School Zone Speed Limits Change

Local authorities are reminding motorists to slow down when entering a school zone. Members of the Bridgewater Police Service have posted signs and done checkpoints all week about the changes that come into effect Saturday. Starting September 1, the speed limit in a school zone will drop from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 km/h. When the speed limit is more than 50km/h, drivers must slow down to 50km/h. Constable Will Creamer says they will be out in force when school starts next Thursday.



There are fines for exceeding the speed limit in a school zone. Drivers could pay between $340 and $685 depending how fast they travel over the limit.

Rogers Approaches MODL To Set Up Cell Tower

Rogers Communications is exploring the option of setting up a new tower on the Crouses Settlement Road in Upper LaHave. The company has submitted a development agreement with the Municipality of Lunenburg. In their application, Rogers says they are hoping to install the telecommunications tower in the area to provide the best possible service and optimal coverage to residents. Rogers is proposing to purchase 4.66 acres of undeveloped land currently owned by a resident in the community. A 95-metre tower would be installed in the centre of the land, roughly 255 metres from the nearest home. Municipal council has decided to send the matter to the Riverport and District Area Advisory Committee for review.

School Board Approves 2012-13 Business Plan

It's a document that shapes the work of the South Shore Regional School Board. The board approved their 2012-13 business plan earlier this week. The plan outlines the board's achievements from last year and explains cost pressures. Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says this year's plan also focuses on three main goals.

The plan acts as a guideline for staff and the board and sets priorities for them to follow. This is the third year of the three-year plan set up by the board. Pynch-Worthylake says work is already underway to develop a new plan for the next three-to-five year period. The full business plan can be found at http://www.ssrsb.ca/ .

Hurricanes Extend Exhibition Winning Streak

The BMO Western Hurricanes Major Bantam Hockey Club have won all of their Nova Scotia Major Bantam Hockey League exhibition games so far in this early season and continued that trend Thursday night by defeating the Halifax Hawks 5-2 at the Halifax Forum. Goal scorers for the Hurricanes were Travis Parks and Jacob Myra with two each and Logan Walters with a single marker. The Hurricanes will have a few more exhibition games over the next couple of weeks before their regular season opens in mid-September.

Gasoline Prices Rise Again

South Shore gasoline prices are flirting with the $1.40 per litre mark.  The utility and review board has set the new prices for the coming week. Regular self serve at South Shore pumps is selling today for $1.38.6 per litre. Thats an increase of 4 cents. Diesel hasn't changed though ... its still at $1.37.1 per litre.

Council Awards $6,000 Grant To Chester Clippers

The Municipality of Chester has awarded its local junior hockey team with a grant for ice rentals. Officials with the Chester Clippers approached council Thursday morning. They were asking for $8,000, but council decided on a $6,000 grant for the club to rent ice at the Eleanor Pew-Morris Memorial Arena. Deputy Warden Floyd Shatford says they only have so much money for grants.



Shatford called it a good decision by council to support the local club. Training camp opens up September 4 for the Junior 'C' hockey team.

Work Begins On New South Queens Middle School

Current SQJHS will be replaced in 2013

Work is beginning on the new South Queens Junior High School. The fence around the construction zone is complete and additional work is expected to start soon. Director of Operations, Steve Prest, says the school will fill a need for students and the community.



The province's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has hired Maxim 2000 Inc. to design and construct the new middle school. The facility is scheduled to open in September 2013.

Sports: Lumberjacks Make First Cuts

Four players have been cut from the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks. Head Coach Terry Rhindress announced the cuts Thursday morning. Among the players cut from the roster are forwards David Schmidt and Bradley Hooper, defenseman Brandon Barrett and goaltender Alex Collette. Rhindress expects to make his next set of cuts after the club's exhibition game Friday night against the Metro Shipbuilders.

Enrollment Increases In Two Local Schools

A pair of Lunenburg County schools are getting more students in their classrooms. New Ross Consolidated and Bluenose Academy will see a spike in their enrollment numbers. The increases will happen in grade primary at New Ross, and multiple grades at Bluenose Academy. The director of Human Resources with the South Shore Regional School Board, Tina Munro, says the numbers impact both schools differently.



Munro says the increase is typically caused by transfers from school-to-school or new families moving to the county. She says they don't anticipate any additional staff because of the increased numbers.

Get Set For Increased Gasoline Prices Again!

Be prepared for the price of gasoline at South Shore pumps to take another jump overnight tonight. In New Brunswick this morning, the price of gas there is up for the fourth week in a row. The maximum price for regular, self-serve has jumped by 3.1 cents per litre to $1.34 per litre. The latest increase means the price has gone up almost ten cents per litre in the past month alone. Meanwhile, the price of diesel is up a penny a litre in New Brunswick and furnace oil has jumped eight-tenths of a cent to $1.17 per litre.

MODL Councillor Bell Receiving Queen's Medal

A 12-year veteran on municipal council is receiving an award for his work away from the table. Municipality of Lunenburg councillor Martin Bell will be awarded a Queens Diamond Jubilee medal for his work with volunteer fire services. He has spent the last 38 years involved with the Conquerall Bank Fire Department. Bell says he is honoured to receive the medal.



One-hundred and eighty firefighters across Canada will receive the award. Bell will travel to Ottawa next week for the medal presentation along with 29 other fire officials from across the country.

