Linked Header

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Van Rolls Into The Bay

The Mounties called in after a van was seen floating towards the Roosevelt Bridge near Campobello Island.

RCMP got the call around 5pm yesterday that a person may be in the vehicle so other services were called in to help with the search.

The driver was found near the Mulholland Lighthouse on Narrows Road where he had stopped to do some sightseeing but didn't put his  van in park. 


It began rolling and the driver was able to escape after freeing his foot which got stuck in the vehicle.

He was able to get out of the vehicle before it plunged down the embankment into the Bay of Fundy.  


The van was found this morning near the lighthouse point.

More Container Business For Port

The Port has landed more business with a second global container connection.

Hapag-Lloyd, a German company, will be offering a weekly service through Saint John in partnership with Tropical Shipping. 

Port Authority President and C-E-O Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News Port Saint John is becoming a powerhouse and is now Eastern Canada's largest port by tonnage.

As of the end of June, container cargo tonnage was up by 100 per cent over the same period last year.

Quinn says a lot of effort has been made to market the port and it's paying off.

East Side Mom To Be In Court In New Year

A 20 year old woman facing criminal charges of child abandonment will be back in court in January.

She was released on a promise to appear.

Police responded to the Park Place Apartments off Hickey Road early yesterday afternoon to check on some young children who were screaming.

Officers arriving on scene found a 1 year old baby and a 3 year old toddler alone in the apartment.

The Department of Social Development was contacted along with the Family Protection Unit and Forensic Identification services. 

The kids were removed and taken to hospital to be examined for malnutrition and dehydration. They're currently in the care of the Department of Social Development.

Seniors In North End Get Federal Funding

The Stephenson Tower Tenants Association receiving 5 thousand dollars in federal funding for upgrades so seniors are likely to leave their apartments and mingle with one another so they don't become socially isolated which can be a killer. 

Debbie McLeod is a community co-ordinator with Social Development and she tells CHSJ News it's hard to put a value on what this infusion of money means.
 

McLeod says they now have new tables and chairs in their Rec Room along with a big screen TV for electronic bingo and, after some initial reluctance, the new technology has been embraced. 

McLeod just heard a presentation last week on the need to create bumping stations for seniors where they can literally bump into one another and socially interact.

Alleged Charlotte Street Crack Dealer Denied Bail

A 41 year old Saint John man has been denied bail on charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking after an undercover police officer testified he saw him hanging out on Peters Street dealing crack cocaine.

Kenneth Ward of Charlotte Street was seen with known drug users trading off a $20 bill for an small object which prompted officers to search him. They found 17 rocks of crack valued at $340, $120 in cash, and two cell phones.

He appeared in court with his jaw wired shut. The court heard the injury happened during a home invasion when he was hit with a hammer, the second such assault Ward has reported in a period of some months. 


He is scheduled to reappear in court on October 31st.

Missing Man Last Seen In Moncton







It's been 3 years since anyone saw him and the RCMP are hoping new tips can breathe life into an old case.

47-year-old Fred Byram of Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska was last seen around midnight on October 7, 2010 as he got into a taxi at the former Rockin Rodeo club on Elmwood Drive in Moncton.    



He has not been seen or heard from since.

He is described as 5 foot 10 about 170 pounds with brown eyes and salt and pepper hair.

He has tatoos on his arms and a gap between his two front teeth.

If you know anything, contact Codiac Regional RCMP at 506-857-2400 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

Katsof Renews Call For Catastrophic Drug Coverage

Another call is being made for the Province to come through on their promise for catastrophic drug coverage for the people with disorders like PNH, a kidney disorder, that requires a very costly medicine.
 

Barry Katsof of the Canadian Association of PNH Patients tells CHSJ News when they met with Health Minister Ted Flemming that gave him suggestion on how to implement a program that everyone can afford.

He says they pointed out to him that the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, a cost pooling program, exists specifically to make the high cost of prescription drugs affordable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Katsof uses a New Brunswick teen with PNH as an example of the problem saying he is currently covered under his parent's drug coverage plan while at university but how will he pay for the drug once he finishes school.

