BREAKING: It's A Boy For Will And Kate

Duchess Catherine has given birth to a son weighing 8lbs 6 oz. The birth occurred at 4:24pm.

The baby will be third in line for the British throne after Prince Charles and William.
 

Vehicles Spinning Out Damages Parking Lot

Two vehicles spinning out causing some serious damage to a parking lot in Elmsville. 

St. George RCMP and Crimestoppers looking for any information the public may have about the incident, which happened on the evening of July 20.

The first vehicle is a newer model white, four-door, Ford 150 with a chrome push bar, side-steps and dark tonneau cover. The second vehicle is a white, two-door, Chevrolet Cobalt with a spoiler. 

You can contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

1300 Mile Scavenger Hunt Will End In Saint John

Drivers gearing up for a 1300 mile scavenger hunt are about to hit the gas pedal. The automotive event, called Rally North America, begins tomorrow in Ithaca, New York.

Organizer Tony Intrieri tells CHSJ News after days of driving across New England and into Canada, they'll cruise into Saint John on Thursday. 

They'll line up all the cars on the Market Square Boardwalk, and Intrieri encourages the public to come out and see the cars and interact with the participants. That will also be the site of their awards presentation.

Intrieri says they raise money for charity every year. This year, they're raising money for Camp Sunshine. They work with children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. As of July 8, they've raised more than $58,000 for the charity. Click here to make a donation.

Cyclists Loving Bike Lanes; Drivers Not So Sure

Cyclists are loving the new bike lane from Tucker Park to the uptown---even though some drivers have their complaints.

Anne McShane of Green Feet tells CHSJ News the Main Street lane is just temporary measure while the Harbour Bridge is being worked on--and the delays really aren't that bad. Main Street, MCShane explains, was designed at a point when the population was expected to swell to over 200,000 people--and the current population just doesn't generate a significant amount of congestion there.

Moreover, McShane says the connection has encouraged a lot more people to get out biking, which is important in a city which is consistently ranked as unhealthy and overweight

UPDATED: Investigations Into Probable Tornado Underway

Investigations into a probable twister are underway, after a violent storm wreaked havoc on towns east of Fredericton. 

Linda Libby, a meteorologist with Environment Canada tells CHSJ News officials from the weather service are heading to the Grand Lake area today. She says her two colleagues are looking at the damage on the ground, and trying to get photos, video and first-person accounts of the violent weather that took place on Saturday.

Libby says they've heard reports of buildings and equipment being damaged or destroyed in the storm.

Update: Officials from Environment Canada have confirmed a tornado did touch down over the weekend. The intensity of the tornado is yet to be determined.

NB Royal Watchers Await The New Arrival

New Brunswickers like many Canadians are on the edge of their seat waiting for the royal baby to arrive.
 
Barry Mackenzie of the Monarchist League of Canada tells CHSJ News everyone seems to think Kate and William will have a girl.

Mackenzie tells us he's not predicting it but has the same feeling that it will be a girl and it may be because members of the media have been saying for a while that it will be a girl.

Mackenzie says a group of people in Fredericton hosted a baby shower in honour of the Royal birth donating all of the gifts received to a local charity.

Ben & Marcia Will Wed By The Sea

Tell them congrats next time you see them....Ben Vienneau and Marcia Belyea are the grand prize winners of Win & Wed by the Sea.

The couple found out this morning they are the winning couple who win a wedding in St. Andrew's By the Sea worth more than $20,000.

Courtney and Chris don't go away unhappy winning $2500 dollars for second place.

Bordertown Blaze

     


A Sunday afternoon fire forcing 7 people from their homes in a two story apartment building on Queensway in St. Stephen.

Sunday Fire Displaces 7 Tenants

Seven tenants are out of their home after an apartment fire in St. Stephen.

Red Cross disaster volunteers providing help for six tenants. 

One woman was checked out briefly at hospital due to a pre-existing medical condition and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters from St. Stephen and of Calais, Maine responded to the blaze at 57 and 59 Queensway.

Environmental Group Calls For Legislated Moratorium On Shale Gas

An environmental group is asking the premier directly for a legislated moratorium on shale gas development. The Upriver Environment Watch in Kent County penning an open letter to David Alward outlining their concerns. 

One of the founders of the group, Ann Pohl, tells CHSJ News if that next step isn't taken, they want to see a public inquiry into what she calls the unholy alliance of government and the oil and gas industry.

Pohl says you can't regulate shale gas because you can't regulate an unsafe industry, and the other problem with shale gas regulations is that there's nobody to enforce them. She calls it a crazy enterprise, saying there are many better, sustainable ways to deal with the economic issues in the province and that this fast fix is no solution.

Since early June, over 30 anti-shale gas protesters have been arrested north of Moncton, where SWN Resources has been conducting their seismic testing. A report released this June said each gas well has the potential to create 21 jobs and create approximately $13 million in economic spinoffs.

Local Senator Admits He Likely Wouldn't Accept Appointment Now

Liberal Senator Joe Day of Hampton is voicing his own anger at what he says is Prime Minister Harper's appointments to the Senate treated what should be a venerable institution with such disdain. 

Day tells CHSJ News he himself is "damned mad" and can well understand the public outrage at a few Senators enriching themselves with bogus expenses but they are a tiny minority.

Day argues the vast majority of Senators come to Ottawa to give something back to the country and not to enrich themselves by gaming the system.

Day, who has been in the Senate for ten years, acknowledges the Senate has become far more political and less about what's good for the country instead of your party.

Day admits if offered an appointment in the current atmosphere, he would likely choose some other way to contribute to public service.

Weston Concerned Over A Number Of Issues Out Of Ottawa These Days

"Embarrassing and juvenile"........That's how former federal Environment Minister and TV news anchor Peter Kent characterises the so called enemies list that was reportedly given to the newly appointed ministers last week by the Prime Minister's Office. 

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston tells CHSJ News Ottawa is facing alot of issues surrounding the House of Commons and the Senate. He is concerned whenever he feels democracy is being undermined.

Weston goes on to say disagreements between individual M-P's and the people in the Prime Minister's Office are par for the course. 

A few Conservative M-P's, including John Williamson in Charlotte County, bristled at the control over them and what they could say by the P-M-O. A former Conservative M-P from Alberta, now sitting as an independent, complained they were being treated like trained seals.