Rothesay Council Officially Endorses Natural Gas Exploration

Rothesay council taking an official position on the exploration of natural gas in New Brunswick. 

Town council voting in support of the motion made by Mayor Bill Bishop, who tells CHSJ News he hopes it prompts the provincial government to keep moving forward with exploration. He says the province's finances are in a sad state and natural resources are the wealth of New Brunswick.

Saint John Council voted to support the exploration of natural gas in the province back in early December.

Minor Damage To Some Schools During Holiday Storms

The rough weather over the holiday season, meant extra work for many facility staff at the Anglophone South School District. 

Superintendent Zoe Watson thanking the staff for their work, checking up on the schools that were without power.
 
She tells CHSJ News, there was some damage because of the weather. "We did have a fairly major water pipe break at Saint Malachy's High School. There was a fairly significant amount of damage there to a few rooms," she says. 



 She adds, several schools in the Grand Bay-Westfield area and the KV were without power, meaning many facility staff were out over the Christmas holidays checking schools for water pipes that might be frozen.

She adds, many of the staff were without power themselves. "I did want to publicly acknowledge and thank our facilities workers, for all of the extra work that they did over a busy holiday season," she says.

Missing 14-year-old boy in Fredericton

Fredericton Police are asking for your help in finding a missing person. Fourteen-year-old Josh Wood has been missing since Friday night. He was last seen around Leo Hayes High School Friday morning. 

 A news release from the Fredericton Police Department states, "Wood is approximately 5'6" in height, 130lbs, blue eyes, and was wearing  a Sharks hockey jacket with #9 on the back, black Adidas splash pants, white sneakers and white baseball cap,"

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fredericton Police Force at
460-2300.


 

Hemmings House Pictures Launches "Instagram Photo Festival"

Here's an idea on what to do with all of your Instagram pictures of Saint John. Simply add #lovesaintjohn, and you'll be part of the "Instagram Photo Festival" being launched by Hemmings House Pictures.

Director of photography Mark Hemmings, tells CHSJ News, he thought it would be a great way to showcase


 photos of Saint John that are taken on cell phones or tablets, ending up on Instagram.

 "The grand hope is that people will fall in love with Saint John. I think the best way to do that is to photograph your own city and to appreciate how interesting it is," he says.

Hemmings House Pictures will host a mini-festival in March, showcasing the images taken around the Port City. Hemmings hopes people will submit photos that are unique to Saint John, no matter how small.

Local pharmacy sees spike in the number of people coming in for flu shots

A local pharmacy saying it's seen a spike in the number of people coming in for flu shots this year. 

This after more cases of H1N1 in Alberta, and reports of four flu related deaths in New Brunswick. Ryan Kennedy is a pharmacist and owner of the Millidgeville Pharmasave.

He  says he's concerned about running low on vaccinations, but is hoping to get more stock next week. 

He tells CHSJ News, about the amount of people coming in for flu shots this season. "Multiple people, double digits every day," he says, which is certainly not in line with what we were doing last year." 

Adding, "We've been able to maintain a bit of a supply that was running low. Some of the other dispensaries in the market have run out, so they've been forwarding people here."

He says this has meant longer wait times than usual, but people have been understanding.  The New Brunswick Pharmacy Association recently telling CHSJ news the number of people getting flu shots has doubled this year.

Staying On Top Of Healthy Eating Resolutions

It can be tough to stay motivated throughout the year to achieve the healthy eating goals you made at the very beginning.

Nutritionist Leslie Fancey has some tips for keeping on top of your New Year's Resolutions. She says it's important to be realistic, which will help you stay motivated. 

"Keeping up with a sensible weight loss of maybe about a pound to a pound and a half a week. That's a much more healthy way to lose weight than setting expectations high and thinking 'oh, I'm going to lose three to five every week.' It's just not sustainable, it's not even desirable to lose that much," she says.




She adds, stocking your cupboards with whole natural foods, can help you resist temptation, along with making a list before grocery shopping to help you stay on track.

She also suggests having an accountability buddy such as "a friend or a spouse, someone who you can show your food diary to, or share issues or challenges that you're facing."

