Laughter and tears as 23 middle and high school students spent a few hours celebrating big accomplishments.
The 2014 Turnaround Achievement Awards for the Saint John Education centre held tonight at Lily Lake Pavilion.
15 year old Brandon Humphrey-McCashion of Fundy Shores School overcame a hip injury and discovered a love for wheelchair basketball and now plays for the provincial team.
He says it gave him a purpose to be able to go an play basketball instead of watching his friends play sports.
18 year old Trevian Snow of Harbour View High has battled depression and has advice for other students who struggle with it.
He says keep trying and never give up hope because once you push through these tough times you will be the best person anyone has every met.
Anglophone South Community Engagement Co-ordinator Erika Lane says it's inspiring to see the impact of teachers and principals have in the lives of their students.
She says they know their teachers, guidance counsellors and principals are behind them 100 per cent and beyond that the greater community which speaks volumes to them.
The event's guest speaker Spencer Mason spoke of his own struggles with drug addiction and coming through the other side to find happiness in marriage, school and in operating a business.
Voice Found Saint John hosting a walk in the uptown tomorrow in memory of a Saint Johner who fought for those without a voice.
Elsie McGraw dreamt of seeing local victims of child sexual abuse find the help they need but died unexpectedly earlier this year.
Local advocate Jessie Lanigan tells CHSJ News she met Elsie at a walk she organized last year and showed her a whole new way to raise awareness.
She says being around people who have similar experiences is powerful and uplifting adding they understand why you are the way you are and what you have been through.
The Elsie McGraw Memorial Walk is coming up tomorrow afternoon at 430pm.
If you want to take part, meet at the King Square bandstand and you are encouraged to wear red.
For more info on Voice Found, click here
The Kennebecasis Regional Police Force is updating their plan for the next 5 years--and as part of that, they're looking for your input.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to offer your opinion as to the future direction of the police department, you're being asked to submit your thoughts via email.
They're particularly interested in what you believe their priorities should be and how you propose they handle them.
You can send you emails to debi.stewart@nbpolice.ca until June 6.
The New Brunswick Federation of Labour is warning changes to how appeals by injured workers are heard will make it harder for them to get compensation.
Instead of a three person panel which includes a labour representative, the appeal will be heard by a lawyer.
Lawrence McKay of the Federation's Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Committee tells CHSJ News the Workers Compensation Board has found itself on the losing end of appeals which means its policies have been contravening the Act. He suspects these changes are mean't to change the outcomes.
McKay predicts the changes will make appealing compensation decisions more expensive and could be beyond the reach of injured workers who are not unionised.
Saint John Transit has been cut to the bone and any further reductions will come at the expense of bus service being reduced.
That warning from Transit General Manager Frank McCarey who says he knows from first hand experience, the last round of cuts is still being felt. He says a person who works in his dentist's office used to take the bus but then bought a car after the last round of cuts and likely won't be back.
McCarey says cleanliness on board buses has suffered because of staffing reductions and, for the first time he can remember, certain routes had to be missed because there weren't enough buses to put on the road.
Maintenance costs are up by 10 per cent because the buses are getting old and need more upkeep to stay on the road with some of them over 20 years of age.
If you want to buy a home, you'll have a wide array of choices at a good price.
Canada Mortgage and Housing is predicting housing starts will decline both this year and in 2015 in Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton. Slow demand for housing being caused by weak economic and employment growth.
A downward trend is also expected this year and next in the resale market with new listings at historically high levels.
The vacancy rate for rentals will stay high.
NDP Fredericton North candidate Brian Duplessis is calling for a crack-down on drug use among drivers. Duplessis says it's especially important given the trend toward legalizing marijuana.
The NDP also wants tougher penalties for repeat impaired drivers, including automatic license suspensions for failed tests, mandatory alcohol interlocks for any drunk driving conviction, and stiffer fines the more convictions you have.
According to a MADD study, one-third of young Canadians think driving stoned is safer than driving drunk.
Another sign that we're marching--slowly, but surely--toward summer.
The New Brunswick government has announced it's wrapping up its River Watch operations, which allowed New Brunswickers to call a hotline or check the website for updated flood conditions.
Water levels have now fallen well below flood stage and are expected to keep going down.
The spring freshet caused major flooding in Sussex, but fortunately, it wasn't as bad as expected in Perth Andover and elsewhere.
A suburban car prowler managed to make off with some pricey electronics--but not for long.
Sergeant Jay Henderson explains they got a call from a citizen with a description of the 24 year old who was checking cars on the Rothesay Road.
When they pulled him over near Ashburn Road, he was found to have an Government of NB-issue laptop and an iPhone, both of which are believed to have been stolen.
He was also found to be wanted on a province-wide warrant. he'll be appearing in court later this afternoon.
