Price Of Home Heating Oil Going Up

Home heating oil is going to start costing you more next Thursday. 

The Energy and Utilities Board has granted an interim rate increase of 3.5 cents per litre, plus HST. A homeowner who's still using oil will pay almost 20 dollars more for a 500 litre delivery.
 
There will be a full hearing on a permanent rate increase for home heating oil in December.

Chief Charges He Has Been Double Crossed

The dispute over shale gas could be ready to heat up again next week. 

SWN Resources is planning to resume seismic testing on Monday. That has angered Chief Aaron Sock of the Elsipogtog First Nation who wants a six month moratorium. 

Chief Sock says he fells betrayed by the provincial government after the Premier called for a cooling off period following the violence at the protest last month near Rexton. 

The Legislature resumes sitting on Tuesday.

Energy Minister Emphasizes Shale Gas Benefits

It remains a controversial issue but some in government say we can't afford not to explore the options on shale gas.

Energy Minister Craig Leonard says there's no reason not to go ahead--and adds  the idea drilling will industrialize rural New Brunswick is false, because drilling 50 gas wells would only cover about a kilometer of land.

Leonard says when we have a shortage of cheap, domestic natural gas it makes sense to capitalize on our reserves--which we know to be at least 80 trillion cubic feet.

VIDEO: Remembering Maggie Vail And Her Daughter

Maggie Vail and her daughter Ella now have a permanent memorial on the West side.
 
They both died in 1868 domestic homicide the pair were killed by the child's father.

Constable Scott Gogan spearheaded a memorial to the mother and child after attending Silent Witness ceremonies for more recent domestic homicides like Tanya Shand and Melanie Getson.

Gogan says he read about Maggie Vail's story and came by to pay his respects and saw they didn't have a stone and tells us he wanted to something given his history with the SJPD Family Protection Unit.

A new gravestone in memory of Maggie and Ella was unveiled in very soggy ceremony at the Old Cedar Hill Cemetery.     

Outages And Downed Trees Blocking Roads Due To High Winds

A total of 3450 people are without power throughout the province, most of them in the Forest Glen area.

Due to the high winds power lines have been knocked out by trees resulting in blackouts for a total of 1717 customers in the Sussex and Kingston areas. 

No word yet on when the lights will be back on. Earlier this afternoon, a tree was also knocked down on First Street near Purdy's corner, blocking the street for residents.

NBSA Sees The Good & Bad In Tuition Announcement

The Province's Student Alliance having a mixed reaction to the province's 3 per cent tuition fee cap over the next three years. 

Pat Joyce tells CHSJ News the announcement has good 



aspects and some that cause them concern.

He says they are concerned that  since 1990, university operations in the province funded by tuition has increased from 28 per cent to 36 per cent.

Video Emerges Of Woman Who Mysteriously Died At Hospital

Video footage has surfaced which is blurry but appears to show 22 year old Serena Perry walking around the Regional Hospital with other people on the day she died in February of 2012. 

City Police earlier said no charges would be laid because of difficulty in validating the cause of death. 

An inquest will be held but the date for that has not been announced yet.

East Side Fire Under Investigation

(Photo courtesy of Doug Epton)

City fire crews called out last night at 8:00 to 230 Mount Pleasant Avenue East where they discovered heavy smoke coming from the rear of a one and a half storey home. 

Division Chief Mark Wilson says they also got information a woman may have been inside but a search determined the house was empty.
 
The cause is undetermined but both fire and police are investigating. The building has been vacant for the past two months while the owner carries out renovations.

Bridge Work Continues For Another 4 Weeks

Commuting from the west side will continue to be a pain for another 4 weeks.

According to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, repairs to the Harbour Bridge will not be complete until the end of November.

CHSJ News was told that wet weather over the summer slowed the progress of the work causing the delay.

How Bad Is A Huge Candy Binge For Your Teeth?

It might come a surprise--but letting your kids binge on candy on Halloween night might actually be better for their dental health. 

Orthodontist Dr. Lilliya MacKenzie tells CHSJ News letting kids have treats all at once, instead of a little all day long, means you can make sure to brush their teeth afterward and have them drink lots of water.

