VIDEO: Martin Hungry For Olympic Final

Jenna Martin speaks to reporters following a press conference Tuesday for the 2012 Aileen Meagher Track Classic in Halifax. The Bridgewater native recently qualified for the Olympic Games in London, England beginning July 27. The 24-year-old is scheduled to run in Halifax Sunday evening at the Aileen Meagher at 7:40pm at Saint Mary's University.

Martin Busy Ahead Of Olympic Games

Bridgewater's newly-crowned Olympian is back in Nova Scotia. Jenna Martin was in Halifax Tuesday to help promote this year's Aileen Meagher Track Classic, which goes this Sunday at Saint Mary's University. Martin, who will compete in the 400 metre event this weekend, says she has to remain consistent before the London Games.



Fellow Olympian Geoff Harris and 2008 Olympian Adrienne Power were also on-hand to promote this weekend's meet. Martin says it will help prepare her for the Olympics.

The two-time Canadian champion says she's still on cloud nine after clinching her Olympic berth last Friday night in Calgary. Martin will also run in Moncton this Thursday and in Toronto next week before flying to Germany for pre-Olympic camp.

Municipal Election: Lunenburg Has Mayor's Race

A labour lawyer in Lunenburg will seek the mayor's seat when municipal elections roll around this fall. Ron Stockton will challenge long time incumbent Laurence Mawhinney for the position in October. It marks the first mayoral race in Lunenburg since 1994. Stockton says he wants to focus on working with various organization's to create jobs and attract young families to Lunenburg.



Stockton says it's time for a new approach in Lunenburg and called a mayoral race "healthy" for the town. Mawhinney, meanwhile, announced earlier this year he's set to seek another term.

Call For Inquiry Into Bowater



Brooklyn, NS

 A consumer watchdog agency has some strong words for the Dexter government and the parent company of the now-closed Bowater Mersey paper mill in Brooklyn. 

The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation is calling for a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the provincial bailout package and what Resolute Forest Products did with the money. 

Kevin Lacey is the CTF's Atlantic President.



Lacey suggests the money did nothing to help the Brooklyn mill but was used to buy a more profitable pulp mill in the state of Maine.

The government said at the time of the announcement of the mill's closure, resolute had paid back the 25 million dollars.

Celebration Tour Skips South Shore

The South Shore will have to wait until next year for the Kraft Celebration Tour. Judges with the contest chose Port Hawkesbury, Canning and Pugwash as the Nova Scotia participants. Five local spots were nominated including Lunenburg, Western Shore, Liverpool, Hubbards and Bridgewater. The three provincial selections are among 20 destinations chosen as finalists. They will now go head-to-head in voting, with the final 10 winning $25,000 and a chance to host TSN's Sportscentre in their community. 

South Shore Health: Vaughan Takes Over As CEO

There's a new person at the helm of South Shore Health. Dr. Peter Vaughan has replaced Alice Leverman as Chief Executive Officer, after she decided to step down after holding the position since August 2009. Vaughan has worked with Leverman over the last few weeks to prepare for the role. Vaughan, who has lived along the South Shore for the last five years, says its been a smooth transition into the position. He believes they are well on their way to improving their service.




Vaughan says despite the role change, the message remains strong from the health authority.



He says the collaborative practice in Bridgewater and the hospital redevelopment in Liverpool are great opportunities for the region.

Injuries Result From Chester Basin Accident

Lunenburg County RCMP are investigating a single vehicle crash in Chester Basin.  Just after midnight yesterday, the RCMP responded to the accident on Highway 12.  The 17-year-old driver had lost control of her vehicle, causing it to roll. 

Two other occupants were injured.  A 19-year-old man from Halifax was thrown from the vehicle and transported to South Shore Regional Hospital with serious injuries.  A female passenger was also hurt. 

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Lumberjacks Prep For New Season

Local hockey fans will want to circle September 14th on their calendars.  That's when the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks host the Yarmouth Mariners, opening their 2012-13 MHL season. 

The local Junior A hockey club's home schedule includes 18 Friday night contests and 5 Tuesday evening tilts in Bridgewater along with 3 Thursday night dates at Queens Place-Emera Centre in Liverpool.  There will also be at least two pre-season games in Bridgewater in early September. 

Season tickets are expected to be on sale within the next couple of weeks.

Liverpool Fire Dept. Wins Penny Competition

The Liverpool Fire Department has been crowned "King Penny 2012" in the Pennies For Protection competition.  The department came up with 627 pounds of collected pennies worth $1254.00 during the weekend weigh-in.  They bested 12 other fire departments.  A total of $8400.00 was raised province-wide.  The money will help support volunteer departments.

Chester Wind Project Might Be Delayed

A multi-million dollar wind project at the Kaizer Meadow Landfill site might be delayed. The wind turbine is tentatively scheduled to be in operation early in 2013 and will be fully owned by the municipality of Chester. However, Warden Allen Webber says they need a report from Nova Scotia Power before they can proceed with the project. The municipality needs specific details from NSP before they can begin to purchase the turbine for the project. Webber says they're hoping to get the information they need as soon as possible to keep the project on schedule. Minas Basin Pulp and Power of Hantsport has been contracted for project management, operation and maintenance of the turbine.

