Six people being arrested as part of a three-month police investigation into a drug dealing network in the greater Saint John area.
The investigation focusing mostly on cocaine dealers and the redistribution of crack cocaine.
Police searching several homes in the city and one in Quispamsis finding over a quarter pound of cocaine, more than a pound and a half of marijuana, 1800 ecstasy and bath salt pills, MDMA and hashish. Officers also seizing a loaded handgun and $34,000.
The four men and two women who were arrested will be appearing in court.
Mayor Mel Norton and City Manager Pat Woods are saying the system of arbitration to settle contract disputes is flawed.
Woods says what emerges can be unrealistic because the city's ability to pay is not taken into account.
Woods says the way arbitration works now rewards inflexibility at the bargaining table. Wage increases through arbitration have been a lot higher than those that have been negotiated.
A 30-year old man being held in custody on a charge of robbery.
Matthew James appearing in provincial court for a bail hearing today. He was arrested and charged with the purse-snatching of an elderly woman on Leinster Street in the early evening of December 7. The 74-year old woman suffered some minor injuries after a struggle.
Judge Henrik Tonning says he's convinced if James were released he would commit another offense.
After stealing morphine, oxycodone, percocet and other types of drugs from the Regional Hospital, Erin Munn says she wants to make things right.
The woman pleading guilty in provincial court to taking drugs from the hospital's surgery department this summer while she was working as a cleaner in the building. Munn was caught after a surveillance camera was installed near the cabinets.
She says she has written a letter to the hospital and wants to get back on track. Her employer has hired her back on and the Crown says she's taking steps to get help for her pill addiction. The judge giving her a six-month conditional sentence saying rehabilitation is the key here.
The jury at the Ashley Smith inquest in Toronto ruling her death was the result of a homicide.
The Moncton teen died in her prison cell in Kitchener, Ontario in 2007. She choked to death of pieces of material after jail guards were told not to rush and help her.
Among its many recommendations, the jury is recommending that indefinite solitary confinement be abolished and until that happens, they suggest it be restricted to a maximum of 15 days.
Another recommendation is for Smith's story to be used a case study for front line workers at the Correctional Service of Canada.
For nearly a year, the jury has been listening to thousands of hours of testimony and reviewing hundreds of exhibits of Smith's time in federal prison.
What a week for the Saint John Y. Days after the announcement of more than 9 million dollars from Ottawa and the Province for it's new building...another substantial contribution.
Former Y member Richard J. Currie donating $500,000 to the project. He will name the new gym after the YMCA Argos Basketball Team, in honour of all of the teams and players that played basketball at the Y over the years.
Currie himself was a a member of the Argos team in the 1950's. A photo of the team will be put in the new Y's gym recognizing the history of basketball in Saint John.
Construction on the Saint John Y's new $22 million dollar facility is expected to begin next spring.
Next year's provincial vote is a big undertaking and the work is already underway at Elections NB.
Chief Electoral Officer Mike Quinn tells CHSJ News says during the last vote they began a pilot project with full returning offices on campuses in Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, and Edmunston.
He says they are looking at ways of changing that service around and make it better so that students get to vote all through the election.
Quinn says they are preparing the new polling division map because of the riding changes shrinking the number of ridings from 55 to 49.
CHSJ News has been told by Provincial Health Minister Ted Flemming it appears the healthcare budget is heading for a 26 million dollar surplus.
Flemming says this turnaround would not have happened had the culture within the healthcare system not been changed and this change has been embraced by the people working in healthcare after years of political interference and bad decision making as a result.
He also says the healthcare budget next year will not be going up from this year and the government has achieved this without touching clinical services.
The Alward Government's bottom line getting a big boost with a five per cent increase in transfer payments from Ottawa.
Federal transfers will rise next year to over 2.6 billion dollars which comprises one-third of the provincial budget.
Saint John M-P Rodney Weston blames the previous Liberal Government under Premier Shawn Graham, in large part, for a financial mess by spending more money than it took in, driving up the debt.
Weston concedes the province still finds itself in a difficult financial situation in spite of higher federal transfer payments, adding he doesn't envy the challenge faced by Provincial Finance Minister Blaine Higgs.
A 21-year-old man from Rexton is facing 19 charges, after his actions during shale gas protests.
Germain Breau was arrested in October and has been in custody ever since. RCMP say he was arrested after police were trying to control a dangerous situation involving firearms, improvised explosive devices and other weapons.
Some of the charges against him include, careless use of a firearm, pointing a firearm at a police officer, obstructing a police officer and violating a probation order.
Yesterday, 15 more charges were laid against him at Moncton Provincial Court, and he will be back in court tomorrow.
The city declaring an overnight parking ban for the South/Central Peninsula, in order for crews to push snow back from the streets.
This will take effect starting tonight at 11pm to 7am tomorrow morning. That means no on-street parking is allowed anywhere in the South/Central Peninsula area.
If you're vehicle is on the road after 11pm it will be towed.
But, there are other parking lots available for on-street parking residents including,
• the corner of Princess Street and Charlotte Street
• King Street East
• Peters Street
• Carmarthen Street/Vineyard Church and
• Mecklenburg Street at Wentworth Street
• the corner of Charlotte and Queen Streets at Key Industries (entrance on Queen Street)
If you're parking in these areas, your vehicle must be removed by 7am Monday through Friday and by noon on weekends. Otherwise, it will be towed.
There's also parking available at The Carleton-Sewell Parking Garage for $5.00 overnight. This is only available during the temporary snow bans, and the rate is valid only between 6 pm and 8am the following morning. For more information you can call the Snow Parking Ban Recorded Information Line at 658-4040, or www.saintjohn.ca.
City fire crews on the scene of a fire in a crawl space inside a home on St. Catherine's street.
The building has been evacuated and the power is being shut off in the building.
Crews have knocked down the blaze and are looking for extension into the floors and walls.
Just in time for Christmas......The price of self serve regular is down by over 4 cents a litre after the weekly setting to $1.24.5 in the city.
Diesel is also costing you less by almost 3 cents a litre at $1.41.9.
The maximum price for heating oil is at an even $1.25 a litre as hearings are held before the Energy and Utilities Board on whether the price should go up.