Man Hospitalized After Stabbing

Saint John Police responding to an incident at Woodhaven Drive overnight. A male was stabbed at a home and taken to hospital. There have been no arrests.
 
The man had non life-threatening injuries, and has been released from hospital. The incident is under investigation by the Major Crime Unit.

Overnight Parking Restrictions For Lower West Side

There will be no parking on Saturday night and Sunday morning in the following areas:  King Street West from and to Ludlow street, on Ludlow from King Street West to Prince Street, and on Prince Street close to the Ludlow intersection. 

Everyone is bring advised to avoid these streets on Sunday as well. If your park on those streets during no parking hours you will be ticketed and towed. There will be temporary no parking signs.

Tomorrow, and on Jan 26th, turbine rotors will be moved from Port Saint John to the Point Lepreau Generating Station. The City says delays can also be expected on Route 1 between 7:30 and 10:30 am.

Nurses Hurt In Violent Assault By Patient

An assault by a patient at the Regional hospital on Monday night leaving three nurse requiring medical treatment.
 
Marilyn Quinn of the Provincial Nurses Union tells CHSJ News the Horizon Health Network has been involved since it was reported on Monday night.

She says they are doing a full investigation and have agreed to meet with nurses union next week. 

A 2005 survey by Stats Can found more than 30 per cent of nurses in the province have been physically abused at work.

UNB Explains Reasoning Behind Hiring Security

The private security firm hired by the University of New Brunswick to monitor the picket line is there to keep strikers safe. 

That, according to UNB's Associate Vice-President of Human Resources & Organizational Development Peter McDougall. He tells CHSJ News they're confident the faculty on strike will be professional and respectful, but there is a risk that others may not be. He says the university recognized that for everyone's safety, there needed to be a security presence on the picket line.

McDougall says there's been no action by the security firm, that they're aware of, that would be anything other than respectful. He adds, the work the security team is doing has everything to do with safety and nothing to do with trying to involve themselves in a labour dispute.

Colleagues from twelve other universities joining AUNBT on the Fredericton picket line today, including Mount Allison, U de Moncton and Memorial.

AUNBT Questions The Hiring Of Security By UNB

The strike carries on at UNB campuses around the province....and Teacher's Association President Miriam Jones tells CHSJ News the teachers are dismayed that the university has hired a private security firm to supervise the picket line, asking protestors to provide personal information and taking photographs.

She says they are pretty heavy duty and are being hired out to big companies who are shutting down plants adding they deal with crisis and potentially violent situations.

Jones says it's been a very dismaying development in the strike....but they're hoping to get back to the bargaining table soon with negotiators meeting to discuss the next steps today.

Premlinary Testing On Clean Water Project To Begin

Over the next few weeks people will be working on the clean drinking water project completing a geotechnical and topographical survey.

The work involves drilling and surveying at 12 locations and you might see cutting, drilling and surveying where the work is being completed.

It's expected the expected the work will continue until the end of February.

Man Arrested After Shots Fired In Musquash Home

On Thursday around 8pm, RCMP in Saint George responded to a report that shots had been fired at a home in the Musquash area.  The RCMP members who  quickly learned that a 58-year-old man had barricaded himself inside his home.

The Emergency Response Team was called to the scene, and the man was arrested without incident shortly before 1:00 a.m.  He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Saint John Provincial Court this afternoon.

RCMP Investigating Arson In Maugerville

Police are calling on the public for help solving a case of arson in Maugerville.

Between 2:30 and 3 o'clock Tuesday morning, Oromocto RCMP getting a report of a structure fire at civic number 403 on the 105 Highway. The building was abandoned at the time and secured, with no power. Police don't know the cause of the fire yet, but they do consider it suspicious.

Two people were seen speeding off on an ATV without headlights on around the time of the fire. If you have information about this case, you can contact the RCMP at 506-357-4300 or 1-888-506-RCMP or anonymously at Crime Stoppers online at www.crimenb.ca or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Hit & Run, Weapons Charges, Drugs Found & Other Tales From The SJPD

Police were kept busy over the past 24 hours with 89 calls for service.
 
