Province Pitching The Two Nation Vacation

The Maine Chamber of Commerce hearing from Provincial Tourism Minister Trevor Holder about how the two nation vacation can become a win-win for the state and New Brunswick. 

Holder would like to see them in a combined effort to persuade a good percentage of the people who visit Maine to make the trip further north to the Bay of Fundy.

Holder says there's good potential considering 2.5 million people visit Acadia National Park in Maine each year.

New Energy Plant To Be Built In Saint John

Premier David Alward in town for the Energy Summit but also to make an economic development announcement. 

The Province is giving Atlantic Hydrogen 950 thousand dollars to help build a new plant on Bayside Drive to produce a new, environmentally friendly technology called the CarbonSaver. It processes natural gas to produce clean hydrogen and fit for use carbon with minimal carbon dioxide emissions. 

Atlantic Hydrogen President and C-E-O David Wagner says after ten years of research and development which cost 35 million dollars, they're ready to go global. Germany is seen as a potentially large market.
 
The Premier says this type of world class innovative technology will shine a bright light on New Brunswick on the world stage.
 
The plant is expected to be up and running early next year with the creation of 8 jobs.

Police Release New Photos Of Missing 19 Year Old

Saint John City police releasing new photos of a missing 19 year old girl.

Genevieve Mary Cormier was reported missing on Monday and was last seen on Sunday afternoon in uptown Saint John.

She is described as 5'7" or 5'8", about 120 lbs with a  thin build, long brown hair which she will wear straight or in a ponytail. 

She has hazel eyes, pierced ears,  a black bird tattoo on her left shoulder and often wears a lot of bracelets.

She often wears jeans and a t-shirt or sweater and white Puma sneakers or sandals. 

If you have any information, contact police at  648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Sussex Man Back In Court For Murdering His Dad

26 year old Dana Allison Craig from Sussex, who was charged in the murder of his 63 year old father in a Brandon, Manitoba hotel room, has been declared not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
 
The Court in Brandon was told Craig had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was in the midst of an acute psychotic episode at the time Terry Craig, a retired banker, was strangled and stabbed. 

The younger Craig had been in Alberta and was returning to New Brunswick with his dad.
 
Craig remains in custody. What happens to him will be decided by Manitoba's Criminal Code Review Board. It can release someone into the community if no threat is posed to the public or detention in a mental health facility for those who pose a high risk.

Burger Warning

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers to avoid certain Compliments brand Super 8 Beef Burgers because they may be contaminated with E. coli.
 
The burgers were distributed in New Brunswick at Sobeys.
 
The eight-ounce burgers are sold frozen in packages of six with a UPC code of 0 55742 37055 3.

Five People Sent To Hospital In Highway Crash

The RCMP called to a single vehicle collision on Highway 1 westbound in the Pennfield/Pocologan area.

It happened just before 7 yesterday morning and one lane of the highway was blocked.

Horizon Health confirming to Tide News that five people were rushed to the Regional Hospital.

One car could be seen flipped over on its roof in the ditch. 

The Mounties have not released any information about whether anyone died in the crash

Mom Stands Trial For Leaving Her Baby Outside In Cold

A 27 year old Saint John mother is on trial charged with leaving her baby outside in the cold alone last January along Paddock Street. The court was told the baby was dressed for the weather with only her face exposed and appeared to be no worse for wear.
 
Norma Cusack, who lived across the street, testified it was more like 15 to 20 minutes from the time she heard a baby crying to the time when police arrived. 

Shea maintains the baby was only outside for a few minutes while she took her groceries inside along with her other young children. 

When Police got there, Constable Amy Cunningham told the court Shea came out of the house dressed in a tee shirt, jeans and no shoes. Cunningham believes Shea didn't realise her baby had been left outside after telling her she had looked through the house twice for her baby who was 4 or 5 months old.

BREAKING: Highway Closed, Tanker Car Still Leaking Propane

Propane is still leaking from a railway tanker car behind Haymarket Square. Fire crews are on scene working to isolate the leaking car and determine the cause of the leak.

