Blueberry Shortcake Is Luring Blood Donors To Millidgeville

The Blueberry clinic rolls on at Canadian Blood Services in Millidgeville.
Until Friday, anyone donating blood gets blueberry shortcake.
Jennifer Pade tells CHSJ News the turnout is good so far.
She says quite a few donors have been coming in and she says they always have room for more.

Walk-ins are always welcome and they are about 70 per cent booked so far with room on Thursday and Friday.
Pade says for the first time donors, it's only takes about an hour but, you need to bring some identification with you. 

The clinic continues tomorrow from 11am to 8pm and on Friday from 11am to 2:30pm.

To book an appointment:  click here

Securities Commission Penalizes Real Estate Deals

The New Brunswick Securities Commission hitting Villabar Real Estate Inc. in the pocketbook for not complying with the Securities Act.

Villabar admitting to not disclosing sales commissions that were paid out for deals completed in the province.

Villabar will pay 55-thousand dollars as part of a settlement agreement.

Police Looking For Public's Help In Robbery Case

City police releasing some details on the man who robbed the Somerset Pub last night.

Police say the suspect is 5'4" - 5'6", and about 150 lbs.  He was wearing a camouflage jacket and mask.

If you have any information, you can call Crimestoppers at 1 800 222 TIPS. 

Aquarium Opens Tomorrow

The Fundy Discovery Aquarium in St. Andrews opening it's doors tomorrow after a year's worth of construction.  

Jim Cornall with the Aquarium tells CHSJ News things aren't 100 per cent complete yet, but they'll be opening the doors so people can enjoy what is there.

Cornall says the difference between the new Aquarium and the old one is night and day.  

He says this one has a wet lab, extra touch pools, bigger tanks, and a 220 seat theatre. 

NDP Blasts Provincial Minister For Lack of Reports

Provincial NDP Leader Dominic Cardy with some harsh criticism of Finance Minister Blaine Higgs.

Cardy is blasting Higgs for his inability to receive monthly financial reports from government departments.

He tells CHSJ News the Finance Minister needs to play hardball and declare if the numbers don't come in, cabinet ministers will have to resign.

He says Higgs is not being an effective minister if he can't wrangle up the numbers.

Health Minister Says Now Is The Time To Get A Handle On Costs

As the Alward Government tries to cut back on its spending, provincial Health Minister Madelaine Dube may face the biggest challenge.

She joins the long list of health ministers who have tried to rein in the skyrocketing cost of healthcare which has far exceeded inflation for as far back as anyone can remember. Dube concedes the year to year increases in healthcare costs are not sustainable.

She tells CHSJ News the focus will be on better access to primary health care, lowering the cost of generic drugs and strategic deployment of new technology so the province gets the best bang for its buck.

Sussex and Rothesay Area Homes Still Without Power

Over 1000 people in Rothesay and Sussex still can't shower and do laundry after more than three days with power.
NB Power spokesperson Melissa Morton tells CHSJ News on Monday morning crews were dealing with over 1000 incidents involving 57,000 customers.

She says they have made significant progress over the last couple of days with the remaining outages primarily in outlying areas.  Morton adds crews do use a number of priorities when trying to restore power including whether or not the outage involves safety concerns such as a fire.
For the latest update, click here

City's Business Reputation On The Line, Port Says

With no immediate end in sight as to whether power lines will be going up through the west side in order to power a metal shredder, President of the Saint John Port Authority Jim Quinn says the fallout from the controversy could affect more than just the shredder.

Quinn says he has already received calls from people who do business at the port or those trying to attract businesses to Saint John -- they're worried that investors will view the city as a tough place to do business.

Quinn tells CHSJ News the longer it drags out, the more damaging it will be.

The Province Issues Warning About Food Safety After Power Outages

The Province wants you to be very careful dealing with the spoiled food following the widespread power outages after Tropical Storm Irene.


Dr. Denis Allard, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Of Health says New Brunswickers need to be careful about consuming frozen or refrigerated foods if they have been without power for any extended period of time.
 If you have no power, do not open your freezer or fridge unless it is absolutely necessary. If the door remains closed, a full freezer will keep food frozen for 24 to 36 hours without electricity. These products can be refrozen if ice crystals are still present. All perishable food in a refrigerator without electricity for more than 24 hours should be thrown out.
 
Food Safety Tips After Power Outages and Flooding:

- All perishable goods affected by flooding should be thrown out.
- Commercially-canned food properly identified by labels, containers which show no leaks, swelling or rusting at joints or edges should be thoroughly washed and dried.
- Vacuum-packed foods pose a special hazard due to dried waste material inside crevices and covers. They should be discarded.
- Home preserves, meats, fish or dairy products should be discarded as unsafe if they have been affected by flood water.
- When in doubt, throw it out.

