BREAKING NEWS: Severe Weather Watch Issued

Environment Canada issuing Severe Thunderstorm Watches across the province. 

The watches have been issued for Saint John and County, the Kennebecasis Valley, Sussex, Kings County, St. Stephen, Charlotte County, Grand Manan, and more.

The weather service says the storms are likely this afternoon or evening with the potential for strong winds heavy downpours and possibly hail.

Click here for the latest weather information.

Artists Create Works To Benefit John Peters Humphrey Foundation

Over 30 artists are in Hampton this weekend creating tiny works of art — they're taking part in Bloomin' Artists, a biennial fundraiser for the town's John Peters Humphrey Foundation.

Participating artist Alison Murphy tells us there are six gardens open for the artists to take inspiration from. They'll create their works of art in the garden, and the public is welcome to watch them work. The art itself will be small enough to fit inside a 12-inch pizza box.

The viewing of the finished art takes place at the Lighthouse River Centre at 1075 Main Street starting on both Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am with auctions at 2pm and 4:30pm.

This year, the John Peters Humphrey Foundation contributed funds towards a Hemmings House film about Humphrey called The Boy Who Was Bullied, a documentary about the human rights advocate. The film premiered on CBC Atlantic earlier this month.

Police Make Arrest In Hotel, Gas Station Robberies

A man arrested in connection with two robberies taking place within the span of half an hour. 

Saint John Police say at 5:30am this morning, a man went into the Hilton demanding cash. Then, just before 6am, the man entered the Garden Street Irving, demanding cash and left with an undisclosed amount of money. 

He was nabbed after a vehicle chase, which turned into a foot chase, ending on Prince Edward Street. The man is in court today, and is charged with two counts of robbery.

Province's Black Bear Population Increasing

The number of black bears in the province is growing, and one scientist says the upswing is directly related to the economic downtown across the border.

Kevin Craig, a wildlife biologist for the Department of Natural Resources says because of the financial conditions in the United States, fewer Americans are taking trips to the province to hunt the bears. Craig says the decrease in visiting hunters and more habitat has led to their numbers ballooning to 17,000 in the last few years.

There's been an increase in bear sightings in residential areas, however, Craig says people can reduce the number of encounters with bears by not leaving out garbage and bird feeders at night. To re-locate them, the Department of Natural Resources has set many live-traps in a variety of areas.

St. Stephen CAO John Ferguson Resigns

He's not heading out west -- but he is leaving St. Stephen.

Chief Administrative Officer John Ferguson has resigned.

The Town releasing a statement this morning that says Ferguson has accepted the position of CAO for the municipal county of Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

Ferguson states, " It has been a wonderful experience in St. Stephen. I am so impressed with the community's effort to move your beautiful border town forward. Please continue the wonderful work with each other and with your great neighbour: Calais, Maine."

He adds, "I wish St. Stephen well in their transition. St. Stephen has a bright future and excellent citizenry. Thank you St. Stephen. I look forward to shared opportunities to work with your great town on economic possibilities that affect all of us in Atlantic Canada."

Three Men Arrested In McAdam For Attempted Break-In

Three men have been arrested for attempted break and enter in McAdam.

RCMP say two men, ages 18 and 28, both from McAdam, were arrested Monday morning around 2am while trying to break into a shed.

A 33-year-old Blacks Harbour man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the incident.

Police say all three are scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

Irving Oil Named In Lawsuit

Irving Oil has been added to the list of defendants in a proposed class-action lawsuit stemming from the train derailment in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.
    
The oil in the train cars that derailed and exploded was destined for Irving's refinery here in the city
    
An Irving spokesperson says the company did not own or control the oil or its transportation at any time.

Illegal Smokes Seized

About 260 thousand illegal cigarettes have been confiscated by the RCMP with two men from Burton now facing charges and hefty fines.
    
Police say the seizure of 26 cases of illegal tobacco happened after the two were stopped in Charters Settlement.
    
An 81-year-old man and 54-year-old man have court appearances scheduled in September. Their names won't be released until they are formally charged in court.

Tolls Again On The Harbour Bridge?

Social media was abuzz this morning with rumors that Transportation Minister Claude Williams had said there was a possibility of re-instating the toll on the Harbour Bridge.

The comments were made to the media yesterday. According the Honorable Dorothy Shepherd, the rumor was the result of a miscommunication when the Minister was talking about tolls in general.

Shepherd did say tolls are definitely on the table as an option for generation revenue--but not on the Harbour Bridge. It was a platform promise of the Tories to remove the toll, which was widely believed to unfairly penalize locals.

Point Lepreau Could Experience 2 Week Outage

The Point Lepreau Generating Station is currently operating safely at 95 per cent according to the New Brunswick government.

NB Power is considering the advantages of a two-week outage this fall so technicians can make adjustments to a steam valve.

NB Power stated its intent to have a two-week outage back in June. Fixing the valve would take care of steam line vibration issues, allowing the plant to return to 100 per cent reactor power.

