Boat Building Help

Nova Scotia is offering up money to help the province's boat building industry open new global markets. And seven businesses along the south shore will be benefiting. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Sterling Belliveau announced the 155-thousand dollars in funding this week. He says the long-term viability of boat building is important to our rural communities and the province's economy. The funding will allow companies to participate in market research, marketing activities and the development of marketing materials. The investment is part of one million dollars in cost-shared boat building funding over two years previously announced from the Community Development Trust Fund. Companies that have received funding from the south shore are: ABCO Industries Ltd., Lunenburg; Covey Island Boatworks, Lunenburg; Goreham's Marine 2000 Inc., Woods Harbour; The Dory Shop, Lunenburg; Lutwick's Boatbuiling, Mahone Bay; Norseboat Ltd., Lunenburg and Nova Trawler Company, Shelburne.

Suspicious Activity

RCMP are investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Chester Basin area. An unknown male allegedly approached two kids waiting for the school bus on Wednesday and asked them to get in his vehicle. The car is described as a large sedan with four doors and beige in colour. The male driver was wearing a grey knitted hat with a red lumber jacket, and he had a crooked tooth on his bottom row of teeth. Anyone with information concerning the incident is asked to contact the Chester RCMP or Crimestoppers.

And Then Some

South Shore/St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy will be handing out more federal funding today. Keddy will be making multiple announcements with respect to the Government of Canada’s investments in the community of Shelburne. The announcements are set for 11 o'clock this morning at the Shelburne Yacht Club. Yesterday Keddy announced more than 400 thousand dollars for Bridgewater's Riverfront Renaissance, to revitalize the LaHave River waterfront and downtown core. He also announced funding of 113 thousand dollars to be used for upgrades to the Mahone Bay Community Centre.

More Money

The Government of Canada is contributing more than $400,000 through the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan for the revitalization of downtown Bridgewater. The announcement was made Thursday by South Shore/St. Margaret's MP, Gerald Keddy. The funding is for Phase 1 of a five-phase concept to revitalize the LaHave River Waterfront and the downtown core of the Town. This phase will include site upgrades and the installation of a fountain in the King Street Court Park as well as a floating gazebo, gangway ramp, stairs, and look off point, site furniture, and interpretive panels and signage. Keddy then travelled to Mahone Bay for another funding announcement.The Town is receiving more than $100,thousand through the Innovative Communities Fund to support a series of upgrades to the Mahone Bay Community Centre. The investment will allow for the creation of resource space for youth, local groups, and entrepreneurs as well as reduce the operating and energy costs of the facility.

Lunenburg School Site

Lunenburg's new school will be built on the same site as the town's old school. Education Minister Marilyn More says the future home of the Primary to Grade 9 building will be the location where the existing Junior-Senior High school building is. The minister advised members of the South Shore School board in a letter that said the property at 12 Knickle road was the most appropriate for the new facility. It was one of three proposed by the Board which were then reviewed by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Construction of the new school is expected to get underway in mid-2010 and to be completed in late in 2011. Student populations of Lunenburg Junior High, Lunenburg Academy, Riverport & District Elementary and Centre Consolidated School will be moved to the new $23-million facility. Lunenburg Jr/Sr High was turned into a grade 6 to 9 school and the senior students were sent to Parkview or Bridgewater.

Another Apartment Fire

Another fire in an apartment building in Bridgewater and thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident either. Volunteers were called out to the 26-unit building on Pleasant Street around six last night. The flames in one of the apartments was doused quickly and the cause is still under investigation. Red Cross officials say tenants from up to seven apartments that received smoke and water damage may be out for at least a day or two while cleanup and repairs are carried out. Most found family or friends to stay with last night. It was a month ago that crews had to put out a fire on the balcony of an apartment building on North Street. No one was hurt in that incident September 15th.

More Riding Money

More money is being made available for South Shore towns today. South Shore-St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy will be making funding announcement in Bridgewater and Mahone Bay with respect to Government of Canada investments in the communities. The Bridgewater announcement is set for 10 o'clock this morning at the Day's Inn, while the Mahone Bay announcement will take place at noon at the Mahone Bay Community Centre.

Keddy Checks Cheques

South-Shore St Margaret's MP, Gerald Keddy, Wednesday issued a release calling the presence of a Conservative party logo on a public cheque "inappropriate". On September 19, Keddy appeared at Church Memorial Park to highlight funding for the Eleanor Pew Morris Memorial Rink. During the event, an oversized cheque that had the Conservative Party of Canada logo printed on it was used as a prop during a photo opportunity. Calling it an "unfortunate mistake", Keddy says the use of a party logo on a cheque representing public funds was inappropriate.

Baby Case Postponed

An adjournment in the case of the couple facing charges in the sudden death of a newborn baby boy. RCMP say the deceased baby boy was brought to Queens General Hospital Monday night. Twenty-four year old Amanda Lynn Oickle of Liverpool is charged with one count each of neglect to obtain assistance in childbirth and concealing the body of a child. She has been released on an undertaking and will return to court in Liverpool November 3rd to enter election and pleas. Oickle is to live with her parents and report in person to the Queens County RCMP every Friday and to have no contact with her common-law husband. Thirty-one year old Andrew Gary Cunningham is accused of one count of concealing the body of a child. He remains in custody until his next court appearance in Liverpool Tuesday, October 20th when a hearing will be held into an allegation of breaching a conditional sentence order.

UPDATE: Charges Laid

A Queens county couple will be appearing in Court in Bridgewater this morning charged in relation to the sudden death of an infant. Staff Sergeant Bruno Deveau tells CKBW the 25-year old woman will be answering to a charge of Neglect to obtain assistance in child-birth.
And a count of Concealing the body of a child has been laid against the woman and her 31-year old common law husband. RCMP say the infant's remains were brought into Queens General Hospital Monday. The pair were arrested a few hours later. Police believe the woman gave birth at home last Wednesday and the baby boy died then or shortly afterwards. An autopsy has been done, but no cause of death has been identified according to police. RCMP have not named the couple either.

