Price Of Home Heating Oil Going Up

Home heating oil is going to start costing you more next Thursday. 

The Energy and Utilities Board has granted an interim rate increase of 3.5 cents per litre, plus HST. A homeowner who's still using oil will pay almost 20 dollars more for a 500 litre delivery.
 
There will be a full hearing on a permanent rate increase for home heating oil in December.

Chief Charges He Has Been Double Crossed

The dispute over shale gas could be ready to heat up again next week. 

SWN Resources is planning to resume seismic testing on Monday. That has angered Chief Aaron Sock of the Elsipogtog First Nation who wants a six month moratorium. 

Chief Sock says he fells betrayed by the provincial government after the Premier called for a cooling off period following the violence at the protest last month near Rexton. 

The Legislature resumes sitting on Tuesday.

Energy Minister Emphasizes Shale Gas Benefits

It remains a controversial issue but some in government say we can't afford not to explore the options on shale gas.

Energy Minister Craig Leonard says there's no reason not to go ahead--and adds  the idea drilling will industrialize rural New Brunswick is false, because drilling 50 gas wells would only cover about a kilometer of land.

Leonard says when we have a shortage of cheap, domestic natural gas it makes sense to capitalize on our reserves--which we know to be at least 80 trillion cubic feet.

VIDEO: Remembering Maggie Vail And Her Daughter

Maggie Vail and her daughter Ella now have a permanent memorial on the West side.
 
They both died in 1868 domestic homicide the pair were killed by the child's father.

Constable Scott Gogan spearheaded a memorial to the mother and child after attending Silent Witness ceremonies for more recent domestic homicides like Tanya Shand and Melanie Getson.

Gogan says he read about Maggie Vail's story and came by to pay his respects and saw they didn't have a stone and tells us he wanted to something given his history with the SJPD Family Protection Unit.

A new gravestone in memory of Maggie and Ella was unveiled in very soggy ceremony at the Old Cedar Hill Cemetery.     

Outages And Downed Trees Blocking Roads Due To High Winds

A total of 3450 people are without power throughout the province, most of them in the Forest Glen area.

Due to the high winds power lines have been knocked out by trees resulting in blackouts for a total of 1717 customers in the Sussex and Kingston areas. 

No word yet on when the lights will be back on. Earlier this afternoon, a tree was also knocked down on First Street near Purdy's corner, blocking the street for residents.

NBSA Sees The Good & Bad In Tuition Announcement

The Province's Student Alliance having a mixed reaction to the province's 3 per cent tuition fee cap over the next three years. 

Pat Joyce tells CHSJ News the announcement has good 



aspects and some that cause them concern.

He says they are concerned that  since 1990, university operations in the province funded by tuition has increased from 28 per cent to 36 per cent.

Video Emerges Of Woman Who Mysteriously Died At Hospital

Video footage has surfaced which is blurry but appears to show 22 year old Serena Perry walking around the Regional Hospital with other people on the day she died in February of 2012. 

City Police earlier said no charges would be laid because of difficulty in validating the cause of death. 

An inquest will be held but the date for that has not been announced yet.

East Side Fire Under Investigation

(Photo courtesy of Doug Epton)

City fire crews called out last night at 8:00 to 230 Mount Pleasant Avenue East where they discovered heavy smoke coming from the rear of a one and a half storey home. 

Division Chief Mark Wilson says they also got information a woman may have been inside but a search determined the house was empty.
 
The cause is undetermined but both fire and police are investigating. The building has been vacant for the past two months while the owner carries out renovations.