LIGHTS OUT, SOUTH SHORE

The lights are out over much of the South Shore.

More than five thousand customers are currently without power.

According the Nova Scotia Power website, the outages occurred shortly after 2 o'clock today.

Customers from various regions including New Germany, East Dalhousie, Springfield, Bridgewater, Lower and South Cornwall and West Northfield are experiencing outages.

As of 4:30 PM, 12101 customers are without power

The cause of the outages is being investigated.

The estimated restoration time for all outages is approximately 5 o'clock today.

For more information follow the link provided below.

http://www.nspower.ca/en/home/residential/outageinformation/liveoutagemap.aspx

First Responders Funding

Fire departments and first responders will once again benefit from improved equipment through the Emergency Services Provider Fund. The 500-thousand-dollar provincial funding program helps fire departments and first responders purchase equipment such as jaws of life, pumps and hoses. The program provides up to 50 per cent of eligible costs to a maximum of 20-thousand dollars for approved projects. The deadline for applications is October 15th. Application Forms are available online at www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/espf .

Input Sought on Academy Use

The future use of the Lunenburg Academy after it ceases to be used as a school is under review and a task force is seeking public input. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says on Thursday September 16th, from 7 o'clock on, members of the community are invited to take a walk through the national heritage site. He says it's been well preserved by the Lunenburg Academy Foundation and was well used by Class Afloat when they occupied the space. He says it's quite impressive to see the sparkling condition of the 115 year old Academy.
Mawhinney says the general thrust he's hearing is for the Academy to retain its use as a place of learning. He says that might be a broad range of subject matter that could include cultural, artistic creative fields as well languages or architecture, things of that nature. He says once a review by the community has taken place expressions of interest will be solicited from across the country. Mawhinney says with the help of the Government of Nova Scotia they hope to come up with some creative ways to use the space and to pay for it.

Grand Opening for Chester Daycare

The Chester and Area Family Resource Centre is holding a grand opening celebration tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. The new centre at 188 Pig Loop Road offers 36 licensed child-care spaces for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. As well the kid zone program has the capacity for 28 children. The new permanent home for the resource centre will continue to offer licensed spaces, part-day as well as before and after school for children from ages 5 to 12.

MS Treatment Benefit

A benefit auction and dance is being held this Friday September 10th to help raise funds for a Shelburne woman to undergo a controversial medical treatment overseas. The Angela Archer Benefit is to help fund Multiple Sclerosis Liberation Treatment in Bulgaria. The event will be held at the Shelburne Curling Club getting underway at 7 p.m. Further information is available at "Angela Archer Benefit" on Facebook.

Fishermen's Thanksgiving Service

The Annual Lunenburg Fishermen's Thanksgiving is set for this Sunday, September 12th at 2 o'clock at Central United Church. It serves as a time of remembrance and proclaims a note of faith to those who still go to sea. The Roll of Honour will be read by Mayor Laurence Mawhinney and include the names of all those fishermen lost in the years ending in zero, beginning in 1900.
Following the service those present will proceed to the waterfront where the service will continue with wreaths being placed aboard a fishing vessel. Once clear of land, the Clergy will take part in the Prayer of Committal and the wreaths will be deposited in memory of those lost at sea. In the last century alone, more than 660 fishermen were lost while fishing out of Lunenburg County ports.

Drug Trafficking

A Queens County man is facing a charge of possessing marihuana for the purpose of trafficking following a search of a residence in Milton. Police seized a quantity of processed marihuana as well as a substantial amount of cash during the search which was carried out on Monday. A 24 year old male from Milton is scheduled to appear in Liverpool Provincial Court on October 19th

FAKE FIRE

The woods near McGowan Lake, outside Bridgewater will be on fire today.

Three eight-man Instant Management teams will be simulating a real forest fire.

Jim McNaughton, a fire tech with Bible Hill detachment says the training exercise is an important opportunity to improve public safety.

"We're constantly training. And with the Instant Management team it takes a fair amount of planning, bringing in members from across the province. It's designed to improve our skills so we can work more effectively when the real thing does happen, " says McNaughton.

MacNaughton says the members are recruited from various regions across the province so there is less stress put on a single detachment in the case of a real emergency.

The simulation began early this afternoon.

FRASER, SCRAPYARD BOUND

HMCS Fraser is en route to a scrap yard in Lake Erie, Ontario.

The president of the Artificial Reef Society, Rick Welsford, says there is only one thing that could save the vessel from being scrapped.

"Only time. The tow from Halifax through the St. Lawrence Seaway, through Lake Ontario into lake Erie is going to take them twelve or fourteen days. So we at least we have (that time) to try and come to sort of satisfactory resolution on this with the Department of National Defence, "says Welsford.

A federal court has quashed an arrest warrant slapped on the former Canadian Navy destroyer, which means the de-commissioned vessel that called Bridgewater home for a decade can be scrapped.

The vessel was resold to the Department of Defence in 2009 after years of sitting dockside in Bridgewater.

Welsford says his organization will continue to fight,

"There are alot of negotiations going behind the scenes and I would suggest that you'll see both parties back in court, shortly," says Welsford.

Welsford says the scrapping contract will cost taxpayers 2.6 million dollars and an additional 700 thousand for towing it away.

NEW REBATES FOR 'GREEN' HOMES

New Nova Scotia rebate incentives are easy on the wallet and the environment.

Rebates under the PerformancePlus program range from $3,000 to $7,000 for homes with an energuide rating above an 83.

Brian Hayes, an energy engineer with Conserve Nova Scotia, says this is an opportunity for the PerformancePlus program to encourage Nova Scotians to construct greener homes.

Hayes says its important to consider your options before you build.