 There was a noon-hour hit and run on Watson Street in which a vehicle reported to be a blue-grey Chevy hit a building and then took off.

As well, Sergeant Jay Henderson explains at 1:10 police responded to a break and enter in progress on Orchid  Street on the West Side. They surrounded the residence while the others looked inside--and a 35 year old and a 29 year old man were found inside the home hiding.

There were two more B&Es on Ellerdale Street and a vacant home on Saddlebrook Court. 

At 7pm, a 26 year old man and woman were arrested on Summer Street North after a raid for illegal weapons. They're expected to appear in court at a later date--as are a 35 year old man and a 26 year old woman who were found with pills and a prohibited weapon after a traffic stop on Douglas Avenue. 

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact the Saint John Police Force at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

Toby Keith Is Coming To Harbour Station

Country fans will be psyched to hear this one!    Toby Keith is coming to Harbour Station for a concert on May 2nd.

Keith will bring his "Hammer Down" tour to Saint John.     In March, the country star has four concerts in Australia before coming back to the states.

Ticket prices range between $79.95 and $119.95 plus service charge and tickets go on sale next Friday January 24th at 10am.

Expect Delays As Turbines Are Moved To Point Lepreau

You might be wondering what you're seeing on the highways--so we'll tell you now.

On Sunday and again on January 26, two turbine rotors weighing about 130 tonnes each will be transported from the Port at West Saint John to the Point Lepreau Generating Station. Moving them will cause t traffic delays and road closures, as they will be travelling at about 15-20 km/hour for most of the 50 km journey.

There will be police escorts--and a replacement truck and specialized mechanics will also be part of the convoy.

It will take about six hours to move each rotor. They will replace two of the three rotors in service at the Point Lepreau Generating Station.

From the city: 

"Motorists and truck traffic are advised to avoid travelling on King Street West, Market Street and Ludlow Street in Saint John West between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 26. Delays can also be expected on Route 1 between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on the eastbound and westbound lanes from Ludlow Street in Saint John West to Route 790 at Lepreau. The northbound and southbound lanes of Route 790 will be affected from Route 1 to the Ridge Road (up to Point Lepreau) from 8:30 a.m. until noon. All delays will be intermittent, but may last more than 30 minutes and will include road closures and detours."

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Seminar Being Held For Youth Groups

A new seminar teaching youth groups how to spot the signs of child sexual abuse being held at the end of the month. 

Constable Krystal Daley of the Rothesay Regional Police Department tells CHSJ News if a child is taking part in an activity through an organization, the people who are supervising that child are just as responsible for their safety as their parents. She says the more information they have, the better. 

They will be talking about topics like healthy relationships, boundaries and behaviours that while not criminal, could lead a person to believe a line is being crossed. The seminar is happening on January 30.

Another $100K For The New Saint John Y

More good news for the New Y in the North end.

Scotiabank announcing a gift of $50,000 to the capital campaign.
 
Saint John Energy's Ray Robinson revealing the company is also contributing $50,000 and an in kind donation of the use of their personnel and trucks at the construction site on Churchill Boulevard.

Robinson says this development will serve the needs of so many especially where it will be built and they are very happy to be part of it.

The Y will be revealing a new sign at the site of their future home on Churchill Boulevard next Friday.

Four Flu Deaths In The Province With 300 Cases

The chief medical officer of health revealing four people have died due to illness relating to the flu with the dominant strain this year being H1N1.

Dr. Eilish Cleary says there are over 300 confirmed cases of the flu with 51 people have been hospitalized.

15 were admitted to intensive care units but Cleary says most of those who were hospitalized have been discharged.

Four New Additions To Efficiency NB

A few new faces joining Efficiency N.B. A new chair and three members have been appointed to the group's board of directors.

The president and C-O-O of Groupe Savoie in Saint-Quentin, Alain Bossé being named the chair, while the owner of Quispamsis-based technology and management consulting firm Horizon3 Ventures, Richard Jones, being appointed vice-chair. Gisèle Levesque and André Benoit joining as board members. 

All of them were nominated based on their professional skills, backgrounds and knowledge in the field of energy efficiency.

Don Ketchum Seeking the Saint John Lancaster Nomination

A City realtor is giving politics a try.  

