Police Do Not Suspect Foul Play In Teen's Death

Foul play is not suspected in the death of 19 year old Gen Cormier.
 
Police tell CHSJ News they are waiting for the pathologist's report to confirm this.

She went missing in late September and her body was found over the weekend in Redhead.

A funeral for Cormier will be held on Friday at Assumption parish on the West side at noon.

Bacchus President To Be Sentenced

A sentencing hearing is scheduled tomorrow for the President of the Saint John Bacchus Motorcycle Club.

44-year-old, Brian Schofield of Public Landing and five others were arrested after a regonial drug bust in August.

Police seized meth, pot, pills, guns, brass knuckles and four grand in cash. The bust following a six-month investigation involving four local police agencies.

Schofield plead guilty earlier to possession for the purpose of trafficking.

A former Bacchus member, 39-year-old Ryan Wallace of Kingston, is also due in court tomorrow. He's facing drug charges that include possession and trafficking, along with having two unlicensed rifles.

Police Arrest Three In Credit Card Scam

City police arresting two men and one woman relating to a scam that is separating Saint Johners from  their money.

The 3 people were arrested at a local motel on Friday and police believe they are part of a large operation involving pre-paid credit cards.

Sgt. Jay Henderson of the City police says officers conducted searchs at a motel and in a vehicle belonging to them.

He it's believed the value of the fraudulent transactions in Saint John alone is approximately $16,000.

All three are being held in custody before court appearances.

Universal Drug Coverage On Legislature Agenda

The upcoming Legislative session which opens tomorrow afternoon could be raucous with the state of the economy, shale gas and a provincial election in less than a year. 

A universal prescription drug plan is expected to be unveiled. Fundy-River Valley independent M-L-A Dr. Jim Parrot tells CHSJ News expensive drugs for catastrophic illness should be included but we should be thinking outside the box.

He says we should try to make a deal with the Fed and another Medical Societies in the country to create a national system so no one has to go it alone.

Dr. Parrot goes so far as to say the survival of Medicare depends on getting this right.

Smoke Near McEsso From A Campfire

You may have seen a lot of smoke in the air near the McEsso in Quispamsis on Sunday afternoon and thought there was a big fire burning but such did not turn out to be the case.

K-V Fire telling us the smoke came from a campfire that had been lit by a group of young people.

VIDEO: Cute Kids, Cutting-Edge Drama, And Classic Lit At SJTC In 2013-14

The Saint John Theatre Company officially launched its 2013-2014 season this morning, citing the improved economic outlook in Saint John as a positive thing for arts and culture. The crowd, which included Mayor Mel Norton and Tourism and Culture Minister Trevor Holder, got a taste of the November 14-17 production  of "Annie" as star Emma Weagel sang the iconic song "Tomorrow". 

Stephen Tobias of the Theatre Company tells CHSJ New they've been blow away by the response to the upcoming production of "Annie", which is poised to break records for ticket sales.

Also coming up in main stage productions: a new drama called Red, and an adaptation of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice in spring 2014. 

Man Takes Pic In Ladies Washroom

City police are looking for a man who came into the Tim's on Landsdowne Avenue last night and took a picture of woman using the ladies's washroom.

It happened just after 830 last night.

Sgt. Jay Henderson of the City police telling CHSJ News the man went in the ladies washroom and using a cellphone type device took  the picture of a woman in a bathroom stall.



The man is described as 17 years old, about 5 foot 10, thin with fair skin wearing an
army green jacket, black jeans, black shoes with a white stripe and a black and red hat with a red beak.

The patrol division of the SJPF is looking into the incident.

The Port City's Santa Claus Parade Draws Closer

Start staking out a good viewing spot and find the kids warm boots, hats and gloves for the 61st annual Saint John Santa Claus Parade on November 16th.
 
Leslie Keating of Uptown Saint John tells CHSJ News this year's parade is the 61st edition and they are always impressed by the numbers of entries which usually averages at 70.

Keating says if you have any questions and want to take part give them a call at  633-9797 or visit their website by clicking here

This year's theme is the 12 days of Christmas and groups and organizations that want to submit a float need to complete an entry form by Friday.

Hospital Home Lottery Nearly Sold Out

The Hospital Home Lottery is over 90 per cent sold. 

The Regional Hospital Foundation letting us know the 50/50 jackpot is over 420 thousand dollars. 

The winner will get to keep half of that.

Kane's Corner Still Tricky To Navigate

A woman misses the road closed sign at Kane's Corner and winds up where she doesn't want to be along the railway tracks.

Construction of New Y Slated For Spring

Construction of a new $22 million Y in the North end will start when the weather warms up. 

That's according to Saint John MP, Rodney Weston, who says the plan is to break ground in late March or early April. Building a new facility was one of the priorities Weston laid out during the last election campaign, and he tells CHSJ News the project is getting to a critical stage with less than six months until they break ground.

The next phase of the project is construction documents.

