Green Party Candidate In Rothesay Speaks Out

The Green party candidate for Rothesay thinks its message on the environment resonates in one of the richest ridings in all of Canada.....A sustainable Rothesay and opening up access on the Kennebecasis River.
Sharon Flatt tells CHSJ news the town also needs to work on keeping young people here.
All three candidates vying to be the Rothesay MLA in the fall vote are women.
With Flatt for the Green party, incumbant Margaret Ann Blaney for the Conservatives and Victoria Clarke representing the Liberals.

Blaney Goes To The Blood Board

(Millidgeville Blood Distribution Centre)
(Photo By Sherry Aske)

The Canadian Blood Services Board of Directors is getting a visit from Margaret-Ann Blaney.

Blaney and a team of people are presenting on Wednesday on how closing the Millidegville Blood Distribution Centre will affect New Brunswick.

Dr. Andrea Garland will be presenting on behalf of medical professionals and says she is optimistic their message will be heard.

Garland says she is also concerned with the current plan to turn the centre into a storage unit.

She say there will be more blood on hand than will be able to be used before it expires, which means wasted blood.

Canadian Blood Services Stands By Decision

Amanda Cullen with Canadian Blood Services says they stand by their decision to consolidate production from New Brunswick to Dartmouth.

She tells CHSJ News that two years ago they moved a distribution centre from Sudbury, Ontario to Ottawa without any problems.

Cullen says they have to do what is right for the national blood system, not just what is right for the Atlantic Region.

As for blood expiring before it can be used, Cullen says they will not be shipping the blood that expires in five days to Halifax first, so wasted blood won't be an issue.

The Millrats Are Coming

(Player David Cooper shoots hoops with Minor Basketball players)
(Photo by Sherry Aske)

If hockey isn't exciting enough, Saint Johners can now enjoy their own basketball team. The Manchester Millrats from the Premier Basketball League are now the Saint John Millrats. Mayor Ivan Court says he hopes people from Fredericton and Moncton will come down for the games at Harbour Station as well.

The team's primary owner Jason Briggs says their has been a lot of debate over the teams name and they give the public a chance to vote in the coming weeks. Briggs says he likes the name Millrats, but he also likes the name Wharf Rats, and the important thing is making this Saint John's team.

Province Offers Free Vaccine for Babies and Kids

(Health Ministe Mary Schryer)

(file photo)

Kids and Babies can now get a vaccine for free thanks to improvements to the Province's childhood immunization program.
Health Minister Mary Schryer announced today this province is among first to make the pneumococcal vaccine available to children and infants starting Thursday July 1.

Invasive pneumococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection commonly associated with severe respiratory tract infections.
It is one of the leading causes of illness, hospitalization and death worldwide.
The vaccine is publicly funded for kids 8 weeks to 1 year.

West Side Raid Nets Many Plants And One Arrest

City police conducting a raid on the West side home last Thursday getting quite a haul of drugs.

The Street Crime unit seized up to 150 marijuana Plants with a street value between $50,000 to $100,000 from a home on Mary Anne Court.

A 33-year-old woman faces production charges and has a court date in late September.

Another Uptown Business Gets Hit By Spraypaint

(Some of the graffiti spraypainted yesterday at Hayward and Warwick)

(photo by Tamara Steele)

Another Uptown business has been hit by spraypaint.
The back wall of Hayward and Warwick in the laneway next to Trinity Anglican church was hit by the graffiti yesterday in several places.

It's the second time the Princess street business has been the target of spraypainters in a month.

The owners of the store are calling on police, fellow business owners and citizens to work together to put an end to the vandalism around the city.
They also express concern over the expense of removing graffiti.

There are reports of another batch of spraypaint graffiti at a construction site on Duke Street.

More Details On Death of Jogger Near Reversing Falls

More details have been released by City Police about the fatality last night on Bridge Road near the Reversing Falls. Sergeant Pat Bonner says a 46 year old jogger was struck and killed by a motorcycle. Police say she was not running on the road at the time but was walking on the sidewalk when the motorcycle failed to make a turn and slammed into her causing serious head injuries.
Sergeant Bonner says the motorcyclist suffered just minor injuries. The Major Crime Unit is investigating to determine if the motorcyclist will be charged. The name of the victim will not be released at the request of the family.

Cost of Supplying Clean, Safe Drinking Water Skyrockets

The cost of supplying clean, safe drinking water to Saint Johnners has escalated to 259 million dollars. That message will be delivered tonight to Common Council. An unanswered question is how will a cost that high affect water rates in the city. Common Council still hasn't decided yet whether everyone will be metered. Brent McGovern of Saint John Water says the people using water meters now have reduced their consumption. McGovern concedes the more people in your family, the greater the liklihood is you will be paying more for water than if you were on a flat rate. That's what concerns Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase who isn't entirely sold on the idea of metering. The head of Municipal Operations for the city, Paul Groody argues the use of meters will encourage people to conserve and not waste water.

Jogger Dies After Being Struck By Motorcycle

A woman, who was jogging, suffered serious head injuries and died after being hit by a motorcyle shortly before 7:00 last night on Bridge Road near the Reversing Falls Bridge. Her injuries were described as life threatening by the fire department. City Police are now investigating but there's no word yet on any charges.
A few hours earlier, there was a collision in the intersection of Chesley Drive and Main Street North between a transport truck and a car. One person was sent to hospital with minor injuries.