NEW GLASGOW POLICE SUSPECT RACIALLY-MOTIVATED ATTACK AT NG POOL HALL

New Glasgow Regional Police arrested and charged a man and woman after an assault at a local Pool Hall around midnight Thursday and say it appears to be a hate-crime, based on the victim’s race.  

• A 35-year-old woman is charged with an assault and possession of a drug.
• A 49-year-old man was arrested and is charged with an assault.

They’ve both been released from custody based upon strict conditions.  New Glasgow Regional Police are continuing to investigate the assault as a “Hate Motivated Incident” based upon the victim’s nationality.

 

PROVINCE REPORTS NINE NEW COVID CASES FOR FRIDAY,
SCHOOL CHRISTMAS BREAK IS EXTENDED   (Updated 2:11 PM Friday, Dec 11th)

Nova Scotia public school students will have an extended Christmas break out of an abundance of caution. The last day of classes will be Dec. 18 and classes resume Jan. 11th. School-based staff will be returning to schools on Jan. 4th for five days of professional learning.

As of today, Dec. 11th, Nova Scotia has 65 active cases of COVID-19. Nine new cases are being reported today.
One case is in Northern Zone and is under investigation.  Three cases are in Western Zone. Two of the cases are close contacts of previously reported cases. The other case is under investigation.

Five of the cases are in Central Zone. Two of the cases are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. The people are self-isolating as required. One case is a close contact of a previously reported case. One case is under investigation.

Also, a school-based case was identified today, Friday, at Shannon Park Elementary in Dartmouth.
That Dartmouth school has been closed since a previous case was announced and students are now expected to return on Wednesday, Dec. 16th.

In addition, the Eden Valley Poultry plant in Berwick is being closed for two weeks with several cases being reported there. All Eden Valley staff has been tested and more mobile and pop-up COVID clinics are being sent to the Annapolis Valley as a result.

OTTAWA PROMISES COMPENSATION TO ALLEVIATE VACCINE ALLERGY FEARS

 

As part of Canada’s vaccine rollout, Ottawa is confirming anyone who experiences a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible for compensation. The no-fault program was announced Thursday, as Canada gets ready to roll out the first of seven new vaccines.

“Serious side-effects are incredibly rare,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told yesterday’s news conference. “In the very unlikely event of an adverse reaction though, we want to make sure Canadians have fair access to support.”
The chances of problems are low, since thousands of people are involved in the clinical vaccine trials before the inoculations get approval.  For instance, close to 40,000 people were involved in the trials for the Pfizer vaccine, which arrives in the Halifax area next week. (File Photo)

 

CRASH ON STELLARTON ROAD EARLY THIS MORNING, DRIVER HOSPITALIZED

Lots of lights and sirens from a motor vehicle accident on Stellarton Road early this morning.  Emergency vehicles were on the scene about 1:15 am.  Constable Ken Macdonald of New Glasgow Regional Police says a northbound vehicle lost control on the slippery roads and hit a utility pole.  The driver was taken to the Aberdeen Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  New Glasgow Fire, EHS and Nova Scotia Power were all helping out with that.  The utility pole was not seriously damaged.

 

UTILITY AND REVIEW BOARD HIKES GAS AND DIESEL PRICES IN NS

Nova Scotia gas and diesel prices are both up this morning after world oil prices shot up by more than $1.30 a barrel yesterday. Regular self-serve gas is up by 1.1 cents per litre, so your best price is now 96.9 cents in the local zone.   Diesel is up by one full cent per litre to a new minimum of 97.7 cents.

 

THORBURN MAN GOING TO COURT ON FIREARMS CHARGES

 

A Pictou County man in his thirties who’ll be going to court in the New Year will be up on gun-related charges. Westville Police were called to a home on Munroe Street about suspicious activity this week. (4pm Wednesday)   That led them to lay several firearms charges connected to a man and his vehicle.
After ticketing him for having no valid driver’s licence,  they then searched his vehicle where police say they found a concealed long gun.
As a result a 37-year-old Thorburn man has been arrested and charged with:
•            Unsafe storage of a firearm
•            Unauthorized possession of a firearm
•            Possession of a firearm knowing it is unauthorized
•            Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle
The man is free on a court undertaking with conditions until he faces a Pictou judge on January 25th.   Stellarton Police have been helping out and officers tell us more charges might be coming that are connected to the original report of suspicious activity on Munroe Street.

People in the RCMP detachments across Nova Scotia say too many people aren’t getting the message about impaired driving by alcohol and drugs.For the month of November, RCMP charged 112 drivers across the province with being impaired.  57 of those were alcohol impairment and 5 Nova Scotians were charged with being impaired by drugs. 13 people refused to comply with a police demand, and 37 had their licenses suspended for driving drunk.

In Nova Scotia, there are about 250 RCMP members with training related to drug-impaired driving, along with 427 RCMP members who are qualified for the testing that looks for alcohol in your system.

POLICE CRACK DOWN ON ORGANIZED CRIME IN NS

Police have made arrests in a long term investigation into organized crime and drugs in a number of Nova Scotia locations. So far this week, thirteen sites in HRM were searched Wednesday and Mounties say they seized guns, along with cocaine and other drugs. (Bing Photo)

 

 

The County of Pictou has approved naming a brook in the Union Centre/Hazel Glen area after a Pictou County man who lost his life while serving his country. Council endorsed the brook being named after the late Chief Petty Officer, 2nd Class William Alfred Boudreau of New Glasgow. Nova Scotia’s Geographic Naming Services conducted a survey of locals and received public support for the naming to take place.

Naming Services selected another brook in the Thorburn area last year, but that naming was not approved because it failed to receive support from residents in the area.

Boudreau, known as Billy to his family, was born in New Glasgow in February 1929 and enlisted with the Navy in Halifax in 1951. He was stationed on the HMCS Kootenay, and perished from an explosion caused by an onboard fire.

 

TIME NAMES BIDEN AND HARRIS ITS “PERSON OF THE YEAR”

Time magazine has named President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris its “Person of the Year.”Time’s editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal says Biden and Harris won the honour for “changing the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world.” Felsenthal says the influential magazine has named almost every U-S President it’s person at one time or another during their terms in office.  This is the first instance where Time has included the Vice-President to round out a changing attitude. (Canadian Press Photo)

 

NS POWER EMPLOYEES HELP OUT PICTOU COUNTY UNITED WAY 

PHOTO – Dion Antle (r), Plant Manager, NS Power (Trenton Generating Station) stopped by the United Way office to present our Campaign Chair, Marc Comeau (l) with the proceeds.

Employees of Nova Scotia Power in Pictou County recently held a very successful Workplace Campaign. Together, they raised an amazing $18,765 to support the United Way of Pictou County! These funds will go a long way to ensure that the United Way and their funded agencies can continue their work helping people get the support they need before, during and after a crisis.

 

SUMMER STREET RESTRICTING ACCESS UNTIL THE NEW YEAR 

Summer Street says they’re extending their closure to the public, restricting access to its facilities until January 18, 2021 at which time the situation will be reassessed.  As mentioned in their previous announcement, regular programs and services will continue to be available for Summer Street participants. As well, engraving and other services that are provided to the general public will continue to be available, with enhanced COVID safety protocols in place.

IN LOCAL SPORTS…

The Pictou County Weeks Crushers hosted the Truro Bearcats at the Wellness Centre last night….with the Crushers defeating the Bearcats 5 – 4.