More Alleged Victims Coming Forward Against Snook

Several people coming forward to both Saint John City Police and RCMP alleging they've been sexually abused by former Saint John Councillor Donnie Snook.

In a release, police say they're also trying to identify victims from the computer images seized from Snook's laptop. 40-year-old Snook is facing 8 charges in total, relating to child pornography, child exploitation, and sexual interference with a child under 16.

Police and the RCMP'S Internet Child Exploitation Unit are asking anyone with information relating to this matter to contact them.  Saint John Police Force at 506-648-3333, RCMP at 1-888-506-7267 or N.B. Crime Stoppers anonymously online at www.crimenb.ca  or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Snook was arrested at his home on January 9th and resigned as a councillor on Thursday. He's set to appear in court tomorrow for a bail hearing.

New Affordable Housing In Fredericton

Those searching for affordable housing in the Fredericton area may soon have a little more choice...

The government announcing the opening of 8 new units for low-income individuals at 411 St. Mary's St., and 75 units for seniors, non-elderly singles and people with disabilities at Brookside and Terrace Courts.

The Feds contributed $3 million in funding for the  Brookside Drive development, and the provincial and federal government contributed equally to the $75 million dollar costs for the development on St Mary's Street.

Human Resources Minister Troy Lifford referred to the developments as part of the mission to enhance taxpayers quality of life while also living within their means.

Liberals Call On Health Minister For Apology

The opposition critic of health is not impressed with various actions by Health Minister Ted Flemming this week.

Donald Arsenault tells Tide news he knows Flemming has a plan in place to reduce 22 emergency rooms to 15, but it's the way he's doing it that's frustrating. Arsenault says the way he's attacked doctors and referred to New Brunswicker's as hillbillies for not jumping on the shale gas bandwagon is not a proper comment to make.

He says if the minister is thinking about shutting down ER's to save money, he should be honest with the public and say where they are. Arsenault worries it's the province's rural areas that would suffer the reduction in health care.

Arsenault is calling on Flemming to make an apology, and be more open with the public in a less aggressive way.

Doctors' Pay Will Not Be Made Public

The idea, put forward by provincial Auditor-General Kim McPherson, to make the individual pay of doctors public has been rejected by the Alward Government.

Health Minister Ted Flemming met with the New Brunswick Medical Society to talk about the concerns raised by her about double billing on the part of some doctors.

Anthony Knight of the Medical Society says it supports addressing what he calls rare inconsistencies but tells Tide News the doctors have gone out of their way to help out the province financially with a two year freeze on any increases in their Medicare fee schedules. He questions how much value the provincial government has placed on that.

The Medical Society has told us doctors believe they have been under attack of late in some sort of campaign to taint the public's perception of them but adds they're looking forward to a stronger relationship with the Department of Health.

Snook's Seat To Remain Empty Until Spring

With the official resignation of Saint John Councillor Donnie Snook, the picture of will happen to his seat around the council horseshoe is becoming much more clear.

Mike Quinn of Elections NB tells Tide News the are regular scheduled by-elections to fill vacant seats that arise throughout the province.

The next round of by-elections is scheduled for Monday, May 13th, so Snook's seat will remain vacant until then. There are currently 6 different requests for by-elections from 6 different municipalities throughout the province, and the number will be 7 if Saint John council votes to move in that direction.

Those Drowning In Debt Seek Help

Now's the time the credit card bills from Christmas are coming in and that's putting a strain on the finances of many households.

John Eisener, the President of Credit Counselling Services for Atlantic Canada, tells Tide News the average debt loads of the people who are coming into his office for held are anywhere from 26 to 28 thousand dollars.

He says if you made minimum payments each month, it would take you from 20 to 30 years to pay it all off.

Eisener says the rising cost of living is putting a strain on households and if your finances are causing you to lose sleep at night or arguments at home then you need some help to get out of the hole.

Another Person Is Sick With E. Coli

An investigation is underway to determine the source of a new case of E. coli which has been confirmed in the province.

Lab results show there's a link with six other cases already reported and Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Eilish Cleary says the most likely cause is shredded lettuce distributed by FreshPoint.

Seven people have now been diagnosed with E. coli in New Brunswick. There are other cases in Nova Scotia and Ontario.