Don Ketchum is a Westsider who is fulfilling a lifelong dream of pursuing politics.
 
He is seeking the Saint John Lancaster Liberal nomination for September's provincial vote.

He says he has been polling people to find out what is important to people and find out if he is the person to help them resolve their issues.

A date has not been set for the Saint John Lancaster nomination meeting.  

The Number Of Fatal Collisions Down 30% In 2013

The number of fatal collisions dropping 30 per cent in 2013. That's the lowest number of in five years. 

 The New Brunswick RCMP saying there were 38 fatal crashes and 48 victims last year. Sargent James Bates tells CHSJ News, the strategy they're using seems to be working.
 
"Our focus will remain on ensuring that people are wearing their seatbelts, focus on not driving while impaired, reducing speed on our roads and intersections, to avoid dangerous situations," he says. 

Adding, the focus will also remain on decreasing distracted driving in vehicles. A lack of seatbelts, impaired driving and speeding were the leading causes of fatalities in 2013.

Police Association President Weighs In On RCMP Vs. Municipal Departments

As Saint John examines the cost of RCMP policing the city, several other municipalities appear to be moving away from the Mounties.

NB Police Association President Dean Secord tells CHSJ News as the RCMP have transitioned to three districts,  many communities have been told they'll be getting a so-called "drive through service," in which officers decide what calls they service--and some mayors aren't happy with that.

Saint George has already voted to see if they can be released from the RCMP contract and Black's Harbour voted to do the same last night. In Saint John, City Manager Pat Woods has been tasked with a report comparing the costs of the SJPD to the RCMP.

Black's Harbour Council Votes To End RCMP Contract

Black's Harbour voting to end its policing agreement with the RCMP.

Deputy Mayor Natalie Harris tells CHSJ News village council voted unanimously last night to seek permission from the Minister of Public Safety to release them from their RCMP contract.

St. George previously voted to stop using the RCMP and has been talking with the Black's Harbour council for about a year on getting a municipal force for their communities.

Combined the village and town pay about $500,000 a year to have the RCMP provide policing.

Tenants Sleeping When Thief Struck

This must have been an unsettling experience for some uptown apartment-dwellers. 

Sergeant Jay Henderson of the Saint John Police  explains the tenants of an apartment on Dorchester Street in the South End were sleeping when someone broke a window out of an unused side door in their apartment and let themselves in.

A wallet containing cash was stolen. The forensic unit of the SJPD are investigating.

Fire At The Mill Quickly Doused, & An Early Morning Rescue

No one was injured after a small blaze at the Irving Tissue Mill around 7pm last night.

The first units on the scene could see fire on the roof of the mill, and the ladder truck from the North End worked to put out the fire with the assistance of other units. It was quickly knocked down before the fire could spread to the inside of this building. 

As well, shortly after 5 this morning, crews responded to an accident near Mispec where the car of a man in his 70s had gone of the road, leaving him trapped in the vehicle.
 
Crews stabilized the vehicle and lifted it on one side to get the man out. He was them transported to the Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Tanker Truck Fire Blocks Off Highway

Residents of a long-term care facility were evacuated and two Red Cross reception center were set up after oil tank truck fire on Highway 102 just outside Truro.

The truck loaded with diesel fuel caught fire shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday while travelling north through Millbrook, closing both lanes of the main route to Halifax and prompting evacuation of all homes and businesses within a half kilometre of the fire.

Emergency response teams were on-scene late into the evening and the blaze was extinguished after about four hours.

NB Lung Association Warns E-Cigarette Risks Unknown

Many of us are turning to e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking, but the Canadian Lung Association is calling for a ban until there's more research into their potential health effects.

That, according to the Director of Health Promotion for the provincial chapter Barbara Walls, who says the dangers of e-cigarettes are not fully known. 

Wells tells CHSJ News the most worrisome thing is the chemicals that are found inside them, including propylene glycol which she says is used in hydraulic fluid. Wells also says a study has also shown that six of the nine non-nicotine e-cigarettes sold online in Canada, actually contain trace amounts of the addictive drug.

The CLA also calling for all laws relating to smoke-free areas to include electronic cigarettes.