Katsof describes the Alward government's current health plan as a deceitful election strategy playing with people's lives.




VIDEO: Snook's Lawyer & Sister Speak

Judge Alfred Brien described Donnie Snook as "reckless and uncaring" as he sentenced the disgraced former politician and church leader to 18 years in jail minus time served.

Defence lawyer Dennis Boyle tells CHSJ News it's not known where he'll be incarcerated--but that decision will be made by federal authorities after Snook undergoes at assessment at Springhill.
 

Snook's sister, Donna says  she expects some of the victims will go on to repeat the behaviours if they don't get counseling---and she believes, had Snook received help himself, he wouldn't have committed the crimes.

Snook was described as meeting the DSM criteria for exclusive type pedophilia with a preferred age range of boys 8-12--and while treatment will help him manage his urges they aren't likely to go away. 




Mom In Abandonment Case Before A Judge Today

Outrage in the city after two young kids were left alone in an East side apartment with little food.

A 20 year old woman is facing criminal charges of child abandonment after police found the kids alone in a Hickey Road apartment building yesterday.

Police found a 1 year old baby and a 3 year old toddler alone in the apartment.

The kids are now in the care of the Department of Social Development.

The children's mother was released on a promise to appear and is due before a judge in January.

Snook's Lawyer Says He Is Relieved That Sentencing Is Over

Donnie Snook's defence lawyer, Dennis Boyle tells us his client is relieved the long wait for sentencing is over

Boyle says Snook is looking forward to starting the counseling available to him in jail.

As far as the 4 charges laid against Snook in Newfoundland are concerned, Boyle says they will be dealt here in this province along with the disposal of Snook's assets including his home, vehicle and electronics.

Snook Gets 18 Year Sentence

Donnie Snook receiving a sentence of 18 years in federal prison for 46 child exploitation charges.

Some people sitting in court today were visibly upset and crying at the news of his sentence.

Judge Brien is speaking court this morning saying mitigating factors in his sentencing include the fact that he does not have a record, he cooperated with police, he plead guilty plea and he received a positive pre-sentence report.

The judge also saying Snook appeared to have genuine remorse but failed to empathize with his victims.

The mother of one Snook victim says she deals with daily fear her son will commit suicide or die from the drugs or alcohol he has turned to.

Self Serve Regular Down Again

If you use self serve regular, you'll be paying lessto fill up after the weekly setting. 

It's at $1.22.8 in the city. The maximum price for diesel increased by three cents and is at $1.37.4 a litre around town.

Heating oil also costing you more with a maximum price of $1.16.7 but propane is cheaper with a max of $1.06.1.

Sentencing Scheduled For Former Common Councillor

Former Common Councillor Donnie Snook is scheduled to be sentenced this morning on 46 charges of child exploitation. 

The prosecution at the sentencing hearing recommended he get 21 years in prison and serve at least half before being eligible for parole. Prosecutor Karen Lee Lamrock says she calculated what Snook should serve by the number of offenses and it worked out to 75 years in prison.

The defense recommends a prison term of 12 years. 

Snook was described as being on the high end of a moderate risk to reoffend although he's willing to participate in rehabilitation treatment. 

The court was told he did not empathise with his victims and did not have an emotional relationship with them....It was just about the sex. One of the victims was Snook's own foster child whom he used to get access to other children.

Defense lawyer Dennis Boyle says Snook wonders whether his sexual desires were sent by the devil to undermine his ministry with young people and describes his capture as the best day of his life.

Two Young Children On East Side Taken Into Care

The Police Department's  Family Protection Unit was called to the Park Place Apartments off Hickey Road after two young children under the age of 5, a boy and a girl, were discovered alone in less than ideal conditions. 

They were taken to the Regional Hospital to be examined for malnourishment and dehydration. There was hardly any food in the apartment.
 

The call came after police were told children had been screaming inside the apartment and not for the first time. They were found without proper clothing on, one was wearing a dirty diaper. 

CHSJ News has learned there have been previous complaints about children screaming for long periods of time and Social Development had been to the apartment before. 

Police were on the scene all afternoon, well into the evening.

The mother is expected to be charged.