She says if you're going to eat lettuce or cabbage, throw the outer leaves away and then remove the remaining leaves before thoroughly rinsing them in water for about 30 seconds.

Operation Cat Nip Takes Off Today

There's many four-legged early risers this morning.

Volunteers and staff at the Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue League are packing up 35 cats and supplies for their trip to UPEI'S Veterinary College. It's the start of Operation Cat Nip, a new initiative where all the cats will be spayed and neutered at a minimal cost to help lower Port City's vast amount of stray felines.

The SPCA calls it a "win-win" for both the shelter and students, who gain clinical experience from the surgeries and the cats are fixed for a low cost.

Cats who have been fixed are less likely to roam, mark their territory, and have a reduced risk of illness. All the cat surgeries will take place today and the felines will be checked over before coming back home to Saint John.

New Hotel To Open Alongside Garcelon Civic Center

The Bordertown now has two big projects to open this fall.

The announcement coming yesterday from local businessman Tom McFarlane that his company Spur Line Properties Inc. will build a 5-story, multi-million dollar hotel complex within feet of the Garcelon Civic Centre on the St. Stephen waterfront.

St. Stephen's Chief Administrative Officer John Ferguson tells Tide News there couldn't be two more opportune developments to work together.

He says you want to fill your seats in your Civic Center and you want to fill your beds in your hotel, adding, they both need participation and will create great economic spin-offs for the community.

The hotel will include 90-100 rooms, a pool, a seafood and steakhouse restaurant, penthouse condominiums that can be leased, and employ 30-50 full and part-time staff.

The date for completion for the hotel is October of this year, corresponding as closely as possible to the opening of the Garcelon Civic Center.

Councillor With Child Porn Charges Resigns

The mayor of Saint John says a city councillor charged with possessing child pornography and sexual interference with a child has resigned his seat.
    A statement from Mel Norton said he received a letter from Donnie Snook's lawyer on Thursday indicating the councillor was resigning.
    Norton said in the one-page statement that it was the result of a ``personal matter'' for Snook and thanked him for dealing with the matter in a timely manner.

    Snook is charged with eight counts, including possessing and making child pornography as well as sexual interference with a child under 16.

Ecoli Cases Leading Back To Shredded Lettuce

It's believed shredded lettuce distributed by Freshpoint is the cause of a new confirmed case of E. coli in the province.
There is an investigation underway to find the source.
 Lab results show there's a link with six other cases already reported.
Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Eilish Cleary says you should throw the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage away, then remove the remaining leaves and thoroughly rinse them in water for about 30 seconds before eating.

NB Major Midgets Hockey League To Play In Bordertown Sunday

A big game happening this weekend in St. Stephen -- and two of our local hockey players are tying their skates.

Andrew Dempsey and Damian Gallant playing with the New Brunswick Major Midget Hockey League against the Fredericton Canadians.

The League tells Tide News the boys have been traveling to Saint John all winter and hopes the community will come out to support them.

This is the top level of hockey in the province for ages 15-17. The team has members from St. Stephen all the way to Sussex.

The game is Sunday at the Border Arena. Puck drops at 2:30.

Regional With Top Heart Equipment In North America

The Saint John Regional Hospital now has the top heart equipment in North America, thanks to the $775,000 raised from The Give 2012.

Between selling anything from pizzas to t-shirts, to private and company donations, the foundation exceeded it's original goal by $25,000.

Dr. Marc Pelletier, department head of cardiac surgery, says he wouldn't be surprised if the equipment runs longer than 15 years, since there's less moving parts in the machine and more magnets. Pelletier says this equipment will make a world of difference for more complex surgeries and for more vulnerable patients like seniors.

Thanks to the donations, the heart centre now has 13 pieces of new equipment that will make operations safer and better. The top-notch equipment consists of new heart-lung machines, machines that monitor blood levels better, machines that keep the heart strong during operations, and keep watch of oxygen levels.

The New Brunswick Heart Centre performs over 750 open-heart surgeries, sees 13,000 patients annually, and only 20% of those patients are from Saint John.

Unique Sculpture At Regional Hospital

What do you get when you mix a human torso and heart together? A new sculpture at the Saint John Regional Hospital.