Teenager Pleads Guilty In Armed Robbery Hoax

A teenager facing charges in an armed robbery hoax at a gas bar in November pleading guilty in court.

The 18-year-old admitting he was one of the four people involved in the planning of the staged armed robbery at the Co-Op on the Westfield Road and helped spend the more than $900 stolen from the business.

Two girls, ages 15 and 16 and a 20-year-old man, who was working at the gas bar at the time of the robbery, were arrested a few hours after the incident, after police stopped their vehicle in Grand Bay-Westfield.

The teen will be back in court for sentencing on the morning of February 12.

Baby On A Bus Requires Medical Help

This had to be incredibly frightening for the parents and other people on the bus near the mall in East Saint John.

Emergency crews responding to a baby in distress on a Saint John Transit bus after 10 this morning.

The baby had a fever further complicated by a lot of clothing but after some of the clothing was removed the baby was fine.

Trace Adkins Will Headline Fredericton Festival

Trace Adkins coming to the rescue of the Maritime Countryfest in Fredericton this June.

The singer will fill in for Ronnie Dunn who has cancelled all of his tour dates this year.

Other performers include Deric Ruttan, Kelli Pickler, Chad Brownlee and Great Big Sea.

The event coming up June 13 and 14th at Officer's Square in Fredericton.

For ticket info and to see the rest of the talent line-up, click here

Woman Charged With Attempted Murder In Baby Taylor Case

A third charge being laid against a woman in connection with the discovery of a newborn baby's body in a snow bank near Salisbury in 2009.

The baby's mother, 30-year-old Christine Margaret Wood of Riverview, is now facing a charge of attempted murder. Last year, Wood was charged with indignity to a dead human body or human remains and concealing the body of a child.

Police allege Wood disposed of the dead baby boy trying to conceal the fact that she had given birth to him.

She will make her next court appearance in February.

Apprenticeship Programs Being Harmonized Across Atlantic Canada

The province announcing a new initiative to harmonize apprenticeship programs across the Atlantic region.
 
The Council of Atlantic Premiers, will invest $3.5 million dollars into the program. Along with $4.3 million from the Federal Government. 

Ten trades across the Atlantic provinces will be harmonized. This includes electricians, technicians, cooks, and bricklayers. The goal of the project is to create more jobs and keep people working at home.

For more details on the initiative visit, http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/news/news_release.2014.01.0040.html

Fredericton Police Nab Man On Canada-Wide Warrant

Police in Fredericton arrested a 34-year old man wanted on an outstanding Canada-Wide Warrant for aggravated assault yesterday.

He was also wanted on charges of uttering threats, criminal harassment, and family violence charges, and probation breaches all originating out of Calgary.

He also faces outstanding warrants in New Brunswick for  assault, threats, and break and enter.
 

RCMP May Not Even Be An Option For Saint John

Despite all the controversy over common council's vote to look into the cost of the RCMP policing Saint John, it might all be a moot point if the RCMP isn't willing to go ahead with it: so says  police association president Jamie Hachey, who tells CHSJ News he's been hearing that Saint John might not meet the criteria the RCMP have for considering a community.

He says he's heard it's RCMP policy not to intervene where there is a labour dispute, and also that they actively engaged in areas with populations of 5000 to 15,000 people and not above. Hachey says he'll be interested to hear the report from City Manager Pat Woods when it's complete. 

Hachey says he questions why the Mayor feels the report that was done on policing costs in Moncton is irrelevant and says it's worth doing some looking into.

Citizens Who Saved Suicidal Woman Honoured

A dramatic rescue on Reversing Falls Bridge has resulted in kudos for some quick-thinking citizens.

Student Jane Foster was driving across the bridge in July 2013 when she noticed an elderly woman talking to another woman who was standing outside the railing. She and her passenger, Curt Delaney, pulled over and tried to hold on to the woman while she struggled to jump over the side.

Once police arrived they continued to try and pull her back over and managed eventually to pull her to safety. Delaney tells CHSJ News it was a bizarre experience.
 
Foster, Delaney, Bill Clark, and Constable Peter Osbourne all were given an award from the Saint John Police Commission for their bravery in saving the woman's life.