Never use flooded appliances unless you contact a qualified service technician before the appliance is put back into service. Appliances that have been affected by flood water should be cleaned as follows:

- Ensure electrical power is turned off.
- Clean the unit thoroughly with a detergent solution, rinse with clean water, then wash with a solution containing one-half cup of household bleach or similar product in nine litres (two gallons) of water.
- Allow to dry with door kept open.

Number Of People Without Power Dropping

It's another frustrating morning for many without electricity but the number is dwindling.

 NB Power, as of early this morning, reports more than 11 hundred customers provincewide are still in the dark with most of those being in the southern part of the province.

There are still more than 700 customers in the Rothesay area without electricity. This includes Grand Bay-Westfield and the Kingston Peninsula. There are still over 300 in the Sussex area waiting to have their power restored.

For the latest on the outages: go to country94.ca and click news.

Robbery At North End Pub

City Police investigating a robbery which took place at the Somserset Pub on Churchill Boulevard around midnight.

The robber was wearing a mask and appeared to have a gun.

The suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of money and no one was injured.

EMO Happy With Response To Irene

The city's Emergency Management Office is happy with the response to Tropical Storm Irene. 

Acting Fire Chief Kevin Clifford tells CHSJ News people are generally prepared for power outages, and the warmer weather means they're not as big of a deal.

Clifford says the biggest challenge is keeping people away from the shore near Saints Rest beach and Redhead Road. 
He says people want to be as close as they can, which is a problem when there is a risk of being swept away.

Movie Tax Credit Correction

A correction to information we reported earlier today concerning the controversial tax credit for the proposed movie on the Bathurst van crash.


We reported Culture Minister Trevor Holder was pointing the finger at the previous Liberal government for granting the credit - in fact - Holder didn't make that statement and CHSJ News apologizes for the error.

A government official tells us the tax credit was contained in the previous year's budget - it was given to encourage the use of local talent and people - it wasn't based on judging of the movie content.

Even though the tax credit was granted - the government official says it's up to the producers to move forward with the project and claim it.

The Alward government axed the tax credit program in its first budget introduced earlier this year.

Removal Of Harbour Bridge Toll Plaza To Start This Week

The end of the toll plaza on the Saint John Harbour Bridge begins this week.
Transportation minister Claude Williams tells CHSJ News the process of removing it will take about two months.

The tender for the removal goes to Galbraith Construction at a cost of more than $700,000.

The province says no changes are expected in the flow of traffic.

RCMP Investigate Possible Peninsula Stabbing

Sussex RCMP looking into a possible stabbing on the Peninsula over the weekend.

RCMP and paramedics responding to Route 845 on Saturday night where two men were found with minor stab wounds.

Both men refused to be treated in hospital and no charges have been laid at this time.

Deputy Mayor Disputes Savings On In-House Garbage Pick-Up

However, Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase questioning the amount of savings that the city could reap from going in-house on garbage pick-up.

He tells CHSJ News he received an analysis by the current contractor and their numbers show that costs could go up as high as 600-thousand dollars.

Director of Municipal Operations Paul Groody says he stands by his numbers but is willing to talk to the contractor to compare details.

City Could Save Millions With In-House Trash Pick-Up

If the city takes their garbage collection completely in-house, the savings will be substantial according to the Director of Municipal Operations Paul Groody.

He says about 1.3 million dollars will be saved over 5 years, even after factoring in the costs of buying equipment necessary for the switchover.

In terms of yearly operational savings once the transition is complete, Groody says it would be about half a million dollars.

The city currently uses a mixed system, with about a third of city trash being picked up by contractors.

Bathurst Moms Ask For Investigation Of Tax Credit

The provincial auditor general and her federal counterpart have been asked to investigate the granting of a 250 thousand dollar tax credit to the makers of a proposed movie on the Bathurst High van crash.

The request was made by the mothers of three of seven boys killed when the school's basketball team was returning from a game in January 2008. One of the moms is Isabelle Hains who tells CHSJ News the families have been left out in the cold.

Dream Street Pictures of Fredericton and C-B-C Television are planning a movie on how the Bathurst Phantoms were able to win a provincial championship a year after the crash.
 
The mothers say they believe the tax credit was given without consideration to the sensitivities of the parents.

Over 9000 New Brunswickers Still Without Juice

NB Power crews are still working to get more than 9000 customers back on the grid.
The lights are still out in Fredericton, Rothesay, St. Stephen, Sussex, Moncton and Grand Falls.

The utility pointing out their crews are facing challenges in terms of geography and poor road conditions and because of this restoration times will vary.

For the latest on the outages, click here

Local Blood Donors To Get Something Extra

Local people eating local blueberries helping local hospital patients.

That's what is happening at Canadian Blood Services in Saint John during Blueberry Shortcake week.

Everyone that comes in to donate during this week's clinic can enjoy the summer treat.

The clinic runs from 11am to 2:30pm today, Wednesday and Friday and from 11am to 8pm on Thursday at 405 University Avenue.  Saint Johners are encouraged to book an appointment call 1-888-2-Donate.