The donated work of art is 140-pounds and made from pieces of the old Saint John Jail. It took Richard Arsenau over 300 hours to create the piece. "What inspired me about this was just the fact that the human torso kind of reminded me of the shape of a heart, so I decided to blend the two together in both the human heart and the human torso."

Called "The Heart Prevails", Arsenau says it represents how the heart and soul can overcome adversity.
The sculpture can be seen in the main lobby of the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Conflicting Testimony At EUB Hearing

There has been some conflicting testimony at the Energy and Utilities Board Hearing on the accuracy of NB Power's accounting practices.

The hearing is looking at the deferral account for the Point Lepreau nuclear refurbishment and its cost overruns of a billion dollars.
An economist who specialises in energy, Kurt Strunk charges there are a number of violations. He says, "In my pre-filed evidence, I identified two areas where the deferral account has not been made in compliance with the act and associated regulations, leading to inaccurate amounts being presented to the board."
Strunk charges the figures in the deferral account are not accurate. "NB Power neglected to apply the necessary manual adjustments to all units and all time frames during the deferral period. Infact, there are several months in which NB Power appeared to have ignored there own guidelines."

On the other hand, Deloitte and Touche, testified that, based on the samples reviewed, NB Power's costs in reference to the deferral account are accurately recorded.

Bail Hearing For Snook Rescheduled For Monday

There's been a delay in the case of a Saint John city councillor accused of sexual interference with a child under 16.

Donnie Snook's lawyer told provincial court yesterday he needed more time to review the case.
   
As a result, the Saint John city councillor will have to wait another week for a bail hearing. Snook's next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, January 21st, 2012.
   
The 40-year-old is also charged with possession of child pornography and making child pornography.

Meanwhile, there's no word whether any move will be made at the next meeting of Saint John Common Council to remove Councillor Donnie Snook for missing more than 3 meetings in a row.

Phone Scam Still Ringing

A telephone scam we warned you about a few months ago is still hanging around.

People are still receiving fake phone calls pretending to be NB Power and claiming they have ways of reducing your electricity bill. The scam claims you're paying too much and that your home doesn't meet current electricity codes.

NB Power says they do contact customers about account balances, but would never request financial information over the phone.

If you've been contacted, you're encouraged to report the incident to police, RCMP or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or go online.

New Health Council To Improve Health System

Looking at saving money and being more efficient in our health care system is the role the new Innovation and Best Practice Council will play.

The members consist of many executive directors and vice-presidents from different health sectors like the Office of Health System Renewal, Horizon Health and the Department of Health.

In a release, Health Minister Ted Flemming says they'll focus on pin-pointing and adopting cheaper but efficient health practices from the best health systems in Canada.

Not Too Late To Get Your Flu Shot

Flu season is here much earlier than suspected, and it's knocking maybe people in North America off their feet and into bed with tissues and a snuggie.

With sniffles and coughing in mind, New Brunswick pharmacists are encouraging you to get your flu shot. It's not too late, and it's the best method to keep the flu at bay, says Paul Blanchard, executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association. He tells Tide news it's important to get a flu shot every year, since the flu strain is always changing.

A big myth is that getting the vaccine could actually give you the flu, which Blanchard says is simply not true. He says the vaccine is made from dead cells of the influenza, which helps your body to develop an immunity. Blanchard says the flu is causing overcrowding in Boston emergency rooms, so the sooner you get it the better.

You can get the vaccine from one of the 230 pharmacists in the province who are trained to give injections. The cost is in the area of $20-$25, but it's free if you're over 65, have a chronic illness (such as diabetes, asthma, a suppressed immune system) and if you're under 18.

For more information, click here.

The Diocese Of Fredericton Is Reviewing Snook Charges

The Diocese of Fredericton is looking into and reviewing information related to the 8 charges Saint John Common Councillor Donnie Snook is facing.

In a release, Archbishop Claude Miller says he remains shocked and saddened. Snook's position as executive director of the Saint John Inner City Youth Ministry -- which includes the Chicken Noodle Club -- is suspended with pay until the resolution of the charges.

The 40-year-old is facing charges of sexual interference on a child under 16, possession of and making child pornography, and making it available. He was arrested at his house on Martha Avenue Wednesday night. Snook remains in custody and will appear in court tomorrow for a bail hearing.