While the hysteria over the Heartbleed bug seems to be winding down, many of us are left scratching our heads wondering how or even if we can protect our personal information online.
David Shipley of UNB's I-T services says users should be taking online security into their own hands by educating themselves.
He tells CHSJ News there's a lot of information available to consumers about the security and privacy policies of the companies they're doing business with but many users just brush over terms and contract agreements and don't pay attention to the details.
He says some of those contracts can be pretty scary, giving companies permission to do a lot with your personal information.
Two university students are hoping to soon see their business plan for an aquaponics farm in Fredericton come to fruition.
Jake Wildman-Sisk of U-N-B says he and his partner Kristen Olsen haven't secured an investment yet but they've received several offers for their idea, which would produce fresh veggies and farm fish at the same time.
He tells CHSJ News he's surprised more people are using aquaponics systems, which is self-sustaining and environmentally friendly, but they're hoping once they implement their plan in the city, the idea will start to take off.
He says they will have to make some decisions but they are very excited about the opportunities and options they do have and to see what the summer brings.
The decision to not bring in a shuttle boat if there's flooding at Darling's Island has been reversed.
Originally, there was to be no shuttle boat service.
We're now told by a caller to CHSJ News there will be a boat, but only if the road is closed and people are cut off from the mainland.
Glass hanging star lanterns from home store Pier 1 Imports being recalled by Health Canada because they pose a fire hazard.
The recall affecting the red, amber and clear coloured lanterns sold from August of last year to February of this year. A metal tea light cup sits inside the metal and glass star which can melt the solder and cause the lantern to break.
More than 500 were sold in Canada. Pier 1 Imports getting four reports of the solder melting in the U-S and one in Canada. Health Canada has not received any reports of injuries.
The Chief Medical Health Officer for the province, Dr. Eilesh Cleary says you should be wearing rubber gloves while cleaning up after a flood and washing your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Use a good soap or detergent and lots of hot water when cleaning walls, solid floors and ceilings but not household bleach which can be ineffective because of what's contained in the flood water.
Solid wood or metal furniture may be cleaned with a household detergent solution.
Water-soaked walls and insulation should be removed.
Wastes from the flood should be buried at least 15 metres or 50 feet away from the source of your water. Lime may be used before the wastes are covered with soil.
It might not be front-and-center on the radar of the average taxpayer, but it's still important
City Finance Commissioner Greg Yeomans says there are a number of city-owned buildings and garages that have fallen into a serious state of disrepair--and while they might not be visible, they're still important and a potential hazard.
Yeoman's referred to the expenses you don't see as the "ugly ducking" or the "poor cousin" of more high-profile, visible projects.
Frustration from a man who has spent the last 20 years living in Darlings Island over a decision to not bring in a shuttle boat as the community is under threat of flooding.
Ed Crossman tells CHSJ News there has always been a service to bring the residents to and from the mainland and he thought that was the case until receiving a notice the other day saying otherwise.
He says residents should have been given a week's notice and he would like to see a government official visit the island so residents can talk to him/her about the situation. Crossman says someone really dropped the ball on this one.
Darling's Island is currently under a voluntary evacuation.
Despite a lot of hand wringing about the number of young people who are leaving New Brunswick because of a perceived lack of opportunity, it may not be such a bad thing provided they don't abandon the province altogether.
Yves Bourgeois of the Urban Institute at U-N-B Saint John tells CHSJ News he has seen the expertise they learn elsewhere and the contacts they make be put to good use in New Brunswick for the benefit of the provincial economy with new businesses being set up.
The University of Moncton's David Campbell, author of the weekly blog "It's the Economy Stupid", says for every young person who leaves, you want to be attracting two others to the province. Campbell points out it's not all that unusual for young people to have wanderlust and seek adventures elsewhere.
Both Bourgeois and Campbell say those people who decide to leave the province shouldn't be made to feel guilty.
River Watch is reporting water levels will remain high and above flood stage in several areas but there's some good news for people in Perth-Andover.
Water levels remain high in the entire St. John River basin.
A large ice jam broke into two blocks in the upper St. John River and began moving. Water levels began going down along the river at Perth-Andover yesterday afternoon.
Water levels in Fredericton, Maugerville, Jemseg, Grand Lake, Sheffield-Lakeville Corner and Quispamsis are forecast to stay above flood stage over next two days.
The docks at Renforth and Rothesay after underwater but no streets have been closed in the Valley. The water levels remain high at Oak Point.
In the city, Beach Road, Ragged Point Road, Dominion Park Road and Lawrence Long Road have been closed.
Showing your support for organ and tissue donation is as easy as changing a lightbulb.
Nurse Betty-Anne Waugh says they're asking New Brunswickers to take part in the Green Porch Light campaign by installing a green light outside of their homes during National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness week from April 20-27.
She tells CHSJ News the campaign is about awareness, showing support and recognizing their heroes. She says people who donate their organs are saving seven lives and tissue from those who donate can go to more than a 100 people.
Over 4500 people are currently waiting for a life-saving organ in Canada including 300 in New Brunswick.
