually. The board will continue to look at balancing its 2013-14 budget over the next few weeks.

No Injuries After Two-Vehicle Collision In Bridgewater

Bridgewater Police say no one was injured after a two-vehicle collision along Aberdeen Road Wednesday night. The incident occurred just after 8:30pm near the traffic lights intersecting with North Street and Glen Allan Drive. Members of the Bridgewater Fire Department were also on scene. A section of Aberdeen was closed for roughly 45 minutes to clean up the site and remove the vehicles from the area.