The Saint John Police's Major Crime Unit is investigating home invasion on Newman Street in the North End Thursday night around 8:30pm.
About 3 people were at home when two masked people came to the door with weapons and tried to force their way inside. They demanded prescription drugs but none were handed over.
According to Sgt Magee of the SJPD, one 16 year old youth is already in custody. He's facing charges of robbery, unlawfully entering a dwelling, having his face masked while committing an offence, and breaching his probation. The SJPD are currently looking for the second suspect. There were no injuries.
The new Saint John Family Y facility getting a big boost from the Crabtree Foundation.
They are contributing $500,000 toward the new Y facility.
The Crabtree Foundation is a private foundation based in Ottawa that has been funded through contributions from family members and is supported and administered by the family.
NB Power releasing some of last month's operating highlights for the Point Lepreau Generating Station.
Point Lepreau is operating at a 100% power, putting more than 600 megawatts on the provincial grid. The station producing almost half of the electricity from NB Power generating stations for the month of December. As of today they've been online for 64 days in a row.
NB Power says the station is now getting ready for a planned maintenance outage scheduled to start this Spring.
You are going to be hearing some ads from the police union as the city prepares to begin a cost analysis of the municipal police service compared to RCMP service.
Union president Jamie Hachey tells CHSJ News community surveys show there appears to be solid support for the job the municipal department is doing.
Hachey says the union wants to make sure the analysis includes the potential impact on the civic pension plan if the municipal force is dumped in favour of the RCMP.
And he says the ad campaign will be educational and positive in nature.
The World Women's Curling Championship schedule has now been set in stone.
Canada, the U.S., China, Russia and other nine countries will compete for nine days at Harbour Station starting in mid-March. The countries have until February 7 to declare their representatives. Host Chair Jeff Lacey says there's still a lot of work to be done before the event, including preparing the rink which take up to four days.
The event is happening from March 15 to the 23 at Harbour Station.You can see the complete draw schedule for the Ford World Women's Curling Championship by clicking here.
The case of a mother abandoning her two children in an apartment building with little food, being adjourned until February.
Courtney Lee Moore being charged after this incident back in early October.
A three-year-old and a one-year-old were found screaming in a Hickey Road apartment building. The kids were removed and taken into care by the Department of Social Development.
Moore is not to be unsupervised around children under the age of 16.
Saint John MP Rodney Weston making the funding announcement in a school he attended along with his father and now his son.
He says as you walk through it's a little trip down memory lane with things in different places now.
He tells CHSJ News the school has a lot of sentimental attachment for him and for a lot of people in the community.
Before Christmas the school put out a call for anyone that wanted a seat from the old theatre as a piece of memorabilia and some were picked up for former Bayside Middle or Simonds Regional High students.
Bayside Middle school and East Saint John the big winner with a big funding announcement including $55,000 from the Federal government to replace seats in the school's theatre.
Principal Pat Laskey says they use the auditorium a lot and the biggest complaint was that the seats were not comfortable.
He says he can see more musicals in the school's future and other educational following the renovation of the theatre.
Phase 2 of the project will include new washrooms and making the theatre more accessible.
Phase 1 which also includes new flooring and paint the theatre should be complete by March 31st.
If you have used the web site "propertize.ca" to check on property assessments and taxes - you may be surprised to hear the 2014 assessments may not be available.
Developer Shawn Peterson tells CHSJ News changes to the Service New Brunswick network security rules have shut him out from getting needed information.
Peterson says individuals accessing the Service New Brunswick data base can find the information - but - it's not as user friendly as his non-profit site - he says discussions are underway with government officials in a bid to find a solution.
Service New Brunswick says it's aware that a particular user is having issues with changes to its network security - but - a spokesperson says S-N-B technical staff is working with that user to find a solution.
The spokesperson confirms some changes have been made to network security to prevent a high number of hits from one web address ultimately crashing the Service New Brunswick web page.
He also tells CHSJ News the same information is available through the S-N-B search tool under property assessments - it searches one property at a time based on property number - address - or - location in a municipality or local service district.
A teenager is dead after a crash on Route 1 in Topsfield, Maine. 18 year old Dylan Porter of Brookton, Maine collided with a Western Star truck operated by 39 year old Kevin Lagase of New Denmark, New Brunswick.
Investigators determined that Dylan Porter was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was not injured.
US Route 1 was closed for several hours during the crash investigation.
The crash remains under investigation, although alcohol, speed and road conditions do not appear to be factors.
If drinking alcohol gives you an uncontrollable urge to damage things, you'd best do your drinking in your own home.....two men in their twenties being arrested without the space of a half an hour, according to city police, for mischief at two different uptown bars.
