Missing KV Girl Found

A KV girl who was reported missing after falling out of contact with her family has been found. Courtni Alisha Crawford had called her mother stating she would be home shortly, but never arrived.

Sergeant Breen of the Rothesay Regional Police tells CHSJ News Crawford called in yesterday (Monday), saying she was safe with her boyfriend although she wouldn't say where.

Drunk Driver Sentenced In Highway Death

In a courtroom filled with emotional friends and family, 30-year- old Jordan Sullivan of King Street East was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison and a 3 year ban from driving. 

The sentence comes after the March 2011 death of Sheila Bayers, who was killed when Sullivan's car struck hers' going the wrong way on the Airport Arterial

The court heard several Victim Impact Statements from Bayers' family and friends, who reminded the court her death could have been prevented if Sullivan hadn't got behind the wheel while impaired. The judge noted his breathalyzer reading, while above the limit, was not considered egregious under the law.

Sullivan's mother, Marlene Titus, tells CHSJ News her son is a good man who never planned to hurt anyone. She says if there's anything positive that can come of his tragic error in judgment, it's to discourage people from getting behind the wheel after they've had any amount of alcohol to drink, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

Saint John's Sex Trade Picks Up In The Summer

The Port City might be free of many of big city problems; however, prostitution isn't one of them. That from Dr Leslie Jeffrey. She's a UNBSJ professor and a regional expert on sex work in the Maritimes. She tells CHSJ News while the population of sex workers here isn't large, it's definitely there.

Jeffrey tells CHSJ News women and young men aren't out on the streets because they want to be.
 
She says the only reason they are there is because of the money and until there are better economic opportunities for that population it will remain an option for some people.

Jeffrey says it's difficult to assess the number of sex workers in Saint John because the demographic is always changing and so much of the trade happens behind closed doors.

Port Days 2012 Officially Open In Saint John

Port Days are underway in Saint John.  The event officially kicking off with a panel discussion and opening breakfast at the Trade and Convention Centre.
President and CEO Jim Quinn was asked about a small protest outside the event aimed at MP Keith Ashfield.

He says votes late into the evening and scheduled for today prevented both Ashfield and Saint John MP Rodney Weston from attending the event.

Quinn tells us between the Community Day celebration on Sunday and fundraising at their Port Days mixer last night, they will be giving the Boys and Girls Club a cheque for $10,000.

The Port of Saint John also screening a short film at the event that was produced by Hemmings House Pictures.

To see the video, click here

Union Members Protest The Federal Government

A few members of the Canadian Auto Workers forming a small protest against the closure of the Coast Guard radio and traffic services in Saint John.

The protest aimed at MP Keith Ashfield who was due to speak at Port Days but couldn't make it due to votes in the House of Commons.

The CAW's Paul Hodder CHSJ News the government plans to close the office in two years and that move will impact 29 jobs.

He says the idea that you can move this service to Nova Scotia and get the same level of service is laughable. 

Hodder says these workers are there to ensure there are no oil spills, accidents or loss of life.

Nearly $50K In Coke Off The Street

Police in the Saint John area taking nearly a pound of cocaine worth nearly fifty grand off the street after a raid in Lakeside.

The raid took place at a home on the Hall road where a 24 year old man and two women in their twenties were arrested.

24 year old Aaron Daigle was in court and remanded until a Friday morning court appearance in Hampton.
 
Two women in the 20's will be in court at a later date.

Second Ship In Today, Disney Magic Calls Tomorrow

The second Cruise ship of the season is in Port today--it's docked at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal with 3500 passengers.
 
Tomorrow marks the first call of the Disney Magic to Saint John, a brand new cruise line in the City.

Disney Magic has 9 calls between tomorrow and September on a sailing which originates in New York and visits Saint John and Halifax.
The vessel is expected to arrive shortly after 9 am tomorrow.

The 24th cruise season include 73 ships, more than 187,000 passengers and 74,000 crew. 
The season includes 11 double cruise ship days and 2 triple cruise ship days.  

One of this season's highlight will be the September 5 opening of the new Diamond Jubilee Cruise Terminal.

To see the complete cruise ship schedule, click here

Fire Services Look At New Revenue Streams

In light of recent cuts to the city's fire services, the fire department is thinking outside the box when it comes to funding operations.  Fire Chief Kevin Clifford tells CHSJ News they are generating revenue by providing training as well as other services at Point Lepreau.

He says the Haz Mat response unit and fire units are in the process of finalizing a stand-alone agreement with the nuclear power plant, which could be an important revenue stream.

Council Talks New Solutions For Road Woes

It's not a shock to anyone that Saint John's roads are in poor condition....but our newly minted common councillors are looking at new solutions to the perennial problem. Councillor Donna Reardon suggesting the city needs to look at a more modern approach, like putting concrete under asphalt and using reflective paints on road markings.

Reardon tells CHSJ News the sidewalks in some areas of the city are also in deplorable condition, with lots of broken sections and dirt impeding the way for pedestrians.

Councillors Bill Farren and Shirley McAlary agreed, saying money needs to be found somewhere to deal with the issue. Councillor Reardon suggesting if the roads are built smarter, there would be less labour costs.

Suspicious Package Found At Jail

The perimeter of Black River Road Jail being evacuated due to reports of a suspicious package this afternoon.

