Ward's Creek Teen Pleads Guilty

Guilty pleas to all charges for a Ward's Creek teen after a crime spree through three counties involving stolen vehicles, break and enters and more.

It happened earlier this month when the Mounties learned of 5 vehicles reported stolen between the 11th and the 15th. 
All were left unlocked with keys inside.

A number of thefts from vehicles and break and enters around the same time.
The 16 year old is due in court in December for sentencing.

New Liquor Store Opens Tuesday

Rothesay gets its new liquor store on Tuesday.

The new store on Campbell Drive will replace two outlet stores.

The Landing Court location closes forever on Saturday night at 9 and the Superstore outlet closes permanently at 7 on Monday night.

Mysterious Object On Beach Identified

Experts from CFB Gagetown being called in to help deal with a suspicious object that washed up on a beach near Anthony's Cove Road in Red Head.

The metal cylinder washed up in the Anthony Cove Road area and was found by an older couple out for a walk. Sergeant Jay Henderson of city police tells CHSJ News it wasn't immediately clear what the object was, but it turned out to be a marine location market used to signal while at sea. The location marker produces smoke and flames, like a flare, and could cause burns.

The object was safely disposed of.

Shelagh Rogers Gives Talk On Depression

Long-time broadcaster Shelagh Rogers, host of "The Next Chapter," speaking this morning at a WorkSafe NB conference on workplace health and safety. Rogers, who has publicly struggled with depression, tells CHSJ News technology can contribute to a sense of isolation, particularly when you're not talking to anyone face to face anymore.
 
Rogers also emphasized proper sleep and exercise as preventative measures...but says social stigma is the biggest issue, and will only be removed by talking publicly about mental health issues.

City Police Looking For Missing Woman

Major Crime is looking for a 20 year old woman who's among the missing identified as Shelby Dawn Williams.

She was last seen at around midnight last Saturday and is known to hang around the Waterloo Street area.

Williams is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, about 110 lbs with a slim build, hazel eyes and shoulder length brown hair. Williams was last seen wearing a bright green coat.

If you know her whereabouts, you can contact the Saint John Police Force at (506) 648-3333 or (506)648-3211.

Cabinet Shuffle Aimed At Soothing Ruffled Saint John Feathers

Interim Provincial Liberal leader Victor Boudreau tells CHSJ News it's no coincidence Premier David Alward shuffled his cabinet after controversy over the ouster of Fundy River Valley M-L-A Dr. Jim Parrot from the Conservative caucus.

Boudreau claims it's going to take more than shuffling the deck to make things right with Saint John where there is still anger over the appointment of former Rothesay M-L-A Margaret Ann Blaney as C-E-O of Efficiency NB without holding a job competition.


Boudreau wouldn't be surprised if the new Ministry of Healthy and Inclusive Communities was created just to get another Saint John M-L-A into the cabinet, in this case, Saint John Lancaster M-L-A Dorothy Shepherd.

Saint John area members will hold two of the most powerful portfolios with Qusipamsis M-L-A Blaine Higgs at Finance and Rothesay M-L-A Ted Flemming at Health.

Bus Window Smashed

A rock was thrown at a City Transit bus on the west side breaking a window in the Churchill Heights area on Central Avenue.

This type of vandalism happens about 5 or six times a year but Saint John Transit General Manager Frank McCarey tells CHSJ News even more damage is done to bus shelters and when plexiglass was used, there were people who would actually try to burn it with lighters. Tempered glass is now used.

McCarey says it costs anywhere from 350 to 400 dollars to replace a bus window which shatters into little pebbles when smashed. Vandalism costs the bus service an estimated 10 thousand dollars annually.

Potential Explosive Washed Up On Beach

A device believed to be military in nature has washed up on a beach on the east side on Anthony's Cove Road. An older couple were walking on the beach when they came along a cylindrical metal object that appeared to be a missile or marine flare.

A source from CFB Gagetown tells CHSJ News an explosive ordinance disposal team has been dispatched to provide assistance to the SJ Police Force.

Saint John Area Now Has Four Provincial Cabinet Ministers

Premier David Alward has shuffled his cabinet and increased the number of ministers to 17 with four of them from the Saint John area. 

He has appointed four backbenchers to Health, Post-Secondary Education, Human Resources and the newly created Department of Healthy and Inclusive Communities. 

The Premier says recently elected member Ted Flemming in Rothesay is a good choice for Health. Flemming has called himself an ally of Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs who believes the healthcare system could be made far more efficient.
 
Saint John Lancaster M-L-A Dorothy Shepherd is the Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities. 

Quispamsis M-L-A Blaine Higgs remains Finance Minister and Trevor Holder, the M-L-A for Saint John Portland, stays as Minister of Tourism and Culture.

The New Democrats and the Liberals charge Alward has broken another election promise by increasing the number of ministers from 15. He replies to thast by pointing out the number is still less than the previous Liberal Government under Shawn Graham had.
   

Power Lines Ignite

The high winds causing a problem last night around 10 on Westbrook Avenue when tree branches were blown onto power lines and caught fire. 

The area was cordoned off, the power was cut by Saint John Energy and the tree branches were trimmed back.

Gas Prices Down Across The Board

A fairly large drop in the price of self serve regular after the weekly setting. In the city, it has gone down from $1.34.9 a litre to $1.31.4.

Diesel is also cheaper at $1.33.4, which is a couple of cents less expensive. 

Heating oil has also gone down a couple of cents to a maximum price of $1.17.1 a litre and propane is at a max of 94.3 cents, which is down a bit as well.

Famed Provincial Furniture Retailer Opens In Saint John

A company founded in Newcastle in 1878 is now operating in Saint John.

Lounsbury recently opened a store in the City on Rothesay Avenue.

Jill Sadler of Lounsbury's tells CHSJ News they are often asked about further expansion plans beyond the cities like Moncton and Sussex where they operate now.

She says growth is goal so they are going to get Saint John under their belt and see what happens from there.

The company also owns several auto dealerships and heavy truck companies and it dates back to selling farm equipment and clothing.