Fuel prices up again in Nova Scotia

Fuel prices took a significant jump up on Friday morning in Nova Scotia.  Gasoline prices increased by 5.7 cents to 180.9 cents per litre locally.  Diesel prices went up by 9.0 cents to 237.5 cents per litre in the local area.  Since Tuesday the price for diesel is up a total of 34.6 cents.

 

Friday marks two years since Canadian Forces helicopter crash that killed six

It is a sombre anniversary for the military community in and around the Halifax area today.  It was Apr. 29, 2020 that a Cyclone helicopter attached to HMCS Fredericton, deployed on Operation Reassurance, crashed into the Ionian sea off the coast of Greece killing all six crew members aboard.  Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough, Capt. Kevin Hagen, Capt. Brenden MacDonald from New Glasgow, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin, Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke and Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins all died in the incident.  The crash happened just days after the Nova Scotia mass shooting, and Cowbrough, a bagpiper, had recorded a video playing amazing grace from the deck of HMCS Fredericton in honour of the victims.  MacDonald, Pyke and Cowbrough all called Nova Scotia home.  The crash was the largest loss of life in one day for the Canadian Armed Forces since six Canadian soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan on Easter Sunday 2007. (The Canadian Pres)

 

Nova Scotia reports 24 more COVID-19 deaths as lab-confirmed cases drop

Nova Scotia appears to have passed its peak number of cases for the sixth wave of COVID-19 despite a rise in the number of deaths in the past week, the province’s deputy chief medical officer of health said Thursday.  Dr. Shelley Deeks said she’s confident the peak of the wave is “behind us” because access to testing in the province has remained constant.  “We still are testing a lot in the province of Nova Scotia,” said Deeks, who noted the number of new positive PCR lab-confirmed tests dropped to 5,436 during the past week, down from 7,508 in the previous report.  However, the number of deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus nearly doubled over the last week from 13 to 24. There were also 91 new hospitalizations due to the disease for the seven-day period ending Monday.  As of Thursday, a total of 339 patients were in hospital with the disease, with 10 in intensive care, according to the province’s health authority, while 359 health workers were off the job because of a positive test or exposure to the virus through a member of their household. (The Canadian Press)

 

RCMP officer worried ‘frantic panic’ would result if photo of killer’s car released

Photo: Commission counsel Roger Burrill

Nova Scotia RCMP were initially reluctant to release a photo of the replica police vehicle being driven by a gunman who killed 22 people in April 2020.  In a transcript shared by the commission investigating the mass shooting, an RCMP officer said he had concerns about sharing the photo of the gunman’s cruiser.  Staff Sergeant Steve Halliday told members of the commission that he told an RCMP communications director he worried releasing the picture might cause a frantic panic.  A public statement regarding the replica cruiser was shared on social media later that morning, about three hours after the picture had been obtained by Halifax Regional Police. (The Canadian Press)

 

Death of Antigonish man struck by police vehicle referred to watchdog agency: RCMP

RCMP say Nova Scotia’s police watchdog has taken over the  investigation into a fatal collision involving an officer in a police vehicle.  The Mounties say they received a report Wednesday night of a pedestrian walking along the Trans Canada Highway and possibly into traffic in Addington Forks.  They say an RCMP officer searching for the pedestrian struck a 22-year-old man from Antigonish who was pronounced dead at the scene.  Police and the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team are also looking into a driver’s report yesterday that he had hit an unknown object on the highway the previous night in order to see if the incidents are related.

 

Canadian Blood Services to end ‘blood ban,’ bring in behaviour-based screening

Canadian Blood Services says Health Canada has approved its request to end the policy that restricts men who have sex with men from donating blood for three months. Canadian Blood Services asked Health Canada to allow it to scrap questions about gender or sexuality, basing screening on higher-risk sexual behaviour such as anal sex instead. It says starting no later than Sept. 30, potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. They will then be asked whether they have had anal sex with any of those partners and if they have, then they will need to wait three months since that activity before donating blood. The agency says asking about sexual behaviour, rather than sexual orientation, will allow it to more reliably assess the risk of infections such as HIV that can be transmitted through infusions. It also says the shift comes after “countless hours” of work by LGBTQ and other groups, who have long advocated for a change in policy. (The Canadian Press)

 

Colchester County woman arrested for impaired driving following Hilden crash

Colchester County District RCMP have arrested a woman for impaired driving following a crash on Hwy. 2 in Hilden.  It happened at about 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, and when officers arrived they learned that the driver, a 30-year-old woman from Salmon River, fled the scene after the vehicle she was driving left the roadway and came to rest in a graveyard. A passenger, a 20-year-old woman from Debert, was still in the vehicle and suffered life threatening injuries.  Police located the driver nearby, arrested her and took her to hospital where she was later released.  She’s facing charges of Impaired; Obstruct Peace Officer; Failure to Stop After an Accident Resulting in Bodily Harm; Dangerous Driving Causing Harm.

 

Local sports notes:

The Fundy Highland Stars are hosting the U15 AAA Female Atlantic Hockey Championship 2022 at the Pictou County Wellness Centre.  In action last night, the NS Fundy Highland Stars had a 4-2 win over the PEI Central Storm.

Dillon MacLellan and Abbey Harty of Pictou County, the Senior Boys Dart Champion and Junior Girls Dart Champion for Nova Scotia, are headed to Toronto to represent Nova Scotia at the Canadian Youth Nationals in May.