Sergeant Peter Fres of the Saint John Police Force would not release any details about what was found but does tell CHSJ News the RCMP bomb squad and the Fire Department's Haz Mat were called in after the report was recieved at aproximately 1:30pm.

The package was checked over and determined not to be dangerous.

Seniors Can Celebrate The Diamond Jubilee

Seniors in Saint John will be celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee at the Lily Lake Pavilion tomorrow.

They will be treated to a red carpet event, complete with Saint John Police and RCMP escorts upon their arrival.

Special recognition will be given to our local war veterans, war brides, and present local members of our armed forces.

A cold plate luncheon will be served in the style of a British High Tea.

The event begins at noon.    Tickets are $20 each and for more info call 609-1970.

Parking Rates Increase

It will cost you more to park at hourly meters starting tomorrow.
Customers will now pay $2 an hour at metered spaces.

Fees for parking at an expired meter in a no parking zone or in a handicap space have also increased. 
 
For all the details, click here

Conservative MLA's Pledge To Eat Apples & Move

Eat an apple a day and spend 30 minutes movin---that's the idea behind a health challenge between the southern New Brunswick conservative caucaus and the Saint John medical society to everyone in the province.

Dr. Theresa Koppert tells us participants can take part by signing up on the new SJ medical society website.

She says the website has made the challenge possible allowing them to have a place where people can record the exercise they are doing and that they ate an apple a day.

Wellness Minister Trevor Holder says for every dollar spent on preventative measures leads to $12 in healthcare savings down the road.
To sign up yourself, click here

Nerepis Man In Hot Water After Evading Police

A 25 year old Nerepis man has a date with a judge after speeding through Grand Bay-Westfield just after midnight on Sunday.

The mounties tell CHSJ News once they put the lights and sirens on the driver dropped his speed below the speed limit but did not stop.
The man kept driving until he reached his garage at home.

A RCMP member was assaulted but not injured during the arrest.
The man was released on conditions and is due in court later to face charges of impaired driving, failing to stop for police and assaulting a police officer.

 

Doctors To Meet With Health Authority Amid Fears They're Being Silenced

Doctors in the province say they don't want to be muzzled and the President of the New Brunswick Medical Society Dr. Robert Rae says that's how they read proposed rules that would prohibit them from making statements deemed to be detrimental to the health authority.

Donald Peters is President and C-E-O of the Horizon Health Network and he acknowledges the doctors don't want to be told you can never advocate on behalf of patients but nothing has been approved yet.

There will be a meeting tomorrow between Horizon and the doctors to iron out their differences.
 
Peters says this could all boil down to a misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

Mental Health Counsellor Talks About His Own Ordeal

Those young people from the Saint John area who go to Peer 126 on Duke Street to get help with whatever form of mental illness they're suffering from shouldn't have any trouble relating to the counselors who have been down the same road.

One of those counselors is Jason Smith who was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic when he was working at the University of Waterloo. Smith says he thought he was hearing voices through the walls and people circling his house and this took over his life.

Smith did suffer a breakdown and found himself homeless.
 
He was eventually arrested and that may have been a good thing because he underwent a psychiatric evaluation and finally got the help he needed to recover.

To learn more, click here

"Look South" Is The Theme At Port Days

Port Days will get down to business first thing tomorrow morning by hearing from Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield, who's also the Minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway.

Port Authority President and C-E-O Jim Quinn says the theme this year is to develop more trade in the Caribbean and Latin America. People are here from the Dominican Republic and delegates will also be hearing about the expansion of the Panama Canal.

 Quinn says alot of the potash from Saint John already moves down south but there are more opportunities that can be had and he wants to raise the awareness of businesspeople in the city about those.

Green Party Candidate Says Quality Of Life In Rothesay Is Not Great

Patronage is not something the Green Party candidate in the June 25th Rothesay byelection is talking about, unlike the Liberals and New Democrats.

Sharon Murphy prefers to talk about quality of life issues and she is warning the drinking water in Rothesay could be destroyed for generations by fracking and then there's blasting and mountaintop removal in the Rothesay watershed.

She questions how well the riding has been represented in the past considering there are no centres for young people or seniors and no recreational trails but there are railway tracks running alongside the river.

Provincial NDP Leader Calls Patronage "An Addiction We Can't Afford Anymore"

Patronage and the appointment of former Rothesay M-L-A Margaret Ann Blaney as C-E-O of Efficiency NB have become the defining issues of the campaign thus far in the June 25th Rothesay byelection. 

That's what Provincial NDP leader Dominic Cardy says he has been hearing on doorsteps as he campaigns to try to wrest the riding away from the Conservatives. 

He argues the culture of patronage is holding the province back economically by driving young talent away and preventing businesses from setting up shop here.
 
Cardy says he would like to debate the issues with the 4 other candidates.

Federal NDP Leader Warns About Health Dangers Of Fracking

The Rothesay byelection is a priority for the NDP........That message delivered in Rothesay by Federal leader Thomas Mulcair who made his fifth trip to the province since assuming the leadership to boost the campaign of provincial party leader Dominic Cardy in the June 25th byelection. 

Mulcair not only calls shale gas development "a con job" but charges fracking is downright dangerous because the fluid used in the process of breaking up the rock to release the natural gas contains known carcinogens.

Mulcair did call for pipelines to be built from west to east so jobs can be added in this region instead of being shipped to the U.S.