The first call came in around 1am to a bar in Market Square, where a patron in the establishment had smashed the front of a VLT. The second call came in shortly afterward about damage done to a wall in a bar in the pedway.
Both men were taken to the police station then released with court dates.
The District Education Council looking to battle some of the unsportsmanlike behaviour happening in the stands.
They're
exploring putting up spectator code of conduct signs in high school
gyms and community arenas in the Anglophone South School District.
Superintendent
Zoe Watson says one of the goals of the district is developing a
positive learning environment for students and staff. CHSJ News asked
Watson if she thinks signage will stop fans from engaging in bad
behaviour like yelling and swearing at sports games. She says she
doesn't know if it will stop it completely, but she thinks raising
awareness is an important first step.
The
New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association is currently talking
about the issue, and Watson tells us the School District has expressed
to the N-B-I-A-A that they're interested in partnering with them.
About half the high schools in the district have these types of signs already installed. Saint John High and Rothesay High do not.
It's good news as Stephen Anderson continues to recovery from upper-body injuries he suffered in Sunday's game against the Titan.
The 19-year-old right winger has been in hospital since Sunday evening after a body check forced him to leave the game and complications that came later.
The Islander has been interacting with his family and making steady progress but it's not clear when he'll be released from hospital.
His mother expressing thanks for the many emails, texts and phone calls they received and for the support from the team.
Saint John Police getting more than they bargained for while responding to a shoplifting incident on the East side.
Sergeant Jay Henderson says officers were called to a shop on Fashion Drive for a theft around noon on Tuesday but the suspects fled the scene. A 34-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were pulled over on Prince Edward Street, where police found a large number of stolen goods from various shops on the East side. Henderson says they have been returned.
The two were arrested and face charges of theft, possession of stolen property and breaching previous court orders. Henderson says they are well known to the police department.
The province is helping new parents apply for federal and provincial benefits for their newborn babies.
It's called The Bundled Birth Service and gives parents the option to apply for Canada child benefits and a social insurance number at the same time they register their newborn's birth.
Parents can complete one form to register the birth of their child with vital statistics with Service New Brunswick and consent to have their child's info shared with the federal government as well to access multiple programs.
For more info, click here
City council remembering Margaret Begner as a tour de force in the city's restaurant and hospitality industry.
The owner of the Opera Bistro and Dufferin Inn passing away late last week at Bobby's Hospice. Mayor Mel Norton says Begner was a true renaissance woman, driven to be involved in the community.
Begner founded such events as Chop Chop Restaurant Week and the Fundy Food Festival. She also organized the Out of the Cold men's shelter, giving meals to the homeless, and sent meals to the hospice for patients and families for free every week.
A burial is being held tomorrow at Our Lady of Assumption Church at noon, with a reception following at the Assumption Center.
Irving Oil was informed of the Plaster Rock derailment by CN rail last night.
Sam Robinson of Irving OIl tells CHSJ News they don't know exactly how many cars have been impacted yet.
They do know that some of the rail cars that derailed were destined for their refinery.
Robinson goes on to say they are working closely with the rail companies and local authorities and they sent firefighting foam from Saint John to the scene and have offered further help to CN Rail should they need it.
Danny Braun of Plaster Rock tells us he didn't hear anything and didn't know anything was going on.
The organizer of the World Pond Hockey Championships lives 4 to 5 miles from the site of the train derailment and fire.
He tells CHSJ News he heard about it from his daughter who is at university in Fredericton.
He says it seems to be under control now. He says it was on fire most of the night and after the rail cars derailed he knows 40 to 50 home were evacuated.
Braun says he's hearing the derailment has caused significant damage to the tracks but he tells us he can't smell any smoke adding in the town you can't really tell anything is going on.
The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre is monitoring the smoke from the train derailment blaze fire in Plaster Rock, which is drifting east into a sparsely populated area.
The Department of Health is advising infants, children, pregnant women, older adults, smokers and people with chronic heart or lung diseases should stay indoors to reduce their exposure to the outdoor air in that area.
If smoke conditions become more severe, people may experience irritation of eyes, throat and possibly shortness of breath. EMO advises the public to keep an eye on the public alerts posted on the provincial government website.
Two businesses and the upper floors of the City Market remain closed today following a heating line rupture early Monday morning.
Howard's Convenience and the Infusion Tea Room remain closed along the with the parts of the Market tower currently occupied by groups lke PRUDE and the Senior's Resource Centre.
Contractors are continuing to evaluate the situation after extensive water damage following the heating line rupture.
CHSJ News has learned there may be an update on the situation later today.