If an outage is required, rates for NB Power customers would not be effected.

Referendum On Senate Gets Lukewarm Reaction

Liberal Senator Joe Day of Hampton isn't disputing the need to reform the Senate but he's not crazy about the idea of holding a national referendum on its fate which is being called for by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Day tells Tide News the Senate isn't the only government institution in need of reform. He argues the House of Commons is in need of reform as evidenced by the mini revolt staged by some Conservative M-P's over their treatment at the hands of the Prime Minister's Office and the control being exerted over them by the P-M-O.

One former Conservative M-P from Alberta who's now sitting as an independent complains they were being treated like trained seals.

BREAKING NEWS: 9 Sex Charges Withdrawn Against City Doc

A big surprise in court this morning.

All 9 charges of sexual assault against a Saint John City doctor have been withdrawn.

At a court appearance this morning all 9 charges were withdrawn but a reason has not been given.

8 of the 9 charges against Dr. Alan Cockeram were laid back in February.

Defence lawyer Brian Munro got into a heated exchange with the judge over the reason the charges were withdrawn, which was not revealed.

Munro says his client's name has been dragged through the mud for 14 months.

Green Party Leader Calls Shale Gas Regulations "A Myth"

Provincial Green Party leader David Coon isn't buying assurances from Premier David Alward about provincial regulations being strong enough to protect the environment when it comes to shale gas testing.
 
Coon says the regulations are more like conditions that can be negotiated away.

He can't believe SWN Resources got a blanket exemption to carry out seismic testing for shale gas in provincial wetlands.

Nearly $30,000 Worth Of Pills Seized At Jail

Correctional Officers at the Atlantic Institution have nabbed a visitor trying to bring drugs into the maximum-security federal penitentiary.

The officers seized 25 g of Hydromorphone beads as well as Dilaudid, worth nearly $30,000 inside.

The visitor was arrested by the police and may face criminal charges. From April 12 to July 08, 2013 staff at the Institution have had a total of 7 drug seizures valued at over $65,000 and resulting in four visitor arrests.

The jail uses tools like ion scanners and drug dogs to search buildings, offenders and visitors.

Airport Enjoys Big Increase In Passenger Traffic

Things are going well these days at Saint John Airport which is reporting a ten per cent increase in passenger traffic for the first half of the year. That represents the highest rate of growth of any airport in the Atlantic region. 

The airport also announcing Sunwing is planning its seventh season with direct flights and vacation packages next year from Saint John to Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic starting in February.

The economic impact of the Airport on the Saint John economy is estimated at 66 million dollars as well as the creation, directly and indirectly, of 570 jobs.

Green Party Leader Says Lepreau Refurbishment Not A Good Deal For Province

Even with cost overruns of over a billion dollars, provincial Energy Minister Craig Leonard is calling the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant, a good deal for New Brunswick

The leader of the Provincial Green Party -- and Charlotte County local -- David Coon is scoffing at that, saying if Provincial Energy Minister Craig Leonard considers that a good deal, he would hate to see what a bad deal is.
 
Coon, who formerly was at the Conservation Council, points out the plant is still not up to full power and predicts there will be new problems cropping up to force it to shut down for more repairs.

Buskers On The Boardwalk Kicks Off Tomorrow

It's one of Saint John's most iconic summer events--and the kids will be especially excited to hear the 23rd edition of Buskers on the Boardwalk starts tomorrow.

The pay-what-you-can shows feature every variety of act from fire-juggling to sword-swallowers, contortionists to comedy. Stephany Peterson of the Hardman Group tells Tide News that's not all you can expect: events like zip-lining, bouncy rides, bumper boats and more making the event a magical one for families.

Performers from across the globe will be performing their unique routines from Thursday until the 21rst. For a full schedule and description of the performers click here.

Fire Ban For All Of New Brunswick

After the recent spell of hot, dry weather, the Department of Natural Resources has put a no burn order in effect for the entire province.

They're also reminding the public that all grass fires require permits, written burn plans and pre-inspection by a forest service officer.

The order stands until at least 2pm tomorrow...but there are some showers forecasted for late tonight and overnight which could help quell the dry conditions a little.

Ayla Reynolds' Father In Trouble With The Law

A year and a half after his daughter disappeared -- a man from Waterville, Maine is in the news again.

Portland Police say 26-year-old Justin DiPietro is charged with domestic violence assault after an officer watched him grab and push a woman on July 6th.

Police say the woman, who is DiPietro's ex-girlfriend, was not hurt and the two were arguing when the incident happened.

DiPietro has since been released on bail.

Back in December 2011, 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds was reported missing from her father's home.

Police confirmed Ayla's blood was found in DiPietro's basement, but no charges were ever laid in the child's disappearance and she was never found.

Humidex Advisory For St. Stephen

It's official. The dog days of summer are here, and they're scorching.

A humidex advisory is in effect for St. Stephen today, among many other places across the province, including Fredericton, Oromocto and the Kennebecasis Valley. 

The communities will see a high of 35 today, with a high UV index.