"To convince consumers to take a real good look a their options while they have the opportunity to do it at the lowest possible cost, which is when they're building. Once homes the are built there are many options that disappear altogether, " says Hayes.

Hayes says homeowners can improve their energy rating by using solar power, improving insulation or by increasing their heating power by using drain water heat recovery systems.

The province says the program is capped at 1,200 homes on a first-come, first-served basis.

THEFT ON WOODLAWN DRIVE

Shelburne County RCMP are investigating a theft.

A 2003, blue Ford F-350 was stolen from Woodlawn Drive in Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

The theft took place sometime between 5:00 AM on September 5th and 5:00 PM on September 6th.

The license plate number is ENS-466.

The RCMP are seeking help from the public with this investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the crime is asked to contact the Shelburne Detachment or Crime Stoppers.

Recruits Wanted for Seniors Police Academy

**SENIORS SAFETY COORDINATOR - BETH GEORGE***

The Bridgewater Seniors Police Academy is looking for new recruits. Beginning September 30th, seniors will have a unique opportunity to learn something new about staying safe by participating in the Seniors Police Academy. The Academy
is a series of workshops designed to build skills and knowledge and reduce the likelihood seniors will become victims of crime.
The RCMP, VON Lunenburg County and Bridgewater Police Service are partnering to offer the seniors’ police academy in Dayspring at the Municipality Activity and Recreation Complex (the MARC) this fall.
Classes are offered for six consecutive Thursdays, from 1:30 – 3:30 pm in the afternoon and participants must be 55 or over. Seniors interested in enrolling in the Seniors Police Academy can contact Kathy at VON Lunenburg at 624-1897.

Yeah Jonathan Crouse !!

Congratulations to our own Jonathan Crouse, the morning host of HANK-FM. He is one of the nominees announced for this year's Music Nova Scotia Music and Industry Awards. Riverfest has been nominated for the Event of the Year Award. As well, Jonathan is also nominated for Radio Program of the Year for "That East Coast Show" which airs on CKBW. The awards will be handed out during Music Week activities being held this year in Yarmouth, November 4th to the 7th.

LCLC Information Sessions

A number of information sessions are planned for next week to update the public on the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The meetings scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. will be held in a number of rural communities including New Germany and Petite Riviere. There will be a video presentation, details on government funding, the capital budget and a project timeline. There will also be an update on the Capital Fundraising Campaign. You can hear more about the information sessions on this weekend's South Shore Sunday Morning.

MEETINGS AS SCHEDULED:

Monday, September 13th New Germany Community Centre
Tuesday, September 14th Mahone Bay Legion
Monday, September 20th Petite Riviere Fire Hall
Monday, September 27th Chester Legion
Monday, October 4th Lunenburg Legion

DISRUPTIONS AND DETOURS IN BRIDGEWATER

The taps are running dry in parts of Bridgewater.

Town officials advise, customers in the area may be facing disruptions due to a water main break on South King Street .

Town officials also say water may be brown or discolored after service is restored.

Crews are on site asessing the estimated repair time.

A detour is taking place around the area and may be in place until nine o'clock this evening.

Motorists are advised to take an alternative route through Conquerall Mills to avoid delays.

PUMP THEFT

Lunenburg County RCMP are investigating a theft.

A blue coloured sewage pump was stolen from a construction site across the street from the Department of Natural Resources Wiles Lake Depot.

The theft occurred sometime within the last six days.

Police are asking anyone with knowledge of this crime to contact Lunenburg County RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

BONNIE LEA GETS A BARN

Good news for Bonnie Lea Farm in New Ross.

Almost a quarter of a million federal and provincial dollars will be funnelled into the facility for a major expansion.

Ottawa plans to invest 140-thousand dollars in the South Shore Community Service Association.

The Association operates Bonny Lea Farm which manufactures bark mulch.

Minister of National Revenue, ACOA and Atlantic Gateway, Keith Ashfield was at Bonnie Lea Farm this morning to make the announcement.

A 5,000 square foot expansion of the mulch mill will allow Bonny Lea to operate year-round, increase its production of consumer-ready products that embrace a variety of themes associated with greener living, and create more jobs.

THEFT ON PRINCE STREET

Bridgewater Police are investigating a theft.

Cash was stolen from a residence on Prince Street between 10 am and 2 pm on Monday, August 20th.

Police are seeking help from the public.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact Bridgewater Police or Crime Stoppers.

MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN ATV ACCIDENT

An ATV accident on highway 332 in Lower Lahave has a local man in hospital.

Staff Sergeant Bruce Hill for Lunenburg County says RCMP, the LaHave Fire Department, and EHS officials respond to the call at 7 o'clock on Saturday night.

"There was one person injured at the scene. He was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital with serious injuries. He was then transferred to the Halifax Infirmary," says Hill.

The driver was a fifty-five year old man from the Lunenburg County area.

Staff Sergeant Bruce Hill says police are looking at speed and alcohol as factors in the crash.

STORMY WATERS

A man at sea during the storm had help from hundreds of kilometres away.

The anchor on his sailboat was dragging and he was losing control in the powerful tides of hurricane Earl.

He made a distress call on his ham radio. Another boater in Florida responded and managed to get word to Lunenburg RCMP and South Shore coast guards.

Authorities made their way to second Peninsula, off the coast of Lunenburg, and helped the man from his boat to shore.

He made it safely to land in a small dingy.

Staff Sergeant Bruce Hill says the investigation will focus on one question; Why was the man sailing during gale force winds and heavy rain?

"My question is, there was a lot of notice that the hurricane was coming, so that's one of the things we're looking into, " says Hill.

The man sustained no injuries during the Saturday incident.