The kids of Canada's wealthiest citizens may be getting a rude awakening in a decade or two according to a study by BMO that examines trends among the most affluent in this country.
Just a quarter believe their kids will be better off financially then they are and whopping 41% believe their kids will be worse off.
Interestingly, our cousins South of the border have a brighter view of what the future holds for their kids with 43% saying they think their children will be better off than them.
Delivering methadone to all New Brunswickers that need it isn't an insurmountable task.
That's according to Police Commission member Dr. Timothy Christie of Dalhousie University who estimates there are only about 5000 people in the province who require it. A study published last year by Christie about the methadone clinic in uptown Saint John showing a 95-percent retention rate and a 60-percent reduction in crime.
He says there's no reason we can't do this on a province-wide basis.
He says we should develop a system that can deliver methadone to the number of people that require it, instead of saying what kind of services do we want to deliver and how much are we going to spend on those.
Private
wells should not be used while flooded and once flood waters have receded, the well
should be disinfected and tested, no matter what water treatment device is
installed.
The Province's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Eilesh Cleary warns until your water supply has been tested and shown to be safe, water
for drinking and personal use should be brought to a rolling boil for at least a minute and then stored in clean, covered containers.
Private water supplies may be contaminated by such things as
furnace oil, gasoline or agricultural chemicals. If you believe your
well has been affected by such chemicals, the water should not be used at all, even if it has been boiled, until it has been determined to be safe.
If the soil around your house and septic system is
flooded, you should conserve water and avoid flushing the toilet if
possible. Avoid using dish washers and washing machines as the septic system
will not work under these conditions and sewage could end up in the home or
backyard.
Water levels will remain high over the next 48 hours or so and be above flood stage in several areas according to the latest report from River Watch.
That large ice jam, which at one point was 40 kilometers in size, broke into two blocks in the upper St. John River and began moving down river with water levels increasing in the Perth-Andover-Tobique region. The people there and in Doaktown remain under voluntary evacuation.
Water levels in Quispamsis, Fredericton, Maugerville, Jemseg, Grand Lake and Sheffield-Lakeville Corner are expected to stay above flood stage over next two days.
The water levels also remain high at Oak Point and the city has closed Beach Road, Ragged Point Road, Dominion Park Road and Lawrence Long Road because of flooding.
The City letting us know that the following roads have been closed because of flooding:
-Beach Road
-Ragged Point Road
-Dominion Park Road
-Lawrence Long Road
Crews will be keeping an eye on conditions. Drivers are being asked to use caution and observe all signage.
The threat of flooding still looming over many parts of the province, with River Watch warning water levels are forecasted to reach flood stage in the Saint John-Quispamsis and Oak Point areas today.
Other areas of the province including Fredericton and Grand Lake stay will see water levels stay above flood stage. The organization calling the flooding situation in the province continuously changing and asking people to be on alert for ice movement and rising water levels.
Other areas of concern include the upper St. John River at St. Anne-de-Madawaska, the St. John River at Perth-Andover and the Tobique First Nation, Woodstock and the Nashwaak rivers where ice jams are predicted and water levels may rise. Click here for more information on these areas.
The Department of Public Safety's EMO warning people to keep away from the edge of waterways and not to use boats or kayaks in open water because the currents are fast, could be carrying debris and is cold.
EMO and local authorities coordinating emergency social services in a number of communities. For
more information on shelters, call the Red Cross at
1-800-222-9597.
The Department of Transportation letting CHSJ News know the Evandale ferry is off its run until further notice due to river conditions.
UPDATE: The Evandale Ferry is now operating again, subject to ice conditions.
Home support, transition house, and child care workers are mostly women....and according to the results of a study on pay equity, they are still being left behind when it comes to the amount they're paid.
According to the Coalition for Pay Equity, community residence workers will be earning in 2016 what they should have earned in 2013. Chair Vallie Stearns says that demonstrates more than ever that we need pay equity legislation for the private sector.
The 2009 Pay Equity Act only applies to the public sector.....and not services contracted or subsidized by the government.
Coastal Transport cancelling both the 1:30pm and 3:30pm Grand Manan Ferry trips today due to mechanical problems. The ferry departing North Head at 1:40pm, will sail to Blacks Harbour and leave Blacks Harbour at 5:30pm.
While water levels continue to drop in the community of Perth-Andover, the flood-threatened town is still playing the waiting game.
Town Dan Dionne tells CHSJ News they're keeping an eye on water flows and a major ice jam north of St. Leonard which is not holding back as much water as it once was.
He tells us they're hoping the jam stays in place for several days and just decreases in size over time as opposed to breaking and releasing mass amounts of water. He says there also seems to be a channel opening up in the middle of an ice jam in Beechwood.
A voluntary evacuation is still in place and Dionne says as of last night there were only five people still staying in their homes. He says the 2012 flood is still very fresh in the minds of the residents, so people wanted to be high and dry in case of a repeat situation.
Meantime, we're hearing there will not be a shuttle boat service from Darling's Island like there has been in the past. EMO advising residents of Darling's Island to be ready to evacuate as rising flood waters could make the road to the mainland impassable. A shelter has been set up at the q-plex for those who need it.