The layout of the Y in the Crescent Valley neighbourhood was announced last summer, and will include an indoor walking track, three pools and a day care. Weston says he and MP Trevor Holder have been working on getting contributions from the two levels of government to help fund the new 70,000 square foot facility.

Conservative Senators Under the Gun

Prime Minister Harper is said to be exerting pressure on Conservative Senators to vote in favour of suspending Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau.

Political Scientist Don Desserud who's in favour of reforming the Senate, tells CHSJ News getting rid of the Senate entirely may not turn out to be the best thing for our democracy because its abolition would leave even more power in the hands of a Prime Minister. He argues there has to be some body in place as a check against unbridled power wielded by the party that controls Parliament.
 
Desserud maintains electing Senators would give them more independence from the Prime Minister who appointed them.

Senate To Vote On Duffy, Wallin And Brazeau

The Senate is expected to vote this week, perhaps as early as tomorrow, on the fates of Senators Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau. 

Polls indicate more people are believing Duffy's version of what transpired than the Prime Minister with a large percentage believing neither. New Brunswick born Senator Jim Munson tells CHSJ News it's difficult to say who's telling the truth but says it's all politics now.
 
A top federal cabinet minister Jason Kenny is defending  Nigel Wright as a man of “strong ethical character,” even as the Prime Minister last week told Parliament his former chief of staff is the sole person responsible for “this deception.”

Burn Survivor Advocating For Safe Driving

A survivor of a horrific car crash caused by impaired driving is touring the province to talk about the importance of road safety. 

John Westhaver of St. Stephen was 18-years old at the time of the collision, that left three of his friends dead and 75-percent of his body burned. Westhaver, now 38, says since then, he’s dedicated his life to educating and inspiring youth about the importance of safe driving.

Westhaver has just started his Atlantic High School tour and hopes to reach every student in the province. He has traveled across Canada and the United States for the past ten years, speaking to thousands of students.

BREAKING: Body Identified As Missing Teenager

A body found on a beach being identified as missing Saint John teen, Genevieve Cormier.

The body was discovered near Anthonys Cove Road in Red Head yesterday afternoon, and was taken to the Regional Hospital, where a medical review will be conducted. The  19-year old was last seen on September 29 in the back parking lot of the Reversing Falls restaurant.

Her family has been notified, and they are asking the public for privacy during this time. 

Inmate Arrested After Escaping Correctional Center

A man who escaped from a jail in the city being arrested in the province's capital. 

The man escaping from Parrtown Community Correctional Center last month. Fredericton Police say they were called to a disturbance at a bar on Regent Street, the 20/20. The man took off, but was arrested a short distance away.

His name has not been released.

Body Discovered On Beach

A grisly discovery on a beach in Red Head.

Staff Sgt. Mike King of City Police tells CHSJ News a body was discovered just after 2:30 this afternoon at the end of Anthonys Cove Road. King says the call came in from a woman who was walking along the rocks.                       

Police not releasing any details about the body at this time. The Major Crime Unit is investigating and will be working to identify the body.

The area being blocked off by police.

Sea Dogs Beginning "MOvember Challenge"

The Saint John Sea Dogs are mixing it up this year with a new initiative in support of MOvember. 

The team will donate a certain amount of money based on the number of fans attending games. 

The team is hoping to raise awareness and money for men's health issues, by getting fans more involved.

President of the team, Wayne Long, tells CHSJ news the Sea Dogs will donate $5,000 if an average of 3,800 fans show up during the seven home games this month. The team will donate $15,000 if the average is 5000 fans during the games, and $30,000 for an average of 6,000 fans.

The team will also donate $10,000 for any game that's sold out.

Youth Shelter Idea Still In Running To Win 150k

An initiative to get the city's homeless young people off the streets and into their own shelter in the South end still has a shot at $150,000. 

Safe Harbour Transitional Youth Services is taking part in the Aviva Community Fund and has made it past the first round. Project Coordinator Colin McDonald tells CHSJ News the shelter would offer help to youth who want to get on the right track. 

McDonald says there's a big difference between a 16-year old kid who has just hit the streets compared to someone who has been on the street for 20+ years and are very immersed in street culture. Youth are the least likely group to identify themselves as homeless, so it's hard to say exactly how many young people are homeless in Saint John, but in 2012, 67 youth stayed in adult-serving shelters.

Voting for the second qualifying round ends on Monday. To cast your vote for the idea, click here. To check out the other ideas, click here.

Many Stay Up Late Night Before Clock Falls Back

The time change might give us an extra hour of snooze time, but most people don't use it to catch up on their Z's. 

That's according to Dr. Rachel Morehouse, the Medical Director of the Sleep Centre at the Regional Hospital, who tells CHSJ News we tend to stay up late the night before the clocks fall back instead of turning in at our usual time.

Morehouse says we always feel like there is something more important than sleep, and are constantly cutting corners when it comes to getting our beauty rest. Most people need seven a half hours of sleep every night. 

Daylight savings time ends at 2am tomorrow morning.