HALIFAX WOMAN ADMITS SELLING PHOTOS OF HER OWN CHILDREN, PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORN CHARGES  (Warning – Contents of this story are graphic)

A Halifax woman has pleaded guilty to selling pornographic photos of her own young children to a South Shore man for sum of close to $1200.

The woman, who can not be identified because of a publication ban to protect her children, was paid for photos she sent to a Bridgewater man showing three of her six children naked.

Police seized cellphones from the woman and man to review text messaging between the pair.  That’s where police discovered the exchange of the photos involving her children aged 2, 4 and 6, which is according to an agreed statement of facts. The man sent the woman nine e-transfers totalling $1,195. The statement of facts showed the photos were distributed over a period of six months in 2018, with the highest payment of $350, received on Nov. 28th of that year. Police arrested the Bridgewater man at his home in January of 2019, as part of a larger probe into child pornography.  The woman returns to court for sentencing on April 12^th.

 

O’TOOLE WANTS TO PREVENT HIS LEADERSHIP RIVAL FROM RUNNING FOR CONSERVATIVES OVER A DONATION FROM WELL-KNOWN RACIST

Derek Sloan, MP (Global News)

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says he wants Ontario MP Derek Sloan kicked out of the party caucus over a donation to his leadership campaign from a neo-nazi. O’Toole says accepting the contribution is “far worse than a gross error of judgment or failure of due diligence” by his former leadership rival.

It’s up to Conservative MPs whether to eject Sloan from their number, but O’Toole claims he’ll use his power as party leader to ban him from running as a Tory in the next election.  O’Toole says “Racism is a disease of the soul, repugnant to our core values……It has no place in the Conservative Party of Canada. I won’t tolerate it,” Sloan has previously been accused of making racist comments about Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer.  But Sloan is accusing the party of hypocrisy, saying that Paul Fromm, who has been associated with Neo Nazis for years, was a party member and voted in last year’s leadership contest.  (With files from Canadian Press)

 

The latest update from the Premier and Dr. Robert Strang is due this afternoon. (3pm)  In the meantime, there’s good news on the number of COVID cases across the province.  That’s because the number of new Coronavirus infections has dropped to zero for the second time in as many weeks.  There are 25 active cases still being treated in the province and officials say we’ll have to keep up our vigilance to stay safe. More than 2-million people have died worldwide from Coronavirus over the past 11 months.

 

Public Health says COVID-19 vaccinations will be set up at the Truro Hospital today.  There are a couple of possible COVID Exposure sites in the Truro area on the latest provincial list as well.  They are the Double C restaurant, just off the Masstown exit of Highway 104 on January 9^th, and Roadside Willie’s Roadhouse in Bible Hill, around suppertime on Friday, January 8^th.  People in those locations should isolate themselves and get tested.   The latest list of possible exposure locations is found on this link.  Potential COVID Exposures | Nova Scotia Health Authority (nshealth.ca)

 

With those vaccinations in Truro today, there were questions around the Pictou County Council table last night on why vaccinations aren’t yet coming to Pictou County.  Councillors heard that there’s a building under contract for the inoculations here in Pictou County, and it’s time the Health Authority shared that information and a timetable.  Council is now asking health officials for an update in a formal letter.

Several Pictou County community groups will have up to a year to complete work on their facilities that’s been slowed down by the pandemic.  Those projects include the Kenzieville Community Hall ($2,000), the one in Melville-Seafoam, listed at $1900, just over $1,000 to the Salem Athletic Association, $3,000 for the delayed ramp shelter for the Plymouth Community Centre and $10,000 for seniors Lunch and Learns.  Councillors voted in favour of those last night, saying construction delays because of the pandemic are understandable, and giving the groups an extra year to get the work done seems reasonable.

 

If there’s somebody local who you admire for what they do, and you’d like to see them recognized for outstanding community contributions, you can now start the nomination process as part of the province’s 47th Provincial Volunteer Awards.  It’s done every year to mark National Volunteer Week
Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Suzanne Lohnes-Croft says  “We’re surrounded by people who act with compassion and goodwill.” So now’s the time to recognize people with your nomination.  All forms and contacts are available at: http://novascotia.ca/NonProfitSector/ProvincialVolunteerAwards/

 

RCMP tried to track down an armed man on the run in woods near the Northern tip of Cape Breton yesterday.  They were looking for a man who was on the loose not far from Meat Cove.  The man they were looking for is identified as 34-year-old Perry MacKinnon.

 

REALTOR FINED FOR DISOBEYING COVID RULES

The Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission has disciplined Halifax realtor Adam Scott for setting up a viewing with a client who had arrived from outside the region just the night before the showing.  As a result, Scott has lost his real estate license for a full month, and has been ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

 

Hot on the heels of last month’s good news about a provincial population boom, Halifax has some good news of its own to share.  HRM can now boast it’s now just shy of 449,000 people, (448,544)  an increase of 9015 people from last year.  Close to two-thirds of the population increase is from people moving to the city from outside of Canada.

 

Volleyball and other hard-surface sports are now getting back on track at the WM Sobey Indoor Complex in Stellarton. That’s because the province is helping to pay for removable flooring that’s safely able to cover about a-third of the indoor turf in the Stellarton complex.  Its hard top makes it a great alternative to a gym flooring and it can be used for sports like volleyball and basketball, to name just a few.  Tanya Antle of Pictou County Invasion Volleyball says “From a coaching perspective, this project….has allowed players ages 12 to 17 to get back on the court.  The flooring is currently on rent from a facility in New Brunswick, but the hope is to highlight the need for the temporary hard surface here in Pictou County.  Andy Kenny of the Highland District Soccer Association tells us he expects they’ll start a fundraiser to make the floor permanent later this year.  To inquire about booking either court space or turf space, you can call 902-752-3793 or by emailing sobeyssoccer@gmail.com.