Black's Harbour To Vote On Policing Tonight

Black's Harbour Village council has a big vote tonight on whether or not to keep RCMP policing in the community.

St. George has already voted to drop the Mounties.
 
Black's Harbour Deputy Mayor Natalie Harris tells CHSJ News they looked at what they are spending and whether or not they are happy with the service they are receiving.

She tells us they think they can get a better service if they went with a regional joint police force adding they think this is the best thing they can do for the amount of money they are willing to pay for policing.

Black's Harbour and St. George pay $500,000 combined for their RCMP contact.

If Black's Harbour votes to get rid of the RCMP,  the village then needs permission from the Department of Public Safety to proceed with a new municipal force.

Debate Over Municipal Police Vs. RCMP Continues At Police Commission

As Saint John examines the cost of its municipal police force versus the RCMP, all eyes are on what other communities in the Maritimes have been paying for their policing--and whether a move to the RCMP would make sense from either a fiscal or law-and- order perspective .

Newly-minted Police Commission Chair Jonathan Franklin tells CHSJ News he's already crunched the numbers, and Moncton is paying more for so-called "drive-through" RCMP service. Franklin acknowledges a report prepared by a member of the Police Commission might seem self-serving, but denies he would ever skew data in favour of the SJPD.

Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News it's not enough to extrapolate the numbers from Moncton--instead, he says, we need a Saint John specific report. Further, Norton says the Moncton report was the farthest thing from his mind during the vote because to him to be appeared unrelated to the questions council was asking.

This controversy over the report comes after a member of a popular Facebook group in support of the SJPD posted a letter he wrote to the mayor and council. He charged the Mayor with withholding information, writing "I find it extremely interesting that the Mayor, who broke the deadlock, voted to pursue this request, as a member of the Police Commission, is well aware of this study, but chooses to go down the road of spending our tax dollars to prepare, receive and evaluate another quote, because he doesn't like the results of the original study."

The Mayor says he has made no effort to withhold the results of the Moncton report, and fails to understand why there's so much resistance to asking questions about the cost.

Open Letter To Man Who Befriended Autistic Child On Flight Goes Viral

Photo Courtesy of Shanell Mouland

An open letter written by a mother of an autistic three-year-old to the kind stranger that sat next to them on long flight, going viral. 

36-year old Shanell Mouland of Quispamsis says when a businessman sat next to her daughter on the plane she was nervous about how he would react, but was pleasantly surprised when the man put away his papers and started talking and playing with Kate. Mouland tells CHSJ News the man gave her entire family a peaceful flight.

With the post garnering attention from the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News, Mouland says she's proud her letter is reaching so many people.

Mouland tells us she and the man have been in contact since the flight from Orlando, and she describes him as modest, and not looking for any recognition. You can read Mouland's post, which has 62,000 likes on Facebook, on her blog Go Team Kate.

H1N1 Flu Death Reported In Fredericton Area

A woman in the Fredericton area has died from complications arising from H1N1, New Brunswick's first flu-related death this season.

According to media reports, the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eilish Cleary says the woman was middle-aged, with an underlying health condition and would have been considered in the at-risk category.

The woman's death was reported by the Horizon Health Network.

The Province Reacts To UNB Strike

The Province is keeping an eye on the faculty strike at UNB.

Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Jody Carr says the government recognizes the whole university community is impacted by this and they hope it is resolved quickly.

Carr also says they hope students are able to finish this term with little disruption.

Lacey Calls Wage Increases The Profs Want "Outrageous"

Professors at UNB are on strike and among their demands are wage hikes of 26 percent over 4 years.
 
Kevin Lacey of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says professors make on average $100,000 a year.

He says the reason this is so important to taxpayers is nearly 50 per cent of each university's budget is paid for by working families in the province adding these wage increases are outrageous when you consider the fiscal situation the province is in.

Vandals Destroy Zoo Sign

photo courtesy of Lynda Collrin

You can't miss it but now you will.  

The instantly recognizable 3d fibreglass sign at the Cherry Brook Zoo was destroyed on the weekend.
 