Shelburne County Accident

**UPDATE - 6:24am: Highway 103 in Shelburne County has a single lane of traffic reopened.**

One person is being taken to hospital after a single vehicle rollover this morning on Highway 103 in Shelburne County. RCMP say it happened just West of Exit 26 this morning. Crews are still on the scene and traffic will have to be detoured for awhile. Drivers are being sent along the Old Number Three through Clyde River and the Ohio Exit. There are few details about the condition of the driver and the cause of this morning's accident.

Death of Newborn Investigated

Two people are under arrest in connection with the sudden death of a newborn baby in Liverpool. Queens RCMP Corporal Grant Webber says a deceased male infant was brought into Queens General Hospital last night.The mother gave birth at home on Wednesday evening and kept the infant at the residence until she turned it over to medical staff on Monday. Webber says no charges have yet been laid. but the 25 year old mother and her common-law husbnd have been arrested. An autopsy has been performed but the results are not known at this time. Units from the South West Nova Major Crime Unit and Street Untis from Shelburne and Bridgewater are assisting Queens RCMP.

S-S Conservative Spending

Two more announcements on the way in South Shore/St. Margaret's from the Federal Conservatives. Gerald Keddy will be at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic this afternoon. That's where he will be speaking on behalf of the Federal Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Jim Prentice. The news release says the event is for "the Government of Canada to highlight the National Historic Significance of Captain Angus J. Walters. He was the skipper of the famed schooner from Lunenburg, Bluenose. And tomorrow, Keddy will be on hand to announce federal funding for the Liverpool Ukulele Ceilidh Society. That will happen at the Astor Theatre tomorrow at two o'clock. (Photo from NS Archives)

Lunenburg Crimes

A break and enter being reported at the Golf Course in Lunenburg. RCMP say it happened overnight Friday or early Saturday morning. Someone busted into the Bluenose Golf Club and took off with a substantial amount of alcohol. Police think a vehicle was likely involved in the crime. They are asking for anyone who saw any suspicious activity around the Lunenburg golf course after hours this weekend to call them. They are also reporting damage to property on Maple Avenue in Lunenburg. That was Saturday. Lawn ornaments were thrown around and a vehicle was damaged.

Campaign School

Her first try at politics didn't win her a seat. But it's been a very busy year for Denise Peterson-Rafuse. In 2004, she made an unsuccessful run at a seat on Municipal Council. This year, she ran for the NDP in Chester St. Margaret's, winning the seat and earning a place in cabinet. And she's paying some of that forward. The Minister responsible for the status of women is helping with a campaign school next week trying to encourage more females to enter politics and bring the numbers up from about one in four. The school is being run at Mt St Vincent University this coming weekend. Brochures and application forms are available at www.women.gov.ns.ca or by calling 1-800-565-8662.

Drug Search

It's the latest success for the Integrated Street Crime Enforcement unit on the south shore. RCMP and Bridgewater police say they've seized twenty pounds of marijuana from a home they searched in New Russell, Lunenburg county. The warrant landed them the pot and an unsecured firearm. A 41-year old New Russell man is now facing charges of production and posession. His court date is set for December 2nd for the accused to enter a plea.

Lockeport Planning

It takes a community to raise a village. And Lockeport is working on a second day of planning for a sustainable future for the smallest town in Nova Scotia. Municipalities country-wide have to have a plan to access federal gas tax money. Dale Eshelby is the integrated community sustainability plan coordinator for Lockeport. She says sometimes the answers have to grow from the grassroots and that's why they are hoping the people in the community take part in the planning. There are events and displays at both Lockeport Regional High School and Lockeport Fire Hall.

http://www.lockeport.ns.ca/page_1228153171906.html for a schedule of events.

Seafood Support

Nova Scotia's seafood industry is improving its competitiveness in the global marketplace with support from the provincial government. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Sterling Belliveau announced today (October 8th), one-point-two million dollars in funding for a number of seafood processors through the Community Development Trust Fund. This investment will help to diversify markets, develop new products, improve productivity and product quality, and meet consumer expectations around food sustainability. Belliveau says government understands the issues facing the seafood sector and these projects will help renew the industry and meet current challenges.

Smoke Sentencing

A Mount Pleasant man who pleaded guilty to possessing tobacco not bearing the prescribed markings will be sentenced next month. Fifty-four year old Ronald Nelson Veinot was charged under the provincial Revenue Act. He's also facing charges of possession illegal cigarettes under the federal Excise Act and producing and possessing marihuana. The charges stem from a search of Nelson's Mount Pleasant residence in March. Police seized 29 thousand illegal cigarettes and three pounds of processed marihuana. A pre-sentence report has been requested. Nelson will return for sentencing November 18th.

Wharf Assault Delay

One of the men charged in connection with an assault at the Chester government wharf earlier this summer has requested more time to see a lawyer. Twenty-eight year old Chad Wesley Swinimer of Chester along with a co-accused are facing resulting from a late night altercation at the wharf on August 20th. A woman was taken to hospital with serious head injuries after she allegedly got involved in a disagreement between her husband and three other men. Swinimer is accused of striking the woman and her husband with a wooden fence stake. He's charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, aggravated assault, assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
He's also facing two drug charges including production and possession for the purpose of trafficking. Swinimer is slated to return to court November 18th to enter pleas. Meantime, 26 year old Joel Ray Meister has elected to be tried by a Supreme Court judge alone on the charges he's facing in relation to the wharf incident. A preliminary hearing has been set for next March 25th.