The call initially came in about an hour ago. Workers on the One Mile Interchange were evacuated as well as a number of buildings in the immediate vicinity.

Due to concerns about the propane drifting over the road, the east and westbound lanes of the highway are closed until further notice from Crown St. to Ashburn Rd.

Three Months To Go--Chief Still Predicts Oland Arrest Before 2014

As 2013 winds down, Saint John Police Chief Bill Reid still has a New Year's resolution to fulfill: an arrest in the investigation into the murder of Richard Oland. 

Reid tells Tide News the Crown will be reviewing the file in the next month, and then will come back with either a recommendation for further investigation or the green light to lay charges. He says it's impossible to magically declare "today's the day" when in fact a legal process has to be followed, as everyone is aware.
 
Reid says only a small amount of information is available to the public so it's discouraging for some people when assumptions are made about the lack of charges. At the same time, the Chief maintains the SJPD is transparent in all of their operations, and he's confident at the end of the day the police will be successful.

New Screening Program Could Save Lives

Getting screened for cancer improves your odds dramatically--and some people in the province will be taking advantage of a new screening program to catch the disease early.

The province has announced a new program beginning in early 2014 that will remind eligible individuals to get screened and track who's been checked and who hasn't.

A program has existed to screen for breast cancer since 1995--now colon and cervical cancer screening will be added to the list. Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada.

One Mile Interchange To Be Open Next Month

The $75 million dollar One Mile Interchange project, which will provide a direct connection between Highway One and Bayside Drive, will be finished by next month according to Tim O'Reilly of Traffic Services.

Truck traffic headed to the industrial areas out east will be rerouted onto the interchange---keeping it off city centre streets. There's going to be plenty of new signage to direct drivers where to go.

NB Power Integrates Companies Into Single Utility

The province's energy utility bringing its companies together under one umbrella. NB Power's Group of Companies are now one integrated Crown Corporation as required by the Electricity Act.

That company is now solely responsible for generating, transmitting and distributing the province's electricity.

The change means the Electric Finance Corporation which was created to deal with debt is dissolved and the utility will take on $325-million in net debt, and a new subsidiary, the NB Energy Marketing Corporation, will be created.

President and CEO Gaëtan Thomas says the changes will help keep energy prices low and stable over the next decade.

City Clarifies Estabrooks Costs

In an email, the City of Saint John letting us know their contract with the Investigative Solutions Network regarding the Estabrooks investigation includes the approval of funding in $100,000 increments beginning last October and again in January and April of this year.    

About $300,000 has been spent so far and Common Council authorized another $100,000 just over two weeks ago bringing the total approved amount to $400,000.

Local Student Gets Scholarship For Work With Boys & Girls Club

One local highschooler getting a headstart on post-secondary.

Grade 10 student Joelle McCray being awarded a Future Shop Future Generation scholarship in the amount of $5000.

McCray being one out of 23 Grade 10 students from Clubs across Canada to get the scholarship this year.

Program Director of our local Club, Jessica Hall tells Tide News Joelle is a deserving recipient because she has been a dedicated Club member for many years, participating in their after-school program, girls circle, youth collective activities and leaders in training program.

Energy Drink Discussion

If your kids like those energy drinks, you may be interested in the results of this discussion today.

The Department of Health is hosting a dialogue that include the chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish Cleary, Dr. Samuel Godefroy of Health Canada and Martin-Pierre Pelletier of the Canadian Beverage Association.

A report on the dialogue will be made available on the department of health's website later this fall.

Young Woman Missing

Tide News has been contacted by friends who say they're worried about a 19 year old woman who has been missing since September 29th. 

Genevieve Mary Cormier, known as "Gen" was last seen on the Reversing Falls Bridge in Saint John, heading west. 

She's described as being about five feet 7 with dark brown/blackish hair and has a tattoo on her back reading "Take these broken wings and learn to fly" with a bird.  

Her friends are urging you contact City Police if you know anything about her whereabouts because they're worried sick.

Lawsuits Could Cost City Mega Bucks Just To Defend

If Saint John has to defend itself in the face of 263 lawsuits, the cost could alone bankrupt the city. That word from Halifax lawyer John McKiggan.

