Organizers of Pictou County Ribfest are feeling overwhelmed by the response to the first annual event held on the weekend.  The numbers are in and over 10,000 people attended the three day festival in downtown New Glasgow.  After the fan votes were counted, Camp 31 picked up best ribs and Silver Bullet won best sauce.  Funds raised from weekend donations will go to Viola’s Place and the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Pictou County RCMP are still working on a stabbing case from Pictou Landing First nation Thursday night.  A 24-year-old Pictou Landing First Nation man had to be hospitalized with stab wounds.   It took place inside a home just before 10 o’clock that evening.  They arrested a 20-year-old suspect at a nearby store.  Police say the suspects are known to each other.

Weeks Construction will be paving both inbound lanes of East River Rd. from Park St. to Washington Street until 7 o’clock tonight. (Monday August 26th.) Traffic controls are in place and expect delays through East River Road today.

A driver who was trying to avoid police died after crashing into a retaining wall in North Kentville yesterday morning. The crash occurred at about 2:20 a.m. on Middle Dyke Road.   As RCMP got closer to the vehicle, it accelerated through an intersection and lost control.  That’s when it slammed into a cement retaining wall. The two people inside that vehicle were taken to Valley Regional Hospital, where the driver died.  The case has now been passed over to the Serious Incident Response Team.

Police are looking for a man who tried to sexually assault a boy at a Port Hawkesbury business late Friday afternoon.  Inverness RCMP say a nine-year-old boy was approached by a man in the bathroom at the business.  The man forced the boy into the bathroom stall, locked the door and attempted to pull his pants down. The boy managed to escape the stall.  Employees tried to stop the man from leaving the business before police arrived but the man took off. The suspect is described as white, in his 40s or 50s and about five-foot-eight. He has dark hair and was wearing a blue ballcap, sunglasses, a red shirt and beige shorts and we’ve got a photo on our website.   The owner of billboards currently showcasing ads promoting the People’s Party of Canada’s controversial stance on immigration have reversed course, saying yesterday the company plans to take the material down in response to “overwhelming” criticism.

  BERNIER’S ADS BEING PULLED DOWN

The ads, featuring a photo of party leader Maxime Bernier, the slogan “Say NO to mass immigration” and a call to vote for his party.  They started popping up across the country late last week, including in the Halifax area, along the Bedford Highway. Petitions have since sprung up calling on billboard owners Pattison Outdoor Advertising tp get rid of them, since they promote hatred.  After initially saying critics should take the issue up with the subcontractor who approved the billboards, Pattison now says the billboards will be coming down as soon as possible.

The federal Liberals have decided on a slogan they hope will resonate with voters and best represent their political brand as they roll out their campaign for the October election. A release from the party says “Choose Forward” is the official campaign theme that will be stamped on a series of national ads featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The party says the ads, which begin airing on television this week, will be part of “a comprehensive and digitally-integrated campaign that also includes featured stories from Canadians.

A Calgary clinic is offering new technology aimed at helping people with brain injuries rewire neural connections. A portable device that sits on the surface of the tongue delivers mild, high-frequency electrical impulses as the patient undergoes daily physiotherapy. The device was approved by Health Canada last November. The clinic’s director says Canada is the only country to have approved the therapy clinically. Isaac Kohtakangas was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2011 and has balance issues as a result. He says he’s hoping the device will help improve his gait and balance, and allow him walk without a cane. The therapy is also available in B-C and Quebec, but there are waiting lists.

The Canadian Press is reporting that Canada enlisted its own citizens who traveled to Communist countries during the Cold War to gather needed intelligence.  That’s from a shadowy study that’s been unveiled by intelligence expert Wesley Wark at the University of Ottawa.  He’s revealing that officials became sufficiently nervous about the tasking of Canadians, and the prospect of being caught snooping overseas, that they had John Diefenbaker, prime minister at the time, give his blessing. Initially, officials collected intelligence largely from defectors and recent immigrants from the Soviet Union and East Bloc countries.  But as the 1950s and sixties wore on, they saw the potential to involve everyday Canadians in the espionage as they travelled overseas.

A new company is looking at an app that allows car sharing in rural parts of PEI.  They’re looking to get a provincial law in place so their drivers can be insured.  The company is called Red Ride, and it says there’s no reason why taxi drivers can’t also get in on the rural car-sharing idea with an app that can zero in on several homes where people need to b picked up.

  KINSMEN CUBS TAKE PROVINCIAL TITLE 

The New Glasgow Kinsmen Cubs battled in extra innings with a 10-9 win against the host team Bridgewater Bulldogs to capture the Provincial A Tier 2 U-11 Championship over the weekend. Congratulations to players and coaches on a well deserved provincial title.

Pictou County Gymnastics Club is celebrating 10 years will be holding Open Registration for the upcoming Fall session. There are classes available for all ages and skill levels: Kindergym for 18 months -3yrs, Preschool classes for 3-5 year olds, Recreational Gymnastics for ages 5-12, as well as Teen Gym, Adult Gym, Fitness, Parkour and Trampoline classes. No experience necessary.

PCGC is growing and its board is proud to be providing fun and fitness to more families.

Registration will take place Thursday (August 29th), from 6-9pm, at the Pictou County Gymnastics Club, 558 South Frederick St, New Glasgow. Find more details of classes and times at “pictoucountygymnasticsclub.com”.