Black smoke is still billowing from the site where a CN train jumped the tracks and caught fire about five kilometres outside the village of Plaster Rock.
The train was carrying propane and crude oil when it crashed and caught fire just after 7pm. There are no reported injuries at this point although the area has been evacuated. CBC is reporting the derailed cars include one at the front, and 15 at the back. There were 122 cars on the train. Emergency crews planning on letting the fire burn itself out.
A shelter has been set up at the Tobique Plex recreation and community centre.
Photo Credit: Carleton County Firefighter
The tax rate for the town of Quispamsis going up with councillors giving this year's budget their seal of approval.
Residents will be paying 1.85 cents more this year for their taxes than they were last year, but Councillor Lisa Loughery says that's still one of the lowest rates in New Brunswick. She also points out they were able to maintain the previous rate for the last eight years. Councillor Kirk Miller estimating the average taxpayer will pay about five dollars more in 2014.
Mayor Murray Driscoll says the increase is because council wants to keep the debt-cost ratio down, and make sure the town is in good financial shape in the future. He says growing their finances is the way to keep spending under control.
Almost $1.5 million going towards fixing and paving parts of streets including Pettingill Road, Hammond River Road and Millenium Drive. $100,000 dollars going to local improvements, storm sewer work and traffic calming. The town seeing a cut of more than $147,000 dollars in unconditional grant money this year from 2013.
The government says Home Energy Assistance Program forms are now available.
The $100 benefit helps families who don't have a lot of money cope with the high cost of energy.
It's a one-time payment given to those who had an income up to and including $28,000 in 2012.
Last year, more than 47,000 applications were received for a total benefit of about $4.74 million.
You can apply through the Department of Finance website and forms are available at Service New Brunswick outlets.
For more info, click here
A CN freight train derailing and catching fire in the northwestern part of the province.
The train jumping the tracks about five kilometres outside the village of Plaster Rock in the community of Wapske just after 7pm. According to reports, the train was carrying propane and crude oil. One witness describes seeing two huge fireballs. While nearby homes were evacuated, there were no reported injuries. Emergency crews planning on letting the fire burn itself out.
A team of eight disaster volunteers with the Red Cross arriving in Plaster Rock from Fredericton to help local authorities with a reception centre and shelter if needed for any evacuees. A shelter opening at the Tobique Plex recreation and community centre at 159 Main Street.
While you might be excited about that new gadget you just bought or that trip down south you're planning to escape the cold, you shouldn't be sharing that information on social media.
That's according to Sergeant Jay Henderson of the City Police, who has some tips for the public on how to keep yourself safe on the internet. He says posting purchases and travel information on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms can make you a target for theft and break and enters.
Henderson says don't post your birthday, address or any other personal information that could make you vulnerable to identity theft. He also suggests customizing your security settings.
Be careful of what's underneath your feet and above your head when you're taking a walk.
The City of Saint John says as temperatures continue to fluctuate, ice and snow build ups dropping off roof tops, power lines, trees and other elevated areas.
They're letting you know you should be cautious of falling ice and snow as it can cause serious injuries.
Crews closing the sidewalk on the east side of St. Patrick Street from King Street to Union Street because of the risk of falling ice.
The City says it will be closed until further notice.
A 40 year old Hampton woman being checked out in hospital after a collision involving a plow.
It happened on the old highway near Hi-Lo Farm when a woman trying to pass a plow lost control of her vehicle on ice and ending up striking oncoming traffic.
RCMP Corporal Pat Cole tells CHSJ News they are waiting for a tow truck to remove the plow from the scene.
We are told that area was very icy.
This could have a major effect on students and staff alike...... the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers has voted to set a strike deadline of January 13th.
If it goes ahead, the strike would be a first for UNB--there's never been a faculty strike at the school in its 230 year history.
It would effect more than 800 full time and part time staff.
The key issues are compensation and working conditions comparable to other similarly-sized universities according to the Teacher's Association.
The association is working to arrange a general membership meeting for Thursday after which more details could come out.
With Common Council voting to get more information about the possibility of the RCMP taking over policing in Saint John, Mayor Mel Norton tells CHSJ News it's simply a matter of getting more of the facts--which is never a bad thing.
The Mayor says contrary to what Police Association President Jamie Hachey says, the mayor's vote does not interfering with the bargaining process: council is still the funder of the police commission, and the mayor is required by legislation to sit on the commission.
The Coroner's inquest into the death of Serena Perry is scheduled to begin at the Saint John Law Courts on St. Patrick's Day.
A release on the government's website says two weeks have been set aside where presiding coroner John Evans and a jury will hear evidence from subpoenaed witnesses.
