More Information Released on Crash near Petitcodiac

The RCMP are releasing more details around the crash on highway 1 near Petitcodiac yesterday that claimed two lives.

31 year old Gregory Banguay of Saint John, and 29 year old Michael McAloon from Fredericton were killed when their vehicle rear ended a transport truck that was gearing down.
The roads were extremely slippery and icy at the time, and the RCMP want to remind motorists to slow down, and take your time while travelling.

Smoking Law Starts Friday

The provincial ban on smoking in a vehicle when a child is present goes into effect at midnight.

The Smoke Free Places Act prohibits smoking a vehicle when someone under the age of 16 is present.
Offenders could face fines between $140 and $570 dollars, and this act is one of many initiatives put in place to try and decrease, and recoup costs associated with tobacco use.
2009 saw a ban on tobacco displays and point of sale tobacco advertising, as well as a lawsuit from the province against tobacco companies.

Rothesay Regional Police Ready For Tonight

It's business as usual for Rothesay Regional Police this evening.
Patrols will be no different than any other weekend, with road blocks and random spot checks.
The police tell us, New Years Eve generally isn't too bad in the valley---but patrols will be watching for impaired drivers coming back from the city.

A Few Reminders

A couple of reminders from the city. All city owned parking lots will be free for overnight parking this evening, and on-street parking in the South Central Peninsula will be changing sides.
Anyone who would normally put their garbage out tomorrow should do so, because garbage collection is running on it's regular schedule.
And, Mayor Court and Common Council are holding it's levee tomorrow at the HMCS Brunswicker---things get started at 11 o'clock.


Out in the Valley, Quispamsis Mayor Murray Driscoll is hosting a levee at the town hall at noon, and Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishops event gets underway at 11 at the town hall.

Pilot Road Projects

[Transportation Minister Denis Landry----File Photo]
A couple of new projects from the provincial government is aiming to reduce the amount of snow building up on highways.

Transportation Minister Denis Landry announced the four pilot projects, that will include using salt brine before a storm to reduce the amount of accumulation.
Highways in the Miramichi, Moncton and Sussex will be used to test the effectiveness of using salt brine.
Landry says previous attempts to weaken the build up of ice and snow using de-icing materials were not effective, because it would blow off the roads. He says salt brine will stick to the roads better, and hopefully make highways safer during the winter.

KV Fire Chief Larry Greer Reflects on 2009

[KV Fire Chief Larry Greer---File Photo]
A new pumper and ladder truck definitely the highlights of 2009 for the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department. Chief Larry Greer tells CHSJ News, training for both has been a success and he is now focusing on hiring a few more bodies.
Greer adds volunteer fire-fighters are a valuable asset to the department but it is becoming tougher to recruit them with everyone carrying heavier workloads. Chief Greer will retire this year but nodate has been confirmed.

Mayor Bill Bishop Looks Back on 2009

[Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop---File Photo]

With the finishing touches still to be ironed out for it's municipal plan, the Town of Rothesay likes what it accomplished over the past 12 months. Engineering work is being carried out on an eight million dollar infrastructure grant will be finished by next year with work still to come on the recreation file and an eye on more seniors housing and condos. Mayor Bill Bishop tells CHSJ News, there is still plenty of property to build homes.
Bishop adds they hope to finish up renovation work for the wharf in Renforth in the spring.

Canadian Blood Services Looking For Donations

Before the end of 2009, you can do a good deed by donating blood this morning.

Canadian Blood Services has special holiday hours from 8am until Noon today at
405 University Avenue.
Spokesperson Amanda Cullen tells CHSJ News this time of year it can be tough to keep donations.
Canadian Blood Services will be closed tomorrow.
To book an appointment for blood donation, call 1-888-2-DONATE.

Gas Prices Increase Again

Gas prices are creeping up again.


The Energy and Utility Board is reporting the maximum price for regular self serve is now 101.3, and Diesel can be sold for 107.8.
Furnace oil has maxed out at 90.4 cents, and propane can be sold for a 112

Car Goes Off Road on West Side

Slippery roads are the cause of a single vehicle accident on the west side this morning.

Around 2:30, a car went off the road on Bay Street, with three people being sent to the hospital with minor injuries.
City police are urging motorists to be cautious of ice while driving during the cold snap.

