BREAKING NEWS - Severe Weather Alerts Ended

Environment Canada says the severe weather warnings for the greater Saint John area - Kennebecasis Valley - and - Sussex have ended.

BREAKING NEWS - Tornado And Severe Thunderstorm Watches Issued

Environment Canada issuing a tornado warning for Sussex, Kennebecasis Valley and Kings County.

The warning advises people living in or near this area to be on the lookout for bad weather and take the necessary safety precautions.

Meantime - Environment Canada has also issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Saint John area this evening - the federal agency says there is a potential for severe storms with hail and high winds.

$20 Million To Support Research & Innovation Province Wide

It's good news for people who work in labs in the Province.

The province announcing a $20 million dollar investment to support research and innovation.
 
Robert Hatheway tells CHSJ News it means the New Brunswick Innovation Fund will have predictable funding long term.

This funding allows the NBIF to support any spot or location that is doing research within the province and with that comes commercialization.

This money will allow researchers at universities and colleges around the province access additional research dollars from other agencies and industry.

Radio Strikers Mark One Year

As of today, seven radio personalities have been on strike for 365 days. The Maritime Broadcasting strikers rallied in King's Square during lunchtime to mark a year since their strike began.

 Ron Oldfield of the Saint John & District Labour Council was there, and he tells CSHJ News they're asking local businesses to withdraw support from the station. He says by them advertising on the station, they're financing a strike and allowing the employer to continue on with bad practices. 

Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy also voiced his support for the strikers. He tells CHSJ News he hopes the strong show of support gets things moving so the strikers can get a first collective agreement.

Patrick Colford, the president of the provincial Federation of Labour tells CHSJ News the situation is a disgrace. He says they're not asking for the moon, they're asking for a fair wage.

Zed Says Scott Leaves An Incredible Legacy

Paul Zed says no one will forget Andy Scott.
 
The former Fredericton Liberal MP passed away at the age 58 after an illness.
 
Zed says he's very sad that Scott has left us too soon.

He tells he says Scott last week and he was concerned about leaving his 6 year old son Noah without a dad so he was working on a project detailing his life so his young son will remember him.

Liberal leader Brian Gallant issuing a statement saying Scott's roots in the provincial party run deep having served as a president of the Young Liberals in 1979 and in the 80's working as a field worker, director of fundraising and executive director.

Feeding Deer Won't Become A Crime

Feeding these forest critters is not against the law. Council going along with a recommendation from City Staff that putting in a bylaw to make feeding deer an offense would be impractical. 

Councillor Shirley McAlary says when you implement a bylaw, you have to be able to enforce it, and in this case, they wouldn't be able to. 

Councillor Bill Farren expressed some reservations, saying Saint John, like outlying areas, is becoming overrun by deer, and his concerns lie in the health issues. He says many people will stop if you have a by-law in place. 

Councillor Donna Reardon says she'd like to see council try to get the message out that it's not a good idea to feed the deer, even though they can't police it.

Harbourview High Choir Off On Their European Adventure

Now that school is over, the Harbourview High Ensemble Choir will be off to Europe for more than just sightseeing.

Choirmaster Mike Malloy tells CHSJ News they will be giving several performances along the way in some historic locations including  the Vimy Ridge Memorial, the last synagogue that was left standing in Germany after the Holocaust at Essen and the church in Leipzeg where Johann Sebastian Bach was organist for 27 years as well as a Canada Day concert in Amsterdam on June 30th.

Malloy calls it a unique opportunity because they will be performing as well as sightseeing and, as such, the barriers will come down and they will be able to see more than if they were just tourists on vacation. He adds the young people are, in his words, "a tad excited".

Snook's Sentencing Hearing Scheduled

Donnie Snook's sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 29th and could last more than one day. 

Judge Alfred Brien also says the actual sentencing itself may not take place then. 

He has also ordered a sex offender assessment to be part of the pre-sentence report on the likelihood of re-offending.

Snook's lawyer Dennis Boyle is not ruling out further charges being laid. 

Boyle also suggested Snook is not being housed in the local jail but would not say where he is being held.

Judith Meinert was a member of the Board at the Inner City Youth Minister when Donnie Snook was the Director and also volunteered at the Chicken Noodle Club when he was there. 

She admits to being left speechless at what has come to light since early January.

Meinert says she and Snook often went to evening prayer together but obviously his life was not all it seemed with alot of compartmentalisation.

City Taking Proactive Approach To Release of Sex Offenders

Controversy has been swirling around the release of three sex offenders into the community in recent months, an issue that hasn't been lost on council. 

They voted to begin work that would result in them getting a heads up in the future. 

Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart says the city is very vulnerable right now, and answers are needed to understand how the numbers of sex offenders are distributed across Canada, the reasoning behind the decision to release those individuals into particular communities and whether or not the context is taken into account.

They'll also be setting up a meeting with various officials to talk about the best way to resolve the problem in a way that protects the interests and safety of the community.