If you happened to buy a ticket in Sussex for last night's Lotto 649 draw, you could be 7 million dollars richer.
Atlantic Lottery is telling us a ticket sold in Sussex for last night's draw is worth that much.
A collision between a car and a hydro pole on the east side has closed a portion of Loch Lomand Road at Little River in both directions.
Drivers are being advised to take the Airport Arterial or Eldersley Avenue.
It will be a while before the road is reopened because the hydro pole has to be removed first before the car can be towed.
Power has also been disrupted in that area and is not expected to be restored until later this morning.
A decision is not expected until sometime next year from Repsol on whether it will proceed with building a $2 billion plant at Canaport L-N-G to export natural gas to Europe.
Bloomberg News is reporting Repsol, which is the largest energy company in Spain, is at least giving consideration to the possibility because of unease in Europe over its dependence on Russian natural gas after the upheavel and violence in the Ukraine.
Premier David Alward has told CHSJ News when he met with more than 20 ambassadors from the European Union, they were primarily asking him about exporting energy from Saint John.
Canaport LNG has reportedly been underutilised as a facility to import liquified natural gas.
As expected, there has been a slight increase in the price of gas after the weekly setting.
Self serve regular in the city is selling for $1.35.2 a litre with diesel at $1.37.6.
The maximum price for heating oil has also increased to $1.25.8 a litre but propane is a bit cheaper at $1.05.
More forests and habitat for moose, deer, and bear is going to be protected in the Musquash area west of Saint John.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has purchased 4 new sites for conservation around the Musquash Estuary totalling 435 hectares. Saint John MP Rodney Weston tells CHSJ News just because an area is protected doesn't mean that people can't fish there or use it for other activities.
The funds came from Canada's Natural Areas Conservation Program. The forests around the Musquash Estuary contain old stands of red spruce and cedar, as well as being a habitat for various wildlife species.
A 20 year old has pleaded guilty to all charges in the robbery of Cathy's Convenience in Barnesville on March 7.
Gregg Peter Naves admitted entering store with an accomplice and a pellet gun, demanding that the store owner empty the till. Naves set the gun on the counter in order to get the money. The store owner then grabbed it, and managed to herd the thieves out, barring the door with a large stick.
The store owner received blows to the head. Naves will be back in court for sentencing on June 20.
You might have seen the attack ads the Alward government has started running on TV, criticizing the Opposition for their so-called "moratorium on jobs" and harkening back to mistakes supposedly made by former Liberal leader Shawn Graham.
Liberal MLA for Charlotte the Isles Rick Doucet tells CHSJ News American-style attack ads are out of step with what New Brunswickers want to hear.
Doucet says if the Alward government had really done a good job they could rely on that to get votes in the September election, not smearing the Opposition.
Meantime, the premier has said that the Liberals have demonstrated they're opposed to development in New Brunswick.
The Legislature winding down with a heated exchange between Premier David Alward and the Liberal Leader Brian Gallant as we head into a summer election campaign.
Gallant saying the Alward Government has done nothing to create jobs and grow the economy, saying the affordability of the daily lives of New Brunswickers has taken a beating under his leadership. The Liberal Leader calling out the Premier to take responsibility for his so-called failed mandate.
Alward responding by bringing up the former Liberal Government and talking about his government's plan to move forward with development of natural resources like shale gas development, mining, forestry, and the pipeline.
He says the reality is that the fall election, more than many in the past, will make a difference in the future of the province.
A whole new industry could spring up from have a health science research centre built at the Regional Hospital.
That possibility has been raised by Premier David Alward and Provincial Health Minister Ted Flemming tells CHSJ News he's already had meetings with people interested in coming to Saint John.
Flemming says he has talked to drug companies, research companies and technology firms and they're impressed with what they see here including the low cost of housing.
Sergeant Jay Henderson tells CHSJ News copper thieves have been at it again--this time, getting a bigger haul than usual.
The thieves made off with 250 pounds of copper that was stored on a spool in an outside yard at a Chesley Drive business.
The Major Crime Unit is investigating these thefts, which have been escalating over the past months in all areas of the city.
Police Chief Bill Reid painting a picture of little wiggle room for cuts in their budget in the City's service review exercise looking at a zero per cent wage increase next and two per cent.
Chief Reid came with a presentation that shows the force needing a 6.6 per cent budget increase or $1.5 million dollars just to maintain the status quo.
He explained what the force would look like with an increase of two per cent and he had to ability to lay people off.
He says the public will see slower service, the court system will probably see shoddy investigations and in the end it would mean the police service would be an organization that is not being run properly.
The approved operating budget of the Saint John police for 2013 was over $22 million and for 2014 it's over $23 million.
The force has 147 officers, 24 civilians in administrative roles and 8 managers.
