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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Weapon Pulled On Cab Driver


A heated argument in the uptown ending with a weapon being pulled on a cab driver.  

City police tell us it happened late yesterday afternoon on Peters Street, just off of Waterloo Street. A 20 year old man got out of the car, kicked the door, took out the weapon before being arrested. The driver wasn't hurt in the incident and no cash was stolen.

Police say they also nabbed two car prowlers in the area of Carlisle Crescent on the east side.

Sea Dogs Training Camp Starts Tomorrow

The Sea Dogs training camp which opens tomorrow will include a couple of Port City boys.

Johnny Erbs played with the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime Junior Hockey League last season and Riley Craft will get his second crack at the Sea Dogs after attending camp last season.  


Craft split last season between the Slammers and the Saint John Vito's.

The Dogs first exhibition game is coming on Saturday night at the qpex at 7pm.

For more info on the Sea Dog's training camp, click here

Jacobsen To Lead Strategic Services At City Hall

Neil Jacobsen has a full resume and he's bringing his expertise to City hall.
 

He is the new Commissioner of Strategic Services.

CHSJ News asked Jacobsen how his previous experience at Enterprise Saint John and Waterfront Development will help him in the new role.

He tells us economic diversification will be a key focus adding he has seen a lot of success in his previous posts and hopes to see more in the community.

The former commission of Strategic Services, Jacqueline Hamilton, is now the Commissioner for Growth and Community Development Services.

Nicholas Logan Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter

A guilty plea from a Saint John man charged in connection with a brutal beating at an uptown rooming house that led to a 66 year-old's death.

35 year-old Nicholas Logan pleading guilty to manslaughter after Duncan MacDonald died in hospital on April 10 from injuries he sustained from the March 16 incident on the corner of Duke and Prince William.

MacDonald had a broken neck, punctured lung and a severe brain injury. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 


After the incident, Logan told police he had felt "a strong desire to wipe out everyone in the building." Logan has been undergoing mental health assessments at a hospital in Restigouche, where he's been remanded until his next court appearance on August 30: a disposition hearing before sentencing. 

Judge Henrik Tonning calling cases like this one "very complicated."

Number of Deer-Car Crashes Shocks Town Council

Deer aren't just a nuisance, they're downright dangerousand the numbers prove it. 

There have been over 700 car crashes this year alone in the Kennebecasis Valley because of deer roaming around a number confirmed by local police and RCMP. 

Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News town council was taken aback when the results from the KV deer survey, released by the deer committee, came in.

Bishop says they're clearly a danger to the public, and the hope is that the information gathered from the survey will prompt the province to come up with a solution to the deer problem.

It's Crunch Time For City On Clean Drinking Water

It won't be long now before the city finds out whether it will be able to go with the public-private partnership or P-3 model to pay for a water treatment plant on the east side. 

Acting City Manager Bill Edwards says he got an email from P-3 stating a decision could be made as early as next month.

Edwards says P-3 is quite scrupulous wants to make sure the city has the people and resources to see the project through to the awarding of a contract complete with proper specifications  before coming on board.


The application process has been so rigourous, though, consulting fees have more than doubled to over 200 thousand dollars.

Retail Council Has Its Sights Set On Saint John

Now that Fredericton's on board with a change in Sunday shopping, can Saint John be that far behind? Fredericton has decided to let the storeowners decide when they should open and close on Sundays. 

Jim Cormier of the Retail Council of Canada in the Atlantic Region tells CHSJ News he had another meeting with the Saint John Board of Trade's Retail Committee recently. He says they had a productive meeting and now the Board of Trade, which came out against earlier, has a better idea what the Retail Council is asking for.
 

Cormier says what the Retail Council wants is choice, not necessarily longer hours because some storeowners may stick with the status quo.

Meeting Tonight In St. George Over Flooding

If you live in St. George, Lake Utopia or Bonney River and are upset about recent flooding,  there is a meeting you might want to attend.

Charlotte the Isles MLA Rick Doucet is hosting the meeting tonight at 7pm at Magaguadic Place.

Flash flooding two weeks ago raised the sense of alarm in the community creating frustration among residents who want to see plans in place to deal with the potential for high water now that extreme weather is becoming the norm in the region.

Severe flooding back in December of 2010 caused devastation in Charlotte county.

No More Chip Seal On Rothesay's Roads

Residents of Rothesay's East side comparing the laying of chip seal on the roads to putting a band-aid over a broken bone. 

One of those people living there, Jim Hennessey, has collected 500 signatures asking town council to stop the road treatment. He tells CHSJ News he doesn't believe the roads were ever properly built and they're in desperate need of work.

Hennessey says the town should bank the money they save from not laying chip seal, and use it to lay asphalt in the future. However, he says he's not opposed to micro surfacing instead of asphalt, saying unlike chip seal, it's at least rolled out with a steamer.

Council approving a motion made by Councillor Bill McGuire to stop laying the chip seal on any streets in Rothesay, not just the East side.

Home Invasion Being Investigated

City Police looking for two suspects after a home invasion on Duke Street in the south end. 

It happened around 11:15 last night when the two, who were armed, forced their way in. 

One person who was inside got roughed up a bit but police say it was nothing serious.

Police speculate the two might have been scared off and aren't even sure whether they actually stole anything.

Change Coming For City Skateboarders

A city bylaw will be changed to require skateboarders to wear helmets. 

Common Council has given approval in principle. This change is coming about because of Common Councillor Greg Norton after an 18 year old skateboarder Josh Dillon suffered severe head trauma after falling head first into the pavement. 

Norton is hoping the amended bylaw will change of the culture of skateboarding in the city.
     
Josh, meantime, has had a tough time since suffering his injuries and a section of the amended bylaw will be referred to as Josh's law.

Guard Rail Will Be Installed Where Teenage Girl Died

Common Council has voted in favour of installing a guard rail along the section of Hillcrest Road on the east side where 15 year old Kylee Wallace died after the car she was in left the road and went down a steep embankment. 

City Staff recommended against the guard rail. The head of Municipal Operations for the city Kevin Rice points out too many drivers are speeding along that stretch of rural road and he questions how far the city should have to go to protect people from themselves.

Common Councillor John MacKenzie calls it a dangerous section of roadway at any speed. 

Fellow Councillor Ray Strowbridge, who's a paramedic agrees, saying you could be going at 30 kilometers an hour on a winter's day and easily miss the turn which is tight go down the embankment and it would be him bringing you back up on a spine board.

It's expected the guard rail will be up before the first snow falls and the city also plans to put up a sign warning drivers of a curve in the road ahead.