"Boot House" Is The Top Gingerbread House

A boot house with laces "wowing" the judges in the 2nd annual Gingerbread Trail contest put on by Uptown Saint John.

Manchester Shoe Salon won for their Boot house complete with licorice laces.   In second place was Fishy Chores with their enormous nutcracker figure and third place went to the Saint John Arts Centre for their replica of the Carnegie building.

15 different gingerbread houses have been on display at businesses throughout the Uptown.

Kedgwick Pair Get 14 Years For Trying To Import/Export Drugs

A man and a woman from Kedgwick are looking at over 14 years in jail combined after pleading guilty to charges of  gangsterism and drug conspiracy.

Back in March, 53 year old Sylvain Borris was found guilty of three charges in a Montreal courtroom including trying to export marijuana and conspiracy to import 300 kilos of cocaine.     He got a 10 and a half years sentence and a $250,000 fine.

43 year old Lucie Lagace was found guilty on a conspiracy to import cocaine and of gangsterism and for that gets sentenced to four years in prison.

The pair were arrested last summer in a multi-agency investigation that found a group trying to smuggle drugs into the U.S. between Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec.

This group had connections with people in Colombia and conspired to import coke into this country.

Sidewalks May Be Slippery

The City suggesting pedestrians be careful when walking around town this weekend.

A thin layer of snow remains on many sidewalks and that mixed with snow and freezing rain could result in slippery sidewalks.

Crews will be working this weekend to clear streets and sidewalks following two snowstorms this week.

New Addition To The NB Energy Institute

A new face is joining the New Brunswick Energy Institute. 

Cecelia Brooks from St. Mary's First Nation has been appointed the newest member of the Scientific Advisory Council. She is the current Research Director and Indigenous Knowledge Specialist with the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs in the province and the Water Grandmother for the Canadian Rivers Institute.

Brooks says she has dedicated her career's work to making sure our water supply is respected and stays safe for future generations and ensuring understanding and respect for indigenous issues.

The Interim Chair of the Institute Dr. David Besner says they are delighted to have Brooks sit as a member of the SAC and that a strong voice for aboriginal issues is imperative to scientific studies pertaining to energy development in our province.

Police Looking For Man Wanted For Assault With A Weapon

RCMP are asking the public for help finding a man wanted for beating another man with a steel pipe.

A warrant being issued for the arrest of 27-year old Andrew Stephen Rees for the incident on Thursday in Salisbury. He is 5'11, about 170 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. He has two distinctive tattoos, one of a teardrop under his right eye and a tattoo of a deck of cards on the left side of his neck and he also wears a nose ring.

Police say Rees may not be taking his medication and is considered dangerous and should not be approached if seen. Anyone knowing the Rees' whereabouts is asked to contact the RCMP, their local police agency or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Cops Hopping With A Number Of Crime Calls

In addition to the serious accident on Highway 1 this morning, police responded to a number of calls ranging from breaches of probation to a small fire that  started on a stove. 

Sergeant Jay Henderson of the Saint John Police Force explains there was an arrest at a home in the North End for assault.

A 43 year old man was also arrested on Orange Street for domestic assault and a probation breach. The  small blaze at a home on Anglin Drive was quickly put out by fire officials.

2 Hurt In 5 Vehicle Crash On Highway 1

5 vehicles in a major crash on Highway 1 westbound near the Tourist bureau leaving two people seriously hurt.

It happened in the middle of rush hour causing a major traffic problem.

City police tell CHSJ News it looks light one of the cars crossed the centre line into the oncoming traffic.

The highway was closed but is now back open to traffic.

Recall Of Playtex Hip Hammock Infant Carriers

A warning to parents from Health Canada about a certain kind of infant carrier that's being recalled because the buckles on it can break.

Playtex Hip Hammock infant carriers were for sale in several stores including Wal-Mart and Toys R Us, and about 36,000 of them were sold in Canada between June 2004 and January 2010.

There have been two reports of injuries in the U.S., where one baby had to go to the emergency room.

If you own the carrier with the model number 05306 , you're being told to call the company for instructions on how to return it. You can reach Playtex at 1-800-522-8230 from 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday or their website and click on recall for more information.

What Happens After Ashley Smith Inquest Is Uncertain

Now that the inquest into Ashley Smith's choking death in a Kitchener, Ontario jail is over, the big question is whether it will make a difference. 

Marianna Stack of the Elizabeth Fry Society in Saint John is supporting the call for a police investigation into who ordered jail guards not to intervene.

Stack says the people she talks to are appalled that someone could be treated as horribly as Smith was and hopes mentally ill women are just not locked away.

The inquest jury recommends seriously mentally ill women serve time in federally operated treatment facilities, not prisons.

Stack does say she has seen changes being made since this all came to light that are positive.

Another Car Fire In East Saint John

photo courtesy of Courtenay McKinnon

It must feel like a deja vu for the police and fire crews who got the call for another car fire out east not even a day later.

It happened on Consumers Drive behind the Pizza Delight at 11:30am and the fire has been put out.

City police provided traffic control in the area.

Another car fire on Westmorland road yesterday caused a traffic tie up yesterday afternoon.

Injuries and Traffic Disruption In Major Accident on Highway 1

There are still some traffic problems on Highway 1 heading into the city due to a multi-vehicle crash by the Tourist Bureau around 7:30 this morning.

Six people were injured, two of them seriously. Emergency personnel are still handling the situation.

Major Crash On West Side

A major traffic disruption during the morning commute along Highway 1 by the Tourist Bureau after a collision involving as many as six vehicles. 

Drivers are being advised to stay clear of that area altogether because of long delays and traffic will likely be rerouted for the next couple of hours.

Traffic is also backing up along Highway 7 towards Grand Bay-Westfield because of the crash.

Warning About Synthetic Drugs Seized By City Police

The seizure of two synthetic drugs in the north end prompting City Police to issue a warning about their dangers. 

Sergeant Jay Henderson says both D-M-T and 2-5-I (eye) cause users to hallucinate to the point where they could be dangerously unaware of their surroundings.
 
Police say there's no known medical use for these drugs which will be chemically analysed.