Celebration Tour To Announce 20 Finalists

The time is almost here to see if any South Shore communities have made the final 20 for the Kraft Celebration Tour. Five locations have been nominated in the region including Liverpool, Bridgewater, Western Shore, Lunenburg and Hubbards. Over 500 nominations from across Canada were received this year. A panel of judges are reviewing submissions and selecting 20 finalists. The top 20 will be revealed on TSN's SportsCentre Sunday July 1 at 6:30pm.

BREAKING: Martin Sets Standard; Wins 400 Metre Title

It was a night to remember for Jenna Martin. The Bridgewater native is going to the London Games after reaching the Olympic 'A' standard time of 51.55 seconds. Martin, ran in lane four and crossed the finish line at 51.53 seconds, breaking the standard time by only two hundredths of a second. CKBW and HANK-FM spoke with Martin after the race. She says it was an emotional finish.



The 24-year-old also set a personal best time and defend her 400 metre title. She says there's no greater reward than to be recognized as an Olympian.



Martin wasn't sure but believes she will head to Germany around July 18 for pre-Olympic camp until roughly a week before the London games begin.

In case you missed the race, here's CBC Sports with the call.

South Shore Artist Takes Spotlight In NB Gallery

If you're heading to New Brunswick over the summer and are looking for something different to do - the Whirligigs exhibits may just be the answer. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and Kingsbrae Garden in St Andrews have various pieces of the wind driven whirligigs artwork by Atlantic Canadian artists on display from now until September 15th. Locally – South Shore artist Bill Shaw is one of the artists with a piece of whirligig work on display. The Kingsbrae Garden exhibit opened earlier this month while the Beaverbrook Art Gallery held it's official opening of the exhibit last night. Acadia Broadcasting Limited - the parent company of CKBW and Hank FM - is a proud sponsor of the exhibits.

Acadian Games Underway In Yarmouth

The Acadian Games have kicked off in Yarmouth and Argyle.  The annual event runs right through the weekend. More than 1,100 young Francophone athletes from across the Maritimes and Newfoundland are taking part. Games co-ordinator Gwen LeBlanc says sporting competition is the focus, but showcasing the local French culture also plays a role. She says the event is also a business-booster with lots of people attending.



This is only the second time in the 32 year history of the games that a Nova Scotia site has been awarded the finals- and the first rural Nova Scotia location. In 2008 the City of Halifax hosted the finals. The Games wrap up Tuesday afternoon with the closing ceremonies at the Yarmouth Mariner Centre.

ER Closure At Fishermen's Memorial

The emergency room at Fishermen's Memorial in Lunenburg will be closed beginning Canada Day. The ER is expected to close at 4pm Sunday afternoon until 7:30 Monday morning. South Shore Health says the closure is due to lack of physician coverage.Anyone requiring emergency services is advised to call 911 or visit South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater.  

Liverpool's Whalen Set For Javelin, Shot Put At Nationals

It's the first of many national experiences for Chelsea Whalen. The Liverpool athlete is competing in her inaugural senior Track and Field Championships in Calgary. Whalen opens up competition Friday night in the women's javelin final. She says she's a little nervous.

But, Whalen admits it will be a good learning experience to compete against the country's best.

The 19-year-old will also compete in the shot put on Saturday.

Lunenburg/Queens Transition Team Moves Foward

Lunenburg/Queens Transition Leader Ron Smith

The recently-created Lunenburg-Queens Community Transition Team is on its way to finding ways of filling the economic gap left when Bowater Mersey closed almost 2 weeks ago. Former financial executive Ron Smith is heading up the team.  He says he and his group will be spending the summer months, meeting with community and business leaders and Lunenburg and Queens residents who have ideas. In an interview, he tells us smaller industries, reliant on forestry, will likely be the key to the industrial future of the area.  However, Smith says the pulp mill itself is likely history. Other aspects of the forest industry will figure prominently in the future.



The Transition Team will have its website up and running sometime next week, its Liverpool and Bridgewater offices fully functional and toll-free numbers will be established. Ron Smith believes recommendations will be ready late in the summer and in government hands.

Gasoline Prices Drop Along South Shore

Prices at South Shore gasoline pumps are down this morning.  The utilities and review board gave the OK overnite to lower the price of regular self-serve by three cents a litre.  That makes the new price .... $1.18.7.  Thats the first time in about a year that the price has dropped below a dollar-20.  The price has been dropping steadily in recent weeks as the world price of oil lowers.

McIntosh Achieves PB, Finishes Fourth In Heptathlon

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Holland)

It was a narrow miss on the podium for Rachael McIntosh. The Bridgewater heptathlete placed fourth after finishing with a personal best of 5,477 points. McIntosh is very satisfied with her results, saying in an email "to be able to put it all together in front of a home crowd at such an important meet is as good as I can ask for." McIntosh, who was competing in her third senior Canadian Championships adds "the week was a test of my ability to focus on the task at hand and perform as if no one was there at all." The 21-year-old improved on a sixth place finish in 2011. McIntosh will now travel to Mexico and Holland over the summer to represent Canada at international events.

BREAKING: Martin Misses Standard, Qualifies For Final

It's down to one more race for Jenna Martin to get an Olympic 'A' standard time. The Bridgewater native missed the time in Thursday night's semi-final heat at the Canadian Track and Field Championships. She won her heat with a time of 52.25 seconds but needs 51.55 in her pursuit of the Olympic games.  After the race, Martin remained optimistic it will happen.



Martin says she learned a lot about herself after Thursday night's race and is ready to give it everything she's got in the final.



The 24-year-old qualified for Friday night's 400 metre women's final, giving her a chance to repeat as Canadian champion.