He tells Tide News a class action lawsuit will be filed in a matter of days or weeks on behalf of the people who say they were sexually abused by the late Ken Estabrooks when he was a City Police Sergeant and later a city employee with the Works Department.
 
McKiggan says they want to find if the Mayor and Common Council back in 1975 signed off on transferring Estabrooks from the police to City Works after confessing. 

McKiggan says a class action lawsuit offers a more flexible solution.

Man Saved From Leaping Off Bridge

A lot of activity for Police in the Valley. They had to save a man from harming himself when he was hanging off a bridge along Route 111 and threatening to jump the next time a truck came along. Police managed to grab hold of him before he could make the leap and he's now in hospital for mental health issues.

Another man was taken to hospital after losing control of the bicycle he was riding on Randy Jones Way. Police say he was wearing a helmet which save his head but did suffer injuries to his chest.

Another deer was struck causing considerable damage to the vehicle in Gondola Point by Miller Road and a home along Rothesay Road was broken into.

Local Baseball Player Signs With Toronto Blue Jays

A baseball player from Saint John joining the Major League team he grew up rooting for. 

20-year old right-hander Andrew Case of Saint John signing a Major League Baseball deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. He says his heart stopped when he got the call over the weekend, after impressing scouts at a tournament in Toronto by pitching a no-hitter. 

Case, who is in Alberta right now, is coming home for a few weeks to celebrate with family, then will head back out West to train at the Prairie Baseball Academy until late February or early March when he reports for spring training in Florida. The six-foot-two 190 pound Case says he hopes to get some more power behind his best pitch, a fastball which now sits at the low-90s, and put on some muscle.

He says he hopes his story inspires other Saint John baseball players to work hard because anything is possible.

Province Buys Wheelchair Golf Cart For Campobello

Just because you're in a wheelchair -- doesn't mean you can't shoot under par.

The Provincial government announcing today on Campobello Island the purchase of a wheelchair golf cart for the Herring Cove Provincial Park.

Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Travor Holder tells Tide News accessibility is important to everyone. "It's important for both our residents to have an accessible experience so they can have the opportunity to play golf, and it's also very important as we move forward trying to promote ourselves as an accessible destination as well."

A number of upgrades have taken place recently in provinical parks as the government reviews health, safety, and accessibility in the Parks Act.

In Picture, From Left: Healthy and Inclusive Communities Minister Dorothy Shephard; local park patron Kyle Newman; Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Trevor Holder; and Charlotte-Campobello MLA Curtis Malloch. Picture from Conservative website.

Social Assistance Rate Rising In October

The number on your social assistance check will be a little higher this month. 

The province boosting the province's basic social assistance rate by four percent on the first of October, and it's going to go up again by three percent in April of next year. The government says it's part of their focus to reduce, prevent and alleviate poverty in the province. 

They're also making a few other changes to the system, including more support for families with high shelter costs and better assistance for clients with disabilities who are living with their parents.

UPDATED...Number Of Sex Abuse Victims Escalates

Deceased Saint John city police officer Ken Estabrooks may have sexually abused 263 children over the course of nearly three decades dating back to the late 1950s. 

That word coming from the private investigator contracted by Common Council to investigate the extent of the abuse. After decades of secrecy, private investigators and the city say vulnerable children were targeted for at least 25 years. Most of the sexual abuse victims were boys but some girls have been identified in the investigation. They were between the ages of 6 and 19 when the abuse happened.

About 53 of the victims are still living, 33 are dead and it's believed there are another 152 suspected victims.
 
Estabrooks confessed in 1975, but charges weren't laid until more than 20 years later. Perry revealing to Tide News he continued to sexually abuse children after resigning from the police department and being quietly transferred to a job in City Works. He was finally convicted in 1999 and sentenced to six years in jail, dying of cancer in 2005.

A toll free number has been set up for victims wanting to contact investigator Dave Perry and receive counseling paid for by the city of Saint John. The number to call is 1-866-790-4764.

Perry says the investigation could take up to a year to wrap up.

