Fire Trucks Respond To East Saint John Alarm

You may have noticed the fire trucks near Michael's just before 6 tonight.

They were responding to fire alarms activated due to a  malfunctioning sprinkler system.

As a precaution, all staff and shoppers were evactuated from the building.
No one was hurt.

Thieves Get A Haul From Peninsula Home

Just imagine how mad you would be....

Sometime between 6 and midnight on Friday night someone broke into a home on Centerton Road on the Peninsula stealing a laptop, MP3 player and an electric fireplace.

The homeowner was away for the night.

If you can help the Mounties solve this one,  call Hampton RCMP at 832-5566 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or click here .

Nine Alcohol Related Arrests In Sussex

Nine people have been arrested in alcohol-related incidents in Sussex over this past weekend.

RCMP say two men were arrested in separate incidents for refusing to take a road-side alcohol screening test, including one 42-year-old Saint John man. There was also an ATV collision in Lakeside that sent a 23-year-old man to hospital, where alcohol is believed to have been a factor. There were also six people arrested for public intoxication.

Cpl. Pat Cole calls the number of alcohol-related calls concerning, but was thankful no one was seriously injured or killed.

Two Vehicle Collision On Causeway

Two vehicle collision at Bayside Drive and Mount Pleasant Avenue East near the Causeway causing brief traffic problems early this afternoon.

Photo by Andrew Sanojca.

Running With Fido In Her Memory

If you love either running or dogs -- or even both -- this event is up your alley.

The "Fido and Friends" run is being held this Sunday at Rockwood Park and 100% of the registration fees go towards the Animal Rescue League. Organizer Cindy Loiser tells CHSJ news the event was started three years ago in memory of a friend who was killed while running and was passionate about the Animal Rescue League. Loiser says in the first year it was a bunch of friends who got together, and since then it's grown. She wants to make it a yearly event so people can support a cause and honor those who've had accident and injuries during a run.

Loiser says the run isn't a race, but a way to enjoy running or walking with your dog and friends while raising money. There's a 1, 5 and 10 kilometre course to choose from and kids are also welcome.

For more information, click here.

Common Council Can't Have Finger In Every Pie

Common Council has the authority to make things happen at City Hall, not the Mayor and individual councillors on their own.

That, from former City Finance Commissioner Darryl Wilson who cautions against Council getting into the nitty gritty, day to day operations of the city.

He tells CHSJ News it's up to Council to establish what the expectations are for the fire service, as an example, by deciding what level of response time it wants.

Wilson  adds Council will have to balance what it would like to see with what it's willing to pay in order to achieve that. Then it's up to City Manager, Fire Chief and staff to come up with options.

He maintains the City Manager is the most important employee at City Hall.

City Hires Firm To Look Into New Abuse Complaint

The City of Saint John learning early this year of a new sexual abuse complaint against deceased Saint John police officer Ken Estabrooks.

Estabrooks was convicted on four counts of indecent assault in 1999 and served jail time before his death in 2005.  Mayor Mel Norton wants the public to know that after receiving the complaint, the City took immediate action.

He says shortly after receiving the complaint the City contacted an arms-length investigative firm, Investigative Solutions Network,  to initiate an investigation.

Dave Perry of Investigative Solutions says sexual abuse investigations are never closed permanently.

He says if they finish their work in a couple of weeks or a couple of months and someone came forward in year they would have to listen to that person.

ISN will examine Estabrooks former work places to see where the alleged abuse took place.
The City is offering to provide counselling to any victims that come forward.

Toews: Priority Cases Can Be Processed Faster

Confusion builds regarding the delays in processing evidence at RCMP labs in the case of Richard Oland.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says if there's a high priority and time sensitive case, police and the labs work together to move it ahead. He says they take a number of steps to make ensure the case is before the courts as quickly as possible.

That's quite a different response from Police Association President Dean Secord, who said just last month that once the evidence is sent off to the RCMP lab in Halifax, you wait your turn. Secord says it's that slowness that's delayed laying charges in Oland's death.

Huge Seizure Of Drugs In City And Valley

A big drug bust resulting in the arrests of 2 Rothesay men 50 year old Joseph Henri Lambert of Lambert Court and 29 year old Andrew Brian Lambert of Hooper Drive. 

Canada Border Services, City Police, Rothesay Regional Police and the RCMP all getting together on this investigation. 

They seized 34 pounds of marijuana, over a pound of hash, 27 marijuana plants, half a pound of cocaine, 400 prescription pills and more than 10 thousand dollars in cash.

The drugs have an estimated street value of 362 thousand dollars. Also confiscated was a semi automatic handgun. 

Two women, aged 27 and 49 along with three otgher men ranging in age from 25 to 51 were also nabbed on drug related charges.

City Hall Launches Investigation

The city has launched an investigation that will be conducted by Investigative Solutions Network headquartered in the Toronto region in Pickering Ontario. 

More details will be released at a news conference this morning. 

The company claims to have recruited top homicide, fraud, sex crimes and forensic investigators who have proven track records from the Metro Toronto Police Department, RCMP and FBI. 

New Council Members Told How They Can Do Their Jobs

Common Councillors getting the ABC's of how to do their jobs and govern the city well from former City Finance Commissioner for 15 years Darryl Wilson who also worked as Auditor-General for the province over a period of 8 years. 

Wilson says Council members should be asking themselves what is their vision for the future of the city and how will success be measured by themselves and Saint Johnners when the next municipal election rolls around in 4 years time.

