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Friday, April 25, 2014

Aggressive Panhandler Arrested

Saint John Police tells CHSJ News a man who made the rounds from the East Side, to the uptown, and finally to the West Side aggressively panhandling and harassing passers-by will be spending the weekend in jail.

The man was seen banging on car windows and cursing at people when they refused to give him cash. He also caused a ruckus in Brunswick Square before police were called.


He was eventually arrested on a city bus near a west side mall.

He has been charged with causing a disturbance and also found to a breaching court conditions to keep the peace.

No Mail Delivery On Darling's Island





Due to the flooding on Darlings Island, there will be no mail delivery today.

Residents can pick up their mail at the Hampton post office.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Host Fun Bowling Fundraiser

At Bowl For Kids Sake, every dollar raised helps match kids with a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor---which helps kids' self-esteem and makes them more likely to stay in school. 

Laurie Collins of Big Brothers says they're hoping to raise a total of $110,000 dollars, or a third of their operating budget. That amount would help the organization serve the 400 kids they do already, plus take some off the waiting list.

Bowl for Kids Sake starts at Fairview lanes at 10am and goes until 7. For more information, click here

Rising Waters Covering Darling's Island Road Today

(CHSJ News file photo)
It was inevitable with the rain this week....the Darling's Island road is under water as of this morning.

Parents with kids who went to school on the bus this morning were wondering how their kids might get home today.

Zoe Watson of Anglophone South School District tells CHSJ News they have a bus on Darling's Island that picks up the kids and the driver is supposed to get on the Department of Natural Resources boat with them while they travel to the other side where another school bus picks them up.

One parent tells us her child has already arrived home today on a bus.  

You Could Start A New Business Before Monday

If you're a developer, coder, or other business-minded person who's got a great idea for a start-up, this weekend could be your chance.

From 5:30 at the old Kent Theater on Coburg, you can sign up to take part in Startup Weekend. Event Chair Catherine Doucette tells CHSJ News it's going to be an unusual and fun set-up where people brainstorm and develop a business plan within 54 hours.

You don't need to come with a team--you just show up with your skills and get connected with a lot of other expertise. For more information about Startup Weekend, click here

CUPE Members Rally To Support Correctional Officers

CUPE members from across the province hosting a rally in front of the provincial legislature to support correctional officers, human service councillors and custodians who have been without a collective agreement for nearly 3 years.

Local 1251 President Everett Godfrey say negotiations with government so far have been difficult with wage parity being a major stumbling block.

Godfrey adds that correction officers in this province are the lowest paid in the country and the goal is to bring their wages in line with their counterparts in the Atlantic provinces.

Delegates at the CUPE convention will be voting an emergency resolution calling upon all CUPE members to support Local 1251 in its efforts to get a new deal.

Provincial Conservatives Attacking Brian Gallant's Leadership

The Liberals meet Saturday in Fredericton to talk about the policies they'll be running on in September's provincial election. 

The governing Conservatives are on the attack with Post Secondary Education Minister Jody Carr calling provincial Liberal leader Brian Gallant a flip flopper.

Gallant argues it's the Alward Government that people have lost faith in because of so many broken promises.
 

The Speaker of the Legislature decided Carr went too far when he suggested Gallant couldn't be trusted and Carr agreed to retract the comment.

Animal Rights Rally Outside The Legislature

A rally being held outside the Legislature tomorrow at 11:00 by animal rights advocates from around the region calling for legislative changes to better protect animals. 

Rita Bihr of People for Stronger Animal Protection tells CHSJ News it should be illegal to have dogs chained or penned up 24/7 because they're pack animals and, as such, crave socialisation. 

Bihr also argues it should be against the law to keep pets outside in the extreme cold.
Recently, a rescue group in Kent County found a small dog that had been buried alive in the snow.


Bihr says usually just the minimum fine is imposed in cases of animal abuse and neglect. She would like to see jail terms imposed if the abuse is severe enough.

Hoax Prompts Police Response Last Night


A bomb threat at the North End McDonald's turning out to be a hoax.

Sgt. Dave Cowan telling CHSJ News their officers were called to the restaurant around 10:30 last night and it was briefly evacuated.

It may be related to a North America trend called "swatting" where hackers make prank emergency calls that prompt a swat team response.

An incident at a school in Hartland yesterday and one at Simonds High last year where a bomb threat was called in could also be related to the same hoax.

Sgt. Cowan tells us City police will be looking into it today but no one has been detained or arrested.

Threat Made To School

More details being released about a threat to Hartland Community School yesterday morning around 8 that turned out to be a hoax. 

he school was locked down as the RCMP conducted its investigation which finished up in the middle of the afternoon. 

Classes continued as usual while all this was going on.

Man Charged In Convenience Store Holdup Back In Court

A guilty plea from a 25 year old St. George man, Stephen Hall of Fundy Bay Drive to a charge of robbing the Garden Street Circle K on April 4th while armed with a knife. 

Hall returns to court to be sentenced June 3rd.