Board Holds Second Candidate Information Session

The local school board is offering potential candidates for this fall's election another chance to learn about being a member. Judith Sullivan-Corney is expected to talk about the board's role, remuneration and time commitment. There will then be a chance for potential candidates to ask questions. Roughly 50 people turned out for the first meeting in late May. Tonight's meeting gets underway at 6pm at the board office in Bridgewater. People interested in running for School Board elections must file their candidate papers by September 11.

Western Hurricanes Announce 2012-13 Roster

The BMO Western Hurricanes have finalized their roster for the upcoming season. Six players from Bridgewater, five from Yarmouth, two from Chester, and one from Lunenburg are among this year's squad. The Hurricanes have enjoyed a successful exhibition schedule so far, racking up four straight wins including an 8-1 Tuesday night against Halifax at Queens Place in Liverpool. The team will travel to Halifax Thursday night for another exhibition game. The regular season starts in September. The full roster is as follows:

POS	Name	Home Area
G	Colby Muise	Yarmouth
G	Luke Emin	Yarmouth
D	Ben Deveau	Clare
D	Walter Flower	Lunenburg
D	Christopher Goreham	Barrington
D	Hunter Hurlburt	Yarmouth
D	Quinten Johnson	Yarmouth
D	Noah Naugler	Bridgewater
F	Matt Barron	Yarmouth
F	Jarron Bollivar	Bridgewater
F	Brogan Fitzgerald	Shelburne
F	Matt Grace	Bridgewater
F	Keith Getson	Bridgewater
F	Cameron Jacquard	Wedgeport
F	Riley Merry	Bridgewater
F	Jacob Myra	Chester
F	Travis Parks	Chester
F	Jered Scott	Barrington
F	Logan Walters	Bridgewater

NSP Paints Electric Co-op Into $30 Million Corner

Members of the municipal electric co-op were caught off guard by a move from Nova Scotia Power aimed at keeping them locked into the company's power grid. NSP is looking for roughly $30 million in total from the five members of the co-op should the independent utilities decide to purchase power from another supplier. Lunenburg mayor Laurence Mawhinney says it's hard to swallow because the co-op has been working hard to find cheaper power for its customers for the past seven years.



Mawhinney says it's frustrating given the province agreed to open the wholesale power market in 2005 so the utilities could explore buying power from other suppliers. Members of the co-op appeared before the utility and review board earlier this month during a hearing attached to NSP's new rate application. The co-op is made up five independent utilities in the province which include the town's of Lunenburg, Riverport, Mahone Bay, Berwick and Antigonish. No word on when a decision is expected from the URB.

UPDATED: Assault Case Put Over Until September

The court case involving a member of the Bridgewater Police Service has been put over until next month. Forty-six year old Christine Bonnell is facing two counts of assault connected to an alleged incident in July.
She was charged last month following an investigation by the province's Serious Incident Response Team. Bonnell is expected to enter a plea during her next court appearance on September 26th.

Penny Drive For Shelburne County Lighthouse

The lowest member of the Canadian coinage system is certainly attracting a lot of attention these days. Numerous community groups are keen on organizing penny drives as a way to raise money before the coin is removed from circulation later in the fall. The latest fundraising campaign is for the Sandy Point Lighthouse Group in Shelburne County. Spokesperson Jerry Fraser says the lighthouse is operated by the community and fundraising is a key part of it's regular upkeep. Fraser is hoping resident's will donate their old pennies to help preserve the iconic lighthouse. Penny drop boxes can be found at Lawton's, Goulden's Shell and at many other stores around Shelburne

Dr. Martha Jodrey Receives Humanitarian Award

A woman who spends her summer's in Chester is being recognized by the Canadian Red Cross. Dr. Martha Jodrey has been named the organization's humanitarian of the year for her work with people facing learning disabilities. She has spent the last three decades helping to create academic support programs at schools in Halifax and Windsor. Jodrey says she always wanted to help, not receive awards.



Jodrey has received a number of accolades for her long-standing work including the Order of Canada in 2009. She will receive the humanitarian award during a dinner in Halifax on October 24.

Workers At White Point Prepare To Move Indoors

Construction at White Point is preparing to shift indoors. Work on the roof finished Sunday and now the focus turns to installing the remaining windows before moving to the interior. General Manager Danny Morton says it will be a busy week indoors.



Work on the main lodge has been ongoing for the last five months after fire destroyed the previous building last November. Officials anticipate opening the lodge to the public November 8.

Bridgewater Man Charged With Trafficking Prescription Meds

Bridgewater police have charged a local man for trafficking prescription medication. Forty-seven-year-old Kevin Leroy Wheaton of Bridgewater faces charges after an incident last year. In October 2011, Bridgewater Police were called to a home regarding the sudden death of a 22-year-old Lunenburg County man. The body of Joshua Ballard was found in the accused's residence. Charges were laid after a ten month investigation with assistance from the Medical Examiner's office. The man will appear in court November 7th for plea.

Liberal "Power" Meeting Tonight On South Shore

Stephen McNeil

More choice, more competition and more protection from the power monopoly. Thats how the province's Liberal leader Stephen McNeil sums-up the feedback he's been getting from Nova Scotians on his "Power Tour" across the province. The latest installment comes to the South Shore this evening. McNeil will hold a town hall-style meeting to discuss high power rates and his plan for eliminating NS Power's monopoly and those rate hikes which he says are jeopardizing the financial well-being of ratepayers.



Tonight's public meeting will be held at the Oak Hill Fire Hall starting at 7 o'clock. McNeil says similar sessions are planned, even after the utility and review board hearing on September 13th into Nova Scotia Power's application for power rate hikes in 2013 and 14.