Long-Standing Pension Lawsuit Goes To Trial Next Month

A lawsuit that has been dragging on for years will come to a head next month.

The city's pension board is suing former city councillor John Ferguson for accusing the board trustees of acting illegally and not for asking questions about the city's financially beleaguered pension plan.

The case will go to trial on February 13th.

Ferguson currently serves as the Town Administrator for St. Stephen.

Gaps Need To Filled So The Disabled Will Want To Enter Workforce

The province is welcoming comments and suggestions on how to help disabled New Brunswickers enter or stay in the workforce.

David Leadlay is with the Learning Disability Association of Saint John.

He tells CHSJ News there is a gap in service for the disabled as the education system only deals with them so far and then they're left on their own

He says there needs to be more services to catch them at those transition points so that they will not become discouraged at finding work.

Smith Steps Down

A familiar face at the Imperial Theatre is leaving his post.

Peter D. Smith has been the theatre's general manager since 1998 but, told the theatre's board of directors of his intention to leave last month.

The Imperial Theatre board has established a search committee and hopes to begin interviews in March.

Smith will stay on until his successor is found.

Pharmacists Respond To Criticism Over Methadone

 The Provincial Pharmacists Association agrees with Finance Minister Blaine Higgs' comments that the methadone program is growing with no end in sight.
Executive Director Paul Blanchard says there is no program in place right aimed at preventing the spread of addiction.

Blanchard tells CHSJ News a prescription monitoring program in needed.

He says as we speak a physician is writing a prescription for oxycontin and a pharmacist is filling it in the absence of information adding they need a prescription monitoring program in order to allow pharmacists to do their jobs effectively.

Blanchard says in April of last year dispensing fees for methadone patients were reduced by 50 per cent.

School District 6 Aims To Combat Bullying

School District 6 is combating bullying by changing school culture and student attitudes.

Learning Specialist Pam Miller tells CHSJ News by ingraining anti-bullying lessons into everyday school-life, it makes students more comfortable to report about bullying and something will be done.

She say teachers and staff members know how to respond to that reporting so it's streamlined and they know exactly what to do.

She says recent studies shows that incidents of bullying have gone down in District 6 over the past few years.

Bullying has been brought back to the forefront recently after a student at Hampton Middle School was held down and had her hair cut.

Saint Johnners To Hear Theo Fleury's Comeback From The Abyss

Theo Fleury is in Saint John to talk about his valiant struggle to wholeness after being sexually abused by his coach in junior hockey followed by alcoholism, drug abuse and promiscuity. 

The retired NHL'er is the guest speaker tonight at the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation dinner in the Trade and Convention Centre and his message will be no matter how far down the ladder you fall, you can always make it back up. 

Fleury says the best part is to see people who are beaten and broken repair their lives.

He doesn't give his junior coach Graham James, who's facing criminal charges, any thought and admits not having a whole lot of faith in the Canadian justice system.

Warning From Finance Minister About NB Power

Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs is sending a strong message to M-L-A's about how NB Power should be run..........Quit messing about with it.
 
Higgs says he and other M-L-A's have all be approached about getting people jobs at NB Power which is why it has run into financial problems but now the utility has a 10 year business plan in place to reduce its footprint and debt ratio.

He warns running it like a business is the only way NB Power will survive.

  

No Injuries In Early Morning Crash

That 5-vehicle pile up on the MacKay this morning ended up looking worse than it actually was -- lots of damage but no injuries.
 The RCMP telling us there were actually two separate crashes - the first involving three vehicles - the second with two and they say the second crackup was a result of the first.
 No word on whether any charges will be laid in the aftermath.

Finance Minister Candid About Government Spending

In the effort to reduce the growing provincial deficit, Finance Minister Blaine Higgs says government programmes will have to be analysed to determine if they're effective.

Higgs makes mention of the methadone programme which he says has 14 hundred people getting treatment with no end in sight.
 
Higgs says healthcare needs a major overhaul after being been told more than once there's enough money for healthcare but it's being managed poorly.

He also maintains roads have been built which aren't really needed but they were seen as vote getters on election day.