Lynda Collrin says it happened sometime during all that heavy rain on Saturday night into Sunday morning and they were a couple beer cans left behind.

She CHSJ News they can't repair the sign to its former state adding the money needs to go other places with animal care being at the top of the list.

Collrin calls it a wasteful and foolish thing for someone to do adding she doesn't understand what they get out of doing something like that.

There is an open police investigation and if you saw anything, you are asked to contact police with your information.

Provincial E-M-O Issues Ice Movement Advisory

Above-zero temperatures and heavy rains could cause ice-jam flooding, the Department of Public Safety's E-M-O warns.

Current weather conditions could cause ice covers to deteriorate and snow to melt. If you live or work along streams, tributaries or rivers, you're being reminded to be on the alert for ice movement and to stay away from the water's edge as you could be hit by moving ice.

Environment Canada forecasting rain in most areas of the province, issuing a rainfall warning to Saint John, Saint John County, coastal Charlotte County and more. We could be getting up to 25 millimeters overnight.

You can download an emergency preparedness guide from the Get Prepared website, information on preparing for an outage at NB Power's website and you can see a list of weather warnings at Environment Canada online.

Rothesay Council Learns Lessons From Ice Storm

With Rothesay council feeling like they were left in the dark during the Christmas ice storm, the town taking measures to make sure that doesn't happen again. 

Council passing several motions at a town meeting so they are better prepared for emergencies in the future, including appointing a Rothesay representative to the Kennebecasis Valley E-M-O to work alongside the Director, and establishing a warming centre at the Bill McGuire Centre on Renforth Drive. Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News they plan on getting quotes for generators.

Councillor Matt Alexander saying it was incredible how unprepared they felt. Bishop says the storm, which knocked out power to some homes in the Rothesay cluster for nearly a week, was unprecedented and council could have done a better job handling the situation. He says they will do a better job next time.

Police Arrest Teen With A Loaded Gun At Home

A 15 year old boy is being held in custody for having a loaded gun.  Sgt. Jay Henderson tells us officers conducted a search on Charlotte Street just before 7 last night. 

Officers located a loaded gun in the search.    The young person was arrested and is facing chargess of posession of a prohibited firearm with ammunitition, pointing a firearm and more.

City police reminding motorists to remove valuables from your car and make sure they are locked. 
The culprit used a rock to smash a side window from a vehicle parked in a driveway on Seely Street.   It's not known if anything was taken.

If you have information about a crime you want to share with police, you can find the number to contact them directly at 648-333 or anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Committee Exploring Building Emergency Exit For K-Park

With the only way in and out of Kennebecasis Park across a rail line, many residents are worried about being trapped in their neighbourhood if disaster hits. 

Rothesay Council sharing that concern, with the town reaching out to Saint John Council, inviting them to appoint a member to a committee focused on redesigning the entryway, which is located in the city. 

Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News if the town experienced a train derailment like the one near Plaster Rock just last week, the neighbourhood would be completely isolated with emergency vehicles unable to get in and residents unable to get out. He tells us they will be looking into building an emergency exit for K-Park.

In the committee mandate, it states up to ten trains cross the K-Park entryway daily, many of them carrying hazardous materials.

NB Government To Roll Out New Collections Strategy

This could be a little chilling for folks who have outstanding student or business loans.

 According to media reports, the New Brunswick government is testing out a new approach to collecting outstanding dollars owed to the provincial treasury for things like loans and general receivables.

The new Collection Services Unit being rolled out  will send out notices, and workout a consolidated approach to debt collecting including offsetting wages and other penalties. The government has to act quickly: under the current law, the province has 6 years to collect outstanding debts, bit as of 2016 they'll have only 2 years.

It's estimated 2.6 billion dollars are currently owed to the government.

Shale Gas Could Open Up New Industries, Says Mayor

With environmental groups, and concerned citizens expressing reservations over shale gas development Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News he's hoping to allay some of those concerns.

Norton says in terms of research, most of the work has already been done, and he's hoping to move ahead with responsible shale gas development because it's the right thing to do for Saint John.

Norton says shale gas can lead to entirely new industries like the fertilizer plant---and also provide stable energy costs to existing businesses.