More Details Coming In Another Case Of Abuse Of Trust

An update into the investigation of now deceased former Saint John city police officer Ken Estabrooks, with more alleged victims coming forward, being delivered today. 

And as the decades-old case continues to unfold, the province's Youth Advocate speaking on the social impact of an all too similar case which came to light just this year. 

Norm Bosse tells Tide News, like Estabrooks, disgraced former Common Councillor Donnie Snook was in a position of trust and authority and he believes Snook used that power as a way of getting away with abusing his victims. "Who is going to question him?" asks Bosse.

While many may blame themselves for what happened, Bosse says at the end of the day only one person is responsible for Snook's actions, and that is Snook himself. However, he believes parents need to be aware of what their children are doing.

Bosse, who is a lawyer, represented the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of notorious pedophile Karl Toft at the Youth Training Centre in Kingsclear in the '90s.

Health Minister Defends Five-Year Heath Care Plan

With the Council of Hospital Unions slating the province's new five-year health care plan as more concerned with the fiscal bottom line than patients, Health Minister Ted Flemming says healthcare can't continue to grow at a rate of 5-8% or a billion dollars more today than 10 years ago.

Flemming tells Tide News what matters is the end result, and that's the highest level of health care people can get. He adds, if we can do that more efficiently and if we can do it on a more cost effective basis, he considers that "no crime."

Flemming says efficiencies are going to be found in all areas, there won't be just one area cut. The Council of Hospital have expressed frustration with the vagueness of the plan and they are anticipating more layoffs.

Apartment Blaze Displaces Residents

An apartment building being evacuated after a fire broke out in one of the units.

The Saint John Fire Department says there was heavy smoke pouring out of a third floor apartment on Davenport Avenue when they arrived. They found a fire in the back of the home, possibly in a bedroom. 

While fire crews kept the fire from spreading, the room is heavily damaged by fire and the rest of the apartment has major smoke and water damage. The building itself has slight smoke and water damage.

The people living in the apartment where the fire started are displaced for a while until the apartment is fixed. No word on the cause of the blaze.

Two Arrested In Uptown Saint John Stabbing

A teenager brought to hospital with multiple stab wounds after intervening in an uptown assault.

Sergeant Cowan of City Police says the incident happened on Peters Street where two men were assaulting a third man. When the 17-year old stepped in to help the assault victim, he was stabbed. Cowan says his injuries are not life-threatening and believes the teenager has already been released from hospital.
 
A 56-year old and 29-year old have been arrested and will be making court appearances. Police are still looking for a third suspect.

No word on the condition of the assault victim

Crews Respond To Milford Blaze

Saint John fire crews battling a blaze on the Upper West Side for three hours. It happened at 353 Dwyer Road, in the Milford area. 

Firefighters kept the fire contained to the outside of the building, but there was some slight smoke damage inside.

Vehicles Broken Into On West Side Of SJ

Car prowlers hitting more than five vehicles on the West side. Saint John Police say it happened overnight and the vehicles were not locked at the time. No word on what was swiped from the cars.

You Can Still Apply For Mill Rats Mini Camp

If you've always wanted to be a Saint John Mill Rat, you've got an opportunity to try out.

There are still a few spots open to apply for their mini-camp being held next Sunday in New Hampshire. From there, if you impress management with your skills, you'll be placed in the training camp roster. 

The mini camp has only 40 spots and is by invitation only. To qualify, you must register and pay online here by October 1st.

Explore NB's Forests This National Forest Week

Whether it's going for a stroll in the woods or having a picnic by the shade of a tree, take some time to appreciate forests this week.

That's what Andrew Holland of the Nature Conservancy of Canada is suggesting you do to mark National Forest Week. Holland tells Tide News forests help drive our economy, clean our air and water, help mitigate flooding from storms and give us a place to explore.

Holland says many people who grew up in rural New Brunswick learned to find a friend in trees, but nowadays, many kids are only interested in staying indoors and playing video games and he believes we have to get them back to enjoying nature.

