VIDEO: Large Brush Fire Off Highway 103

No injuries after a large brush fire Tuesday night in the Martins River area. Five fire departments including Western Shore, Martins River, Mahone Bay, Chester Basin, and Blockhouse were called to the scene to battle the blaze around 7:45pm. The fire happened just off highway 103 between exits 9 and 10. Western Shore Fire Chief Scott Rafuse says the outcome could have been worse.



Fire crews spent over three hours at the scene. It is considered suspicious. Close to 50 firefighters helped battle the blaze.

School Board Approves New By-Laws

The South Shore Regional School Board has approved new by-laws before this fall's election. Board member Judith Sullivan-Corney and the regional education officer started working on the information back in January. The new by-laws define roles and responsibilities of the superintendent and members, meeting procedures, and accountability. Sullivan-Corney says the by-laws will provide structure to the newly elected board.



The by-laws will now be forwarded to the Minister of Education for final approval. To view the new by-laws, go to http://ssrsb.ca/ .

Feds, Province Invest In Nova Scotia Music Week

The federal and provincial governments are teaming up to help showcase local musicians. Member of Parliament, Gerald Keddy, announced $246,000 from the federal government to purchase equipment and make infrastructure improvements at Queens Place Emera Centre for Nova Scotia Music Week. Improvements to the facility include a new ice covering system, upgrades to storage capacity, and additional seating. Keddy says an additional $40,000 will spent to help Music Nova Scotia develop export opportunities during Nova Scotia Music Week.
The money will be used to give musicians access to influential music buyers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Meanwhile, the province announced $38,400 in funding to also bring in international music buyers from the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada to hear live performances from local acts. Nova Scotia Music Week 2012 will be held at the Queens Place Emera Centre from November 8-11. More details on the event can be found at http://nsmw.ca/ .

RCMP Advise Drivers To Slowdown As School Begins

South Shore schools open for classes on Thursday. The first day of school in September after summer vacation is considered one of the busiest days of the year. For motorists, they have to be extra cautious. The RCMP's media liason officer, Sgt. Brigdit Leger, says one of the biggest changes this year for motorists is in school zones.



However, Leger says drivers have to be careful everywhere and expect the unexpected.



Leger says motorists need to slow down not only in school zones but everywhere else too where kids are seen along streets and on sidewalks.

North Queens Roof Replacement On Schedule

The roof replacement at the North Queens Community School is nearly complete. The project started earlier this summer and is expected to be ready by October 15. Director of Operations, Steve Prest, says the work needed to be done sooner rather than later.


Prest says there have been no complications with the project, and its proceeding on schedule. The replacement cost about $300,000.

Local Video Promotes Prostate Cancer Awareness

September is Men’s Cancer Awareness month and a local survivor has developed a new video to encourage kids to speak to their parents about the disease. 'Dad: We Need to Talk' focuses on the need for men to get checked for prostate cancer. Dan Hennessey came up with the idea for the video. He hopes it will drive awareness to prostate cancer and convince men to see their doctor.



You can watch the video by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KVyNFt--Mg&feature=youtu.be .

Labour Leader Calls For Training Fund

Nova Scotia needs a provincial training fund. That comment from the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour. In a CKBW and Hank-FM News interview, Rick Clarke says workers who've been laid off, such as the hundreds at the closed Bowater-Mersey paper mill in Brooklyn, would directly benefit from training for new professions.


On this Labour Day, Clarke is also calling for the federal government to haul-back on its plan to change EI rules as they would apply to seasonal workers. He says it would be a disaster for the labour market.

UPDATED: LaHave Street Fire Deemed Suspicious

An early morning fire on LaHave Street in Bridgewater has been deemed suspicious. Investigators believe the fire was deliberately set in the basement of the two-story home. The blaze was reported by a witness who saw the flames from the street around 5AM. Nearly 80 firefighters helped battle the fire and were able to keep it from spreading to neighbouring homes. A family of three had been living in the basement but they were out of town. The upstairs portion of the house was available for rent and recently had tenants. Fire officials remained at the scene well into the afternoon. Bridgewater police are asking anyone with information to contact their detachment or Crime Stoppers.

Yarmouth RCMP Search For Missing Swimmer

RCMP in Yarmouth say a large scale search team has been organized to try and find a missing swimmer. Police say they responded to a 911 call on Saturday that indicated a 52-year-old man had experienced distress while swimming in Great Barron Lake at Owl Head Island. Police and firefighters began a search of the area around 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. An RCMP helicopter also took part in the search of the water and shoreline. Yarmouth County Ground Search and Rescue has returned to the area today and will be joined by RCMP divers. Police say the missing man is from Quinan.

UPDATED: No Injuries After LaHave Street Fire

Close to 80 firefighters were called to battle an early morning fire in a residential area of Bridgewater. The fire was reported shortly before 5 o'clock this morning at a home on LaHave Street just across from the Superstore. Fire Chief Wayne Thorburne says crews were able to contain the fire quickly and keep it from spreading to neighbouring homes in the area. He says an investigation into its cause will take place.




Thorbune says a family of three lived in the basement of the home but they were away when the fire broke loose. The scene is covered in yellow tape and more information on the nature of the investigation is expected to be released in the near future.

Investigation Underway Into LaHave Street Fire

An investigation has been launched into an early morning fire in a residential area of Bridgewater. The fire caused significant damage to a home on LaHave Street just across from the Superstore. Fire crews were called to the scene shortly before 5 o'clock and were able to contain the blaze before it could spread to neighbouring homes in the area. It's not known what caused the fire or if anybody was living in the two-story home. The scene is covered with yellow tape as investigators continue their work.

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.