Perry was 22 years old when she died on February 14th 2012 while a patient at the Regional hospital.
The jury can make recommendations aimed at preventing any future deaths under similar circumstances.
City Police are looking for two men who crashed a car into a home on Millidge Avenue then fled the scene on foot.
Sergeant Jay Henderson says it happened on Sunday afternoon and the suspects took off running heading towards Charlton Place. Both the home and the white Chevrolet Impala both sustaining some major damage. Henderson says the car is being impounded and will be forensically processed.
The first man, who police believe was the driver, is described as being white, skinny, in his twenties, between 5'6 and 5'9, and was wearing a blue ball hat and grey sweater. The passenger is described as being stocky, of mixed race (black and white), with short dark hair, about 5'11 to 6'0, and was wearing jeans and a blue sweater. Police urging anyone with any information to call 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Standing room only at Common Council, with people pouring in to hear which way Councillors would vote on a request for a report on how much it would cost for the RCMP to police the city.
Councillor Shirley McAlary raising concerns about running into legal trouble since both the Mayor and Councillor Greg Norton sit on the Police Commission. She says the city could be penalized by the Labour Board and she does not want to be involved in a lawsuit.
Mayor Mel Norton casting the tie-breaking vote in favour of getting a cost comparison between the RCMP and city police. With contract negotiations currently underway, Saint John Police Association President Jamie Hachey tells CHSJ News if this continues they will be going straight to the Labour Board. He says they will not be browbeat into a labour settlement.
Hachey accusing the Mayor of driving a wedge between council members.
It's only rain and freezing conditions but it could make for some very dangerous driving in the City.
That is why city crews are clearing catch basins to allow for the inevitable flooding that comes with warm temps and rain.
Kevin Rice of Transportation and Environment Services tells CHSJ News they will also be out in force salting and sanding once the temperature drops.
He says their crews have been working around the clock since December 15th and they consider this another storm event because it has a major impact on their operations.
Rice says it tough to remove that layer of anchor ice on some roads because it's hard on the equipment and the weather doesn't stay warm long enough for salt to do the trick.
The City market will re-open at 730 tomorrow morning and resume regular business hours.
All four floors of the City Market Tower including the Infusion Tea Room and Howard's Convenience will remain closed as contractors continue to evaluate and repair damage caused by a heating line rupture early this morning.
The rupture caused significant water damage to the north side of the first, second and third floors of the City Market Tower damaging the Tower’s electrical system.
Kenneth Joseph Johnston changing his plea to guilty in court.
He is accused in the brazen daylight robbery of the CIBC branch at King and Germain on October 3rd of last year.
He is accused of threatening a bank teller with violence for some cash and with possession of marijuana.
A trial was set to begin today but Johnston changed his plea and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 4th.
Mayor Murray Driscoll concedes it will be a challenge to maintain the town's tax rate in this year's budget which will be unveiled tomorrow night.
The town will be receiving 147 thousand fewer dollars from the provincial government this year. Common Council has endorsed shale gas development but Driscoll tells CHSJ News the town is in a different position.
Driscoll says he can't take a chance of it with over 6000 wells in the town.
Driscoll says townspeople enjoy some of the best water in the province.
Politic leverage and a high-powered lawyer...... not police ineptitude......were the key factors that allowed disgraced former Saint John Police Officer Ken Estabrooks to continue his abuses against children for so long....that's the theory being put forward by blogger and amateur historian Ron Jack.
Jack tells CHSJ News he's done some digging into council minutes and other documents....and found the council of the day was intimidated by Estabrooks and his lawyer Rodman E. Logan.
He says know Mr. Estabrooks knew what he was doing saying he brought a gun to a knife fight and he was intimidating city council.
Jack says pinning all the blame for the continuation of Estabrook's abuses on then-police chief Eric Ferguson overly simplifies the complex political game Estabrooks was playing.
It's an election year and this is how you can tell.......
Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Kelly Lamrock will accept the NDP nomination for the Fredericton South riding tonight.
Lamrock joined the NDP last February after serving two terms as a Liberal MLA.
The meeting begins at 7pm in the Charlotte Street Arts Centre auditorium at 732 Charlotte Street.
From 1000 to 500 and now 3100. That is how many NB Power customers are off the grid in the province.
Hundreds do not have power in Fredericton, Rusagonis, Grand Bay-Westfield, Pennfield, Belleisle Creek and Jemseg.
Rain on snow covered or snow-packed roads are making for a messy drive in some spots today.
And if that's not enough, there is water pooling on the roads that are clear and flooding may become an issue.
Ice is also falling from trees, homes and buildings onto vehicles and people as the temperature goes up.
Be very careful where you are walking and driving today.