Saint John Arts Centre Celebrates 10th Birthday

It's a day of celebration at the Saint John Arts Centre, where they're simultaneously marking their 10th birthday and National Culture Days, which encourages people to explore and engage in arts and culture in their communities. 

Executive Director Andrew Kierstead tells Tide News they're offering tours of the centre, which includes a stop at the new printmaking facility where artist Herzl Kashetsky made his latest edition of etchings. Kashetsky will be singing the prints today at noon.

Musical events start at 11am, when young pianist and composer Wen Gao will be playing original piano transcriptions of Hollywood movie music and popular Asian songs. At 12:30pm, Saint John Idol runner-up Sadie Donahue is will be singing with Jerry-Faye Flatt and at 1:30pm, Master Hammer Dulcimer Player Wenmei Li is performing.

All events are free.

Rothesay Police Looking For Help Solving Cases

Rothesay Regional Police want your help with a number of investigations.

On Tuesday, they found a water scooter floating on the river along the Gondola Point Road. On Sept. 3, a cell phone and wallet were swiped from the men's locker room at the Goodlife Fitness on the Hampton Road.

On Aug. 15, a Mercury short-shaft motor was stolen out of a boat on Cameron Road Beach in Rothesay. It has a chip in the propeller and a white arrow on the throttle handle. They're also looking for info in the theft of a ski-doo on the Vincent Road. The blue 2012 Grand Touring was stolen sometime between April 19 and Aug. 24.

Police asking you to give them or Crimestoppers a call if you have information about any of these investigations. You can contact police by calling 847-6300 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Ideas Brought Forward On Border Arena Future

An indoor skate park? A movie theatre? A paint-ball field?

Those are just a few of the ideas brought forward by residents on the future of the Border Arena.With the opening of the Civic Centre in downtown St. Stephen in the midst, a public meeting was held this week for residents to give their opinion on what should become of the 40-year-old facility.

Other ideas included an indoor turf for sports, a youth hostel, and keeping the building as an arena for a few more years until ice time requirements are met with the Civic Centre.



Deputy Mayor John Ames says the land is leased from the province and the arena will need around 40-50 rentable hours in order to keep costs withing reason.

No definate plans have been made yet.

Update Monday On Sexual Abuse Investigation

The city has scheduled an update Monday on the investigation into sexual abuse perpetrated years ago by then City Police officer Ken Estabrooks, amid reports of many more victims have come forward. There are also rumblings a potential class-action lawsuit. 

Saint John Common Council has approved an additional $100,000 to continue the investigation. There may have been more than 40 victims of the abuse.

 Estabrooks was never charged in 1975 even though he confessed. Estabrooks resigned from the police department but was transferred to City Works. Charges were finally laid in 1998 and Estabrooks, who died in 2005, was convicted in 1999 and sentenced to six years in prison. The Police Commission released a report, calling the 1975 investigation "unprofessional" which allowed a serious sex offender to go unpunished.

Inmate Hospitalized After Assault

Yesterday at around 11pm an inmate was assaulted in the maximum-security jail in Renous. The victim had to be taken to an outside hospital.

 The Mounties are investigating and they know who committed the assault.

The victim is in stable condition. Jail officials say they taking what they call "appropriate" measures to keep incidents like this from happening.

Mike Biggar Launches New Country Record Tonight

Mike Biggar is a name in country star most local folks will recognize. 

Biggar's been breaking into the mainstream music scene will his collaborations with Chris Cummings and big names and he tells Tide News he's excited to release his new album Feels Like Now.

Biggar is an ECMA and New Brunswick Music Award Winner with several successful albums. 

He will be performing tonight on Mexicali Rosa's patio on Princess Street in Saint John with Chris Cummings and a full band to launch the new record. 

The concert is free.

Not Everyone Is Enthralled With The National Energy Board

Premier David Alward says he has confidence the National Energy Board will be able to adequately evaluate the environmental risks associated with building a pipeline to Saint John. 

David Thompson of the Conservation Council tells Tide News a lot of people were turned off by their treatment when the National Energy Board held hearings in the city a few years ago on the natural gas pipeline through Rockwood Park.