Crash Kills Two Near Petitcodiac

Two men are dead after a two vehicle collision near Petticodiac this afternoon. It was just before one this afternoon when a transport truck which was gearing down was rear-ended by a small vehicle. The driver of the rig and of the smaller vehicle were both in their thirties and pronounced dead at the scene.

RCMP is still trying to piece together what happened but alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash. The section of Highway one was very slippery at the time and no names are being released at this time.

Saint John Art To Be Part of Winter Olympics

(file photo)

Chalk up another dream for local artist Norm Jackson -- he's presented his latest painting dedicated to the winter Olympics to the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee.
Jackson flew out to Vancouver earlier this week and met with committee reps yesterday.
He tells CHSJ News he also presented a letter from Mayor Ivan Court -- the painting featuring the Olympic Inukshuk symbol along with northern lights will eventually hang in an Olympics museum to be established in Vancouver.

North End Vandalism

A bizarre case of vandalism in the north end has forced a man from his apartment. A building at 13 Main Street was vandalised which included a water pipe being broken. This caused flooding and the power being shut off. The Red Cross has arranged for the man to have accomodation until the damage is fixed. City police are investigating.

Swine Flu Death in the K-V

A 27 year old Quispamsis man has died from the swine flu virus after spending nearly a month in intensive care. Doctors had tried treating him with the anti-flu drug Tamiflu but Dr. Paul Van Buynder, the province's Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, says he had a number of underlying medical conditions and its unlikely he had received an H-1-N-1 flu shot.

Power Outages Wide-Spread Across the Province

It's two steps forward and three steps back for NB Power crews. They have been battling the weather all day trying to get a good portion of it's customers back on the grid. As of eleven o'clock Tuesday night, December.28th, 2285 are still with-out electricity. 1297 are in the Fredericton area, 330 in Rothesay, St. Stephen has 567 homes and businesses in the dark and Bathurst has 88.

Our radio stations, CHSJ and 97.3 The Wave were also hit by the power outage, with the signal for both stations down for a good portion of the day

Stricter Regulations at Saint John Airport

[Saint John Aiport---File Photo]

With stricter regulations in place about what passengers are able to carry onto an airplane, the Saint John Airport is recommending people travelling to the United States arrive earlier for their flights.

President Bernie LeBlanc tells CHSJ News, the regulations do not have a significant impact on operations.
There are exceptions to the regulations. Laptops, cameras, medications and small purses are still allowed onto the plane.
LeBlanc says nearly 25 per cent of traffic from the Saint John Airport travels to, or from the U.S.
The regulations have been increased due to a failed terrorist attack on Christmas Day in Detroit.

Vehicle Ends Up in Ditch Near Norton

Sussex RCMP are reporting a single vehicle accident near Norton yesterday.

The accident happened on Highway 124, when the 34 year old driver lost control on an icy road and ended up overturned in a ditch.
The vehicle was carrying 3 children, and the drivers 9 year old son was taken to the Sussex Health Centre, to be later released with minor injuries.

City Roads Getting Cleared

[Germain Street at 1:35pm----Photo by Dave Briggs]

Municipal Operations are on target for having all priority roads cleared this evening.

Deputy Commissioner of Municipal Operations Kevin Rice tells CHSJ News, so far operations have been running smoothly, with just a few minor maintenance issues this morning.
Rice says he's been getting great feedback from plow operators about the level of cooperation from uptown residents with vehicles.
Rice says plows have been able to clear uptown roads after one or two runs, rather than three to four like last year.
He says the important thing to remember during a snowfall is to be patient, because every road will be cleared.

Update on Barnwood Pub Robbery

The 55 year old Saint John man appearing in court in relation to an incident at the Barnwood Pub in Rothesay is being remanded for a psychiatric exam.

Adrien John Lepage appeared in court today in connection with the armed robbery of the pub, and the abduction of an employee.
Lepage did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance, and will be back in front of a judge on January the 5th.

New Rules for Selling or Purchasing a Condo

For the first time since 1969, a change is being made to the purchase and sale processes for condominiums in the province.

The Condominium Property Act aims to modernize the approval process, as well as increase transparency in the purchase and sale process.
Those looking to buy a condo will be given a 10 day cooling off period to obtain legal advice and to review any documents outlining the rules and requirements for living in a condominium community.
Over the past 15 years, condos have become popular housing choices, with more than 200 community's located throughout the province.
The new act goes into place on January the 1st.