The RCMP tweeting a warning that Highway 7 between Oromocto and Saint John is very slippery and they recommend motorists slow down and drive with extreme caution.
City police are blocking traffic on Foster Thurston Drive after a three car pile up and some other stuck vehicles due to the greasy conditions.
The City Market is closed today due to a heating line rupture on the third floor.
The rupture caused water damage to all three floors on the north side of the City Market tower compromising the electrical system and the fire suppression system for the entire building.
Contractors are evaluating the situation.
The lights are coming back in Quispamsis.
Earlier this morning, over 1000 homes and businesses were without power but, it's now down to 35
NB Power is reporting 528 are off the grid across the province.
More than 200 are without power in Pennfield.
The murder of 33-year-old Tanya Shand last year sent shockwaves throughout the community and has made a lasting impact on the local police department.
That's according to Rothesay Regional Police Chief Stephen McIntyre who tells CHSJ News a lot of resources have since been poured into increasing domestic violence education and awareness in the K-V.
He says the officers are well trained on how to respond to intimate partner violence calls.
He says as a officer you don't go and handle the quick fix for the incident in front of you.
He says you also looks for signs that this may have happened in the past and for any signs the victim might be in danger in the future.
Shand was killed by her common-law partner last May.
City water rates will have to go up anyway but Saint John M-P Rodney Weston tells CHSJ News they will rise by half as much because of the funding help from the provincial and federal governments.
The Council of Canadians is warning Saint Johnners will wind up regretting the public-private partnership as other cities, including Paris, France, have.
Weston says no one is arguing that the status quo is acceptable and the city can't afford to pay the entire shot with the price tag being 230 million dollars.
The only water treatment being done now are screens to keep the eels and tree branches out and chlorination to disinfect.
Weston adds, when it's all said and done, Saint John will have among the best water treatment and waste water treatment systems you'll find anywhere.
Common Council is being asked to get a report on how much it would cost to have the the city policed by the RCMP.
The initiative comes from Councillor David Merrithew, who chairs the city's Finance Committee, and points out City Police will cost a million more dollars this year and that kind of increase is unsustainable over time because it will take money away from roads, recreation and water. He also points out wages and benefits take up 82 per cent of the policing budget.
Bob Davidson of the Saint John Police Association argues provincial figures show the Mounties would cost from 10 to 26 per cent more and says, it's no coincidence this is being brought up at a time when contract negotiations are being conducted. He's denouncing the move as "anti-union".
Power is now restored in the uptown.
It went out for about 45 minutes starting around 1:45 this afternoon.
City fire telling CHSJ News a transformer blew along Bayside Drive and Wullet Drive.
The wire was coming in off NB Power's tower and the utility was notified of the problem.
Saint John Fire also telling us many alarms are going off today.
That's because pipes are thawing and water flow in buildings activates the alarms.
An IT expert at the University of New Brunswick saying the public would be shocked as to how sophisticated cyber crime is getting.
David Shipley is the Enterprise Strategy Analyst at the university. He tells CHSJ News it's getting easier for hackers to gain access to personal information online.
"There are automated tools now that even someone with a moderate level of computer knowledge can use to basically input your name, and some basic details and it will scour the entire internet. Publicly available information on social media, stuff they can pick up on Google and build, within minutes, a profile on a person," he says.
He says there are some things you can do to protect yourself from cyber crime such as, having unique passwords for each website or service that you use.
Shipley predicts cyber crime is only going to get worse and educating users will help reduce the risks significantly.
The District Education Council making mental health one of its main priorities this year. Superintendent Zoe Watson of The Anglophone South District says mental health problems are becoming more common among students.
In a year-end interview she tells CHSJ News, "over the last few years that is an area of concern that has been identified by our teachers, and by our school leaders. I think a lot of research would point in that direction as well, that we are seeing mental health issues at a young age."
She says the district will focus on more mental health fitness programs in 2014, and will continue to provide mental health first aid training for teachers.
Next year there will be a beacon of hope for at-risk youth. That from Safe Harbour Project Coordinator Colin MacDonald.
In a year-end interview he tells CHSJ News about impact of the youth shelter that will be opening next year.
He says 2013 is the last year homeless youth will be turned away.
"In the summer of 2014 we'll be able to open our doors and start providing residential services to young people at risk," he says.
This year saw lots of community interest in the project, from Safe Harbour making it past the first round in the Aviva Community Fund, to the New Brunswick Children's Association giving them more than 37-thousand-dollars for the project.
Rothesay Regional Police responding to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Gondola Point Arterial and Millennium Drive.
Police say the cause was due to slippery conditions. No injuries were reported.