Thompson says the rules apparently have changed since then and a lot of people who might want to have something to say and take part could be shut out from participating because they won't be given standing.
 
A grassroots energy summit will be held in the city next week with the theme that shale gas, oil pipelines and nuclear energy represent the past and not the future. One of the speakers will be Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians.

Higgs Releases Financial Update In Saint John

The Alward government providing a long overdue fiscal update with first quarter results projecting a deficit of nearly 500 million dollars.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs joined by the Premier and MLA Glenn Savoie for the announcement at the Delta today as the Saint John caucus wraps up its summer retreat.
 
Higgs says if government had not confronted spending the revenue challenges they have been facing would be much worse.

In 2011 and 2012, Higgs says they saw year over year expenses decrease for the first time in 11 years adding in the last two years they have seen spending only grow by a half a per cent compared to the 10 year average of 4.2 per cent.

Premier Alward says historically departments have been way over budget with their early quarterly results and now they are seeing departments below budget and within 1 per cent representing a huge shift.

The Premier also revealing to the gathered media that the fall session of the Legislature will begin early on November 5th.

Empress Of Ireland Exhibit

Next May will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland.  

It's happened in the St. Lawrence River and more than a 1000 passengers on the ship died.   

The New Brunswick Museum hosting a traveling showcase on the ship which includes video of the underwater wreck. 

Pascale St. Amand tells Tide News the exhibit is moving on to Halifax at 5 today.

She says she has had many visitors from cruise ships and they are a bit scared by the tragedy but most people are surprised they have not heard of the Empress before.

St. Amand says the exhibit includes a video that depicts how the Storstad hit the Empress sinking her.    She add the sinking is significant as World War 1 broke out a short time later.

Maine Mom Chases Ex-Boyfriend Down The Street With Angry Mob

A news conference by the mother of a missing toddler becoming quite dramatic.

Trista Reynolds, mother of Ayla Reynolds, holding the gathering in Lincoln Park yesterday, which is adjacent to the Portland Courthouse.

The Associated Press reports the child's father, Justin DiPietro, left the courthouse following an unrelated assault charge, only to be screamed at and chased down the street and through a parking garage by Reynolds and her followers.


The AP also reporting DiPietro and his attorney tried ducking into the Portland Police Station to escape only to be surrounded by the crowd, shouting things at him such as "Murderer!" and "Where's Ayla?".

Ayla was reported missing from DiPietro's home in Waterville, Maine in December 2011, and her body has never been found.

Trista releasing information in the past week that she claims police gave her about Ayla's case in an effort to get DiPietro charged. Some of the evidence claims Ayla's blood was found throughout DiPietro's house, vehicle, and on his shoes.


Maine State Police have said they do not expect to find the girl alive.

Police have also stated they think the three adults who were in the house when Ayla went missing (DiPietro, his sister, and then-girlfriend) know more than they are saying about her disappearance.

Medical Society Releases 'Care First' Document

Just days after the province came out with their healthcare blueprint, the province's doctors releasing a companion piece called Care First.

The New Brunswick Medical Society says their document is built around the four pillars of primary care renewal, wait time reduction, healthy living and front line work input.

Medical Society President Dr. Robert Desjardins tells Tide News they advocate a new program called 'Choose Wisely' which aims to improve decision-making by medical profession in areas like testing.

He says the program will support a certain kind of standardization in testing but it only works with education and in co-operation with the government.
Desjardins says in the US, the standardization of testing has saved over 25 per cent in hospital laboratory costs.

The Medical Society is also calling on New Brunswickers to be more responsible for their own health adding just talking about it is not enough.  He says their must be some legislation by the government to force hospitals and schools to serve better food in their own cafeterias.

Provincial Conservatives Retreating In The City

With poll numbers in the doldrums, Premier David Alward and his M-L-A's are holding a caucus retreat in the city with a year to go before the provincial election. 

The Premier is rejecting criticism about not demanding more liability protection from the risks to the environment with Trans Canada's proposed pipeline to Saint John.  