Wilson says it's up to Council to evaluate the performance of not only senior City Hall staffers but also all the agencies, boards and commmissions that operate on behalf of the city. 

He has no objections to having term limits for those people who serve on City boards, commissions and agencies. He doesn't necessarily accept the proposition that you have to pay in order to get good people to come forward.

Wilson also telling the Councillors, the city has great potential and if they're going to change the structure of local government, it should be done for one reason and that is to make things better.

West Side Beach Party Prompts Visit By Police

City Police had to break up what they say was a large beach party on the west side. 

It's believed from 50 to 75 teenagers had congregated on Bayshore Beach. 

An 18 year old man was arrested for violating the terms of his probation not to drink and he also resisted arrest.

Meantime, three people were sent to hospital after two separate crashes in the city. The first one happening on Sandy Point Road when a car went into a ditch and then, a short time later, two vehicles collided into one another on Lansdowne Avenue.

Marsh Creek Could Smell Better By Next Summer

You might be irritated by construction delays on a number of city streets these days--but Tim Vickers of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program wants you to know all that work is going to pay major dividends. 

Vickers tells CHSJ News the the Harbour Cleanup infrastructure they're putting in will make life a little sweeter for residents on the East Side and beyond. Raw sewage will no longer be pumped into the Harbour and Marsh Creek, which will mean an improvement over the coming years.

Vickers says once the sewage stops being pumped in the plant-life will take over purifying the water of toxins. He says the Cleanup will be pretty remarkable considering it's been generations since the Creek wasn't a cesspool.

Federal Funding Helps Local Crime Prevention

A provincial crime prevention program getting a big boost from the federal government.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announcing close to $300,000 being provided to support the "Equipping for Crime Prevention" program here in the province. The funds will provide crime prevention workers with the resources to help reduce crime involving at-risk you, chronic offenders and Aboriginal persons.

Toews says his meeting with Saint John MP Rodney Weston and stakeholders showed him Saint Johner's are involved in making a difference in crime prevention. Toews mentioned he's seen the success and progress One Change has made in the Old North End since he toured the facility two years ago.

The government has also provided more than $1.1 million in support of the Nogemag Youth Program which helps at-risk youth from the Elsipogtog First Nation here in New Brunswick.

VIDEO: Mayor's Comments To Gay Community

Mayor Mel Norton speaks to the crowd at Saint John's 10th annual Pride flag raising.

SJ's Gay Community Is Here & Proud

The message of Pride week in Saint John is that it's OK to be who you are...and Mayor Mel Norton and other community groups are getting on board. At the Pride flag-raising ceremony this afternoon Norton tells CHSJ News the gay community is vital to his vision of Saint John as a "Renaissance City"--and he and common council will continue to work hard to embrace diversity in all its forms.

Organizer Brian Boyd says things have improved a lot since Pride started in Saint John a decade ago. He says instead of being told to "sit down and shut up", the gay community is now accepted as part of mainstream society. Further, Boyd says he hopes this year's celebrations will be bigger and more family-friendly than ever.

The official events for Pride 2012 are as follows:

Monday Aug 20th - Flag Raising 12pm City Hall

Coffee House for Youth ages 13-18 - Public Library Market Square from 2pm-5pm.

Tuesday August 21st - Pride Community Auction & Social @ Mahogany Manor 7pm-9pm

Wednesday August 22 - Movie Night @ Pump Nightclub 8pm - "Another Gay Movie" 

Thursday August 23rd - Vagina Monologues 8pm - $5 at the door. Pride Karoake @ Pump Nightclub -10pm

Friday August 24th - Pride Drag Show @ Pump Nightclub  - 9pm-midnight. Blackout Party @ Pump Nightclub Midnight-2am

​Saturday August 25th - Pride Parade 2pm set up 1pm. Pride Party @ Pump Nightclub - 10pm-2am

Buy Cheap Books All Week Uptown!

If you finished everything on your summer reading list, then this event may be calling your name.

 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saint John hosting their annual big book sale with books going for as little as 50 cents.

It's on now until Saturday at Brunswick Square.   Executive director Laurie Collins tells CHSJ News they are still accepting books at the sale this week.
 
It's on today until 6pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Thursday and Friday from 10am to 8pm.

Police and Fire Investigate Weekend Blaze

City police are looking into a fire early Saturday morning on the 

Upper Golden Grove Road.
 

When police and fire arrived at the scene at about 3:30 am, the home was fully engulfed in flames.

In a release, Sgt. Jay Henderson tells CHSJ News they have since determined a break, enter and theft took place at the home and the cause of the fire is suspicious.

Fire investigators and the Major Crime Unit are looking into the incident.   

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 648-3333 or Crime stoppers 1-800-222-8477.

Dirty Water For Some Customers

Folks in areas of the South-Central peninsula including Haymarket Square, Douglas Avenue, and north and south of the Saint John throughway could be seeing dirty water from their taps in the next few weeks.

The city is flushing out fire hydrants between 8am and 8pm to clean out water distribution pipes. The dirty water could last for as long as 20 minutes. Water pressure might also be effected, but the water will not be shut off.

For further information please contact 658-4455.

Coal Creek Crash Claims One

A crash on Highway 10 in Coal Creek last night claiming the life of a 41 year old Chipman woman.

The mounties tell CHSJ News it appears the crash occurred when the woman's vehicle crossed the centre line and was hit by an oncoming transport.

The woman died at the scene and her name is not being released until her family is notified.

The driver of the transport truck was checked out in hospital.