Linked Header

Friday, March 21, 2014

BREAKING: Jury Finds MacKean Guilty

A 12 member jury has found a Halifax area man guilty of both charges in his Supreme Court trial in Bridgewater.

The verdict was reached after five hours of deliberations.

John Leonard MacKean was facing charges of sexual assault and communicating for the purpose of obtaining sexual service from a person under 18.

Crown lawyer Lloyd Tancock says the guilty verdict will mean jail time for the 64 year old.

However, Tancock told reporters it's too early to discuss the prison term the Crown will seek.

MacKean is the third and final person charged in the confinement and sexual assault of a teenage boy in Upper Chelsea in September 2012.

Wayne Cunningham died while on the run from police in Northern Ontario while David Leblanc is serving an 11 year jail term for his role in the crime.

MacKean will be sentenced on June 24th.

Jury Deliberating In Teen Confinement Case


A 12 member jury has been sequestered for nearly five hours in the sexual assault case involving a Halifax area man.

Deliberations began this morning after the panel were given final instructions from the judge.

John Leonard MacKean is facing charges of sexual assault and communicating for the purpose of obtaining sexual services from a person under the age of 18.

The allegations involve performing sexual acts on a teenage boy that was blindfolded in a cabin in Upper Chelsea

MacKean was arrested in a hotel in Fredericton in November 2012.

The 64 year old is the third and final person accused in the chained teen case.

Wayne Alan Cunningham died on the run from police in Northern Ontario.

David James Leblanc is serving 11 years in jail for his role in the kidnapping and confinement of the teen.

The trial is now in its fifth day.

Proposed Housing Development In Quispam Withdrawn

A big proposed housing and commercial development in Quispamsis has been withdrawn because of the current economic climate. 

The proposal would have seen 75 homes built off Pettingill Road along Westminster Drive, from 2 and 3 bedroom bungalows to condos. 

The town is going to update its municipal plan to allow for a wider range of housing and not just single family homes. Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll tells CHSJ News the town needs to properly control growth and not let it control the town.

Besides a wider variety of housing options, the town also wants to create what it calls walkable neighbourhoods.   




Provincial NDP Says Premier Has Alot Of Explaining To Do

A culture of lawlessness or at least willful indifference to the law.......Those are the words of Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy about the controversy over the expenses of M-L-A's. 

Cardy charges there was a coverup when Campbellton-Restigouche M-L-A Greg Davis fell more than six months behind on the rent payments for his constituency office.
Davis received 40 thousand dollars for his constituency expenses but details of how that money was spent haven't been released yet. 


Cardy charges both the Liberals and Conservatives would like the expenses controversy to just go away. He advocates a system where M-L-A's would put their expenses online for all to see with regular updates.

Shale Gas Opponents Say Job Claims By Alward Government Are Just Spin

The New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance has scheduled a series of public meetings around the province, including one in Sussex, to give people all the information on shale gas instead of what it calls propaganda from the Alward Government. 

Jim Emberger of the Alliance tells CHSJ News if you look at the number of jobs created by shale gas in Pennsylvania, the claims being made in New Brunswick about how this will turn the economy around have been wildly overblown. He says in Pennsylvania, 4 jobs were created per well as opposed to the claim in the Deloitte Touche report that 21 jobs will be generated per well. 

Emberger also argues Massachusetts has created three times the number of jobs with green energy as compared to what Pennsylvania has generated with shale gas.





Holder Back In NYC To Promote The Two Nation Vacation

American travel writers in New York City getting an earful from a New Brunswick-Maine contingent singing the praises of the Two Nation Vacation.

CHSJ News asked Tourism Minister Trevor Holder if the province is focusing more on promoting trips by land where the cruise ship season in Saint John will be quieter this year.

Holder says they are talking to them about the newly renovated Algonquin Hotel and they were very interested in that.

Holder is in the Big Apple with Maine's Director of Tourism Carolann Ouellette and Nancy Blount of Blount Small Ship Adventures.
 

The province and port recently announcing that Blount will begin using Saint John for homeporting in 2015.

New Kitchen For St. John The Baptist-King Edward School

Students, staff, teachers and more at St. John the Baptist-King Edward school celebrating the official launch of their new kitchen.

It will go a long way to helping the school provide 1000 hot lunches a week.


Principal Christine Roy tells CHSJ News the 40 volunteers that come in to prepare and serve the food are role models for the students.

She says their students see people in the community giving back to them being examples of citizenship and volunteerism and she hopes one day the students will give back too.

Holly Singh of Thandi's and Councillor Gerry Lowe were both singled out for their work on making the kitchen renovation happen.
 

The lunch program costs $54,000 a year to run and is operated thanks to the contributions of many community partners including Irving Oil.

CFIA Issues Chicken Recall

A chicken product that could be in your fridge is being recalled due to the possible risk of listeria.

The recall impacts Kirkland Signature brand Grilled Chicken Breast Strips sold in this province, Ontario , Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Ontario.    It may also have been sold in other provinces.

If you bought this chicken throw it out or return it to the store where you bought it.

For more detail on the recall, click here



Drug Bust

There was a take down on Catherwood Street as part of a drug investigation involving City Police, the RCMP and Rothesay Regional Police. 

A 31 year old man has been arrested and is facing charges of possessing cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. 

Searches were also carried out by police in the north end and Quispamsis where they say a large amount of drugs and cash were confiscated.

Update On Stabbing

The Police Department's Major Crime Unit is investigating a serious assault on the west side early this morning around 3:00 that sent a 37 year old man to hospital. 

The victim was stabbed on Morris Street during what was believed to be a domestic dispute.

Road To Be Closed For Much Of The Day

The city letting us know about a road closure...The Hawthorne Avenue Extension from Mount Pleasant to Sandy Point Road from 8:30 this morning to 4:30 this afternoon for water repairs.

Assault Sends One Man To Hospital

An assault on the west side early this morning around 3:00 is being investigated by major crime. 

One man has been taken to hospital. City Police tell CHSJ News the altercation took place in the area of Church Avenue and Morris Street. So far, no one has been arrested.

Considerable damage was caused after a fire in a kitchen at a home on Seeley Street. One man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire did not spread to the rest of the house.

Canada Beats The Olympic Silver Medallists In Curling

Canada is just two wins away from winning gold at the Ford World Women's Curling Championship after defeating Sweden 9-6 to finish the round robin with a 10 and 1 record. 

With the win, Canada will meet Switzerland in the playoffs tonight at 7:30. The winner advances to Sunday night's gold medal game while the loser will play in tomorrow afternoon's semifinal. 

There's a tie breaker this afternoon at 2:30 with Sweden taking on South Korea.