Alward says he has full confidence in Trans Canada based on its history. He adds the proposal will be scrutinised by the National Energy Board which will evaluate the risks and the provincial Environment Department will have input.

Many Of Us Have Heart Disease

More than 2600 people in this province got a diagnosis of heart disease between 2009 and 2010.

That startling stat from a provincial report on heart health.

More than 21,000 men and over 13,000 women are living with the disease.

Almost 1800 people in the province went to hospital for the first time with heart failure over those two years.

The rate of new cases of heart disease is steadily decreasing over the last decade and more people with heart disease are living longer.

With growing senior populations and the increase in rates of diabetes and adult obesity, the evidence doesn't show whether or not the decline in new cases and deaths due to heart disease will continue.

Not Getting Hospital 3T MRI A "Broken Promise"

Just another promise he made to get elected. That's what one Liberal Health Critic is calling the Alward government's failure to get the Saint John Regional Hospital a 3T MRI.

Donald Arsenault tells Tide News that was a commitment Premier David Alward made to the community and is now just another addition to a long list of broken promises. He says he wants to know where Alward stands on the issue now.

The city's medical professionals seem to want the 3T version, while the Horizon Health Network has come out against it. Arsenault says they'll see what position Health Minister Ted Flemming takes and go from there.

New Airmiles Scam Making The Rounds

A new telemarketing scam is making the rounds. The Saint John Police Force Fraud Section warns people are receiving calls stating that they have won anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 bonus Air Miles.

They are then asked to provide personal information like a credit card number. Air Miles has debunked the scam as a fake saying they never use automated messages.

You can visit the Canadian Antifraud Centre's website at here to learn more about what steps you should take to avoid becoming a victim of telemarketingand automated telephone schemes.

MLA Calls For Proactive Approach To Flooding

We need to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to flooding. That from MLA for Charlotte-The Isles, Rick Doucet who isn't happy his idea to establish a committee on flood damage control was shot down by Premier David Alward. 

He tells Tide News the government's Regional Emergency Management Coordinators network only deals with flooding after-the-fact. He says we have to get into a proactive stage and get out in front of these things because they're going to be happening more and more frequently.

Doucet says we're losing an opportunity to open up some dialogue on a topic that's impacting all New Brunswickers.

Roadbuilders Still Hopeful Province Will Spend More Money

The New Brunswick Roadbuilders Association is not discouraged by the response of the Transportation Minister to spending more money on roads around the province. Claude Williams warns money is tight. 

Tom McGinn is the Association's Executive-Director. He says the idea is to spend a bit today, then avoid being faced with a more serious problem that will require more money down the line.
 
McGinn also warns many of the people who work on the roads have gone out west to the point where there's a labour shortage.

More Is Known About T-B Patient In Province

The patient who's suffering from a potentially highly contagious type of tuberculosis and remains hospitalized at the Dr. Georges Dumont Hospital is a business faculty student at the University of Moncton who was on hand for the first week of classes.
 
Medical authorities indicate the student’s condition is getting better and are optimistic the risk of infection is low.
 
They're also confident only those people who had close contact with the affected student are at risk of infection.

The university is establishing a list of those who could have potentially been in contact with the student, including other students, professors and all other staff members. 

Over the next few days, health professionals will be present in the classes in which the affected student would have been present during the contamination period in order to answer questions that may arise.

Guilty Pleas In Cochrane's Robbery

It's a crime that shocked the community at a place you might not expect to see violence.

Cochrane's Country Market in Rothesay was robbed in the early morning hours of July 16th and two employees were tied up.

Arrests were made by Rothesay Regional Police in early August.

Stephen Corey Richard and Blake Andrew Smith pleading guilty in court and will be sentenced October 4th.  Both are in their late 20's.

47 year old Keith Oliver Dixon also pleading guilty at an earlier court appearance and will be sentenced next month as well.

Bar To Offer Pregnancy Tests

Thunder Bay's  Outpost bar is the first in Canada to offer pregnancy tests in their bathroom dispensers.

The purpose is to help prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

The initiative at Lakehead University starts today and they hope to have more bars get on board and offer pregnancy tests.