If you really can't stomach the thought of your kids eating all that sugar, you could try to convince them to strike a deal with the Tooth Fairy and trade cash for treats.

Beware Of Energy Vampires

NB Power is reminding customers to watch out for “energy vampires” this Halloween.

5 to 10 percent of your household electricity bill could be due to leaving large electronics like your TV, computer, or DVD player plugged in when not in use. Other devices such as cell phone chargers draw electricity if you keep them plugged in after the charging is done, which is why they often feel warm to the touch.

You can prevent this by plugging devices into a single, surge-protected power bar, or unplugging smaller devices like laptops and camera chargers once they are done charging.

No Charges In Scott Crawford's Death

Charges will not be laid in the death of Scott Crawford earlier this year.

The 43 year old was seriously hurt after an incident at a West side bar on April 1st.  

He died of his injuries in hospital on April 12th.

The Crown Prosecutors office in working with City police have determined they would not likely get a conviction so charges will not be laid in this case.

They have met and informed Scott Crawford's family.

SJPD Arrest Woman After Coburg Robbery

City police arresting a woman after a robbery uptown at noon today.

The robbery occurred at a book store at 40 Coburg street when a woman came in asking for money.

The 35 year old left with some cash.  

Police did a search of the area and she was quickly arrested on Peters Street a short time later.

Just A Few Days Left To Check Out Chop Chop

You still have all weekend to try some of the unique restaurant specials being offered for Chop Chop Restaurant Week. 

Saint John Alehouse Chef Jesse Vergen tells CHSJ News over the past few years Saint John has become a hub for foodies in New Brunswick, and this event is a great way to showcase some of the new and exciting work chefs in the Port City are doing.

Uptown restaurants have designed special menu items just for this week at a range of price points--it runs until Sunday. 

For details, including menus, click here

Branding Shale Gas Opponents "Bananas" Won't Change MInds

 Provincial Energy Minister Craig Leonard calling shale gas opponents "bananas", which he says stands for "build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything", will just create more division.

So claims Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy who tells CHSJ News it's not likely to get them over to your side and will only make the debate more divisive.

Cardy says Premier David Alward should visit the First Nations Longhouse across the street from the Legislature even though Chief Candace Paul opposes shale gas exploration. He argues not to do so is not demonstrating leadership.

More than Four Thousand Dollars In Unpaid Tickets

A 37 year old man has his driver's license suspended indefinitely after being arrested by City Police on Fairville Boulevard for having more than $4700 in unpaid traffic tickets. 
He has also been charged with driving while prohibited. 

A 42 year old woman with more than a thousand dollars of unpaid parking tickets was arrested after being stopped while driving along Chesley Drive.    For more info, click here
   

Accused Robber Enters Plea

Kenneth Joseph Johnston appearing in court on charges in connection with a robbery at the CIBC on King Street October 3rd. 

Johnston is accused of threatening the teller with violence in order to steal a quantity of cash. He pleaded not guilty to both that charge and another one of possessing marijuana. 

His trial is scheduled for a full day on January 6th.

Chipman Hill Pedway Looks A Little Different

It's a bit of a different look for the normally glassed-in Chipman Hill section of the pedway.

The renovations, when complete, will include using smaller panes of glass in case they crash or leak. In the meantime, the inside connection will be sporting these much less-flashy white boards.

The upgrades will extend the pedway system's life expectancy, which is over 30 years old now, to 75 years.

No word yet on when the renovations will be finished

Gas Prices Drop

You'll be paying a bit less for gas if you have to fill up after the weekly setting. The maximum price for self serve regular has decreased by 1.3 cents a litre and diesel is down by 1.4 cents.

Good Turnout At First Meeting On New Rules For Development

The city wants to require landscaping to be part of new developments, get away from all those mobile signs you see around town and reduce parking requirements in the uptown. 

It's all part of Zone SJ, the proposed plan to guide future development in the city, an overview of which was presented at the first of four public meetings. 

Realtor Don Leblanc, for the most part, likes what he heard but would also like to see the city clamp down on littering.
 
The city also is aiming to make signage more attractive and get away from all the mobile signs which appear to be getting more prevalent.