No Serious Flooding Predicted For Charlotte County During Rain Warning

Northern New Brunswick is preparing for serious flood issues -- but Charlotte County will not be hit as hard.

A rainfall warning is in effect for our area, but EMO Co-ordinator for St. George, Shawn Morton tells Tide News the water levels are low enough now that he is not expecting any serious flooding events to happen in Charlotte County.

He says -- however -- the weather can always change for the worst and EMO is keeping a close watch on water levels.

RCMP Arrest Peeping Tom From Upper Mills

A 31-year-old man from Upper Mills has been arrested and is facing voyeurism charges.

He's accused of prowling around looking into the windows of a woman's house in Upper Mills shortly after 2am Sunday morning.

RCMP responded to the house and arrested him. He was later released and will appear in St. Stephen Provincial Court at a later date.

Big Users Like Irving To Pay More For Natural Gas

Certain big industrial facilities in New Brunswick--like those belonging to Irving--currently get their natural gas directly from the distribution system, bypassing the general franchise; however, that's going to change according to Energy Minister Craig Leonard.
Leonard says while those users have been instrumental to getting the system up and running, their contribution isn't currently proportional to their natural gas usage.

Charlotte the Isles MLA Rich Doucet questioned why the Gas and Distribution Act of 1999 is only being amended now, just a short while before the election.

The change means that big users like Irving will be paying more.

We're Not Out Of The Woods Yet When It Comes To Flooding

We're not out of the woods yet according to Paul Bradley of the Department of Public Safety on the flooding risk for the province.

He tells Tide News while water levels have been going down over the past few days they are expected to climb back up with rain in the forecast for the region including heavy rain and freezing rain warnings up north. He says they're asking New Brunswickers to stay on alert.

He confirms there will be a boat shuttle service from Darlings Island running from 6am to 7pm daily if residents do get cut off from the mainland. There will also be a boat service for emergency first responders going 24-7.

For more info, click here

Water Main Flushing In Blacks Harbour

Water main flushing happening today between 7am to 7pm as part of the maintenance of the Blacks Harbour Water Supply, however those hours can vary.

You might notice periods of low or no-flow and discolouration of water during that time. Once flushing is finished, you're being urged to remove the screens from your taps and clean them off.

Crews Battle Blaze At Sussex DNR Office

Less than a week after a devastating flood struck Sussex, the town being dealt another blow with a fire at the Department of Natural Resources office.

Sussex Fire Chief Harold Lowe tells Tide News smoke was seen coming from the building after staff had left the office and when crews arrived the roof was fully engulfed in flames and starting to collapse. While the structure itself is still standing, the roof is gone and the D-N-R office has sustained some water damage.

One firefighter was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure with possible heat exhaustion. 

The fire marshal will be coming to investigate what caused the blaze.

Alward Government Pressed On Education

Show me the beef when it comes to a plan for education... That challenge being made to the Alward Government by Provincial Liberal leader Brian Gallant. He charges there is no plan.

Education Minister Marie-Claude Blais is accusing the Liberals of talking big on education but there's more to it than just spin and producing a glossy paper.
 
Blais, who has two children attending school,  says teachers know exactly what the outcomes should be and how to achieve them.

A New 20-Bed Men's Shelter Will Replace The Centre of Hope

A new 20-bed homeless shelter for men will open in Saint John to replace the Centre of Hope at the Salvation Army on St. James Street.

That announcement from Social Development Minister Madelaine Dube.
 
The shelter will be operated by Outflow, a local organization that delivers up to 800 meals a week to those in need. 
 
The shelter will be located at the former Waterloo Street Baptist Church on Waterloo Street. 

The site is located near Romero House, St Joseph's Hospital and the regional office of Social Development.

It will open in a temporary location at the Somerset Community Centre on May 1st while renovations are completed on the old church on Waterloo Street. 

The work is expected to take about 8 weeks.

Vehicle Fire Forces Closure Of Highway Lane

A vehicle that was on fire prompting police to close one lane along Highway 1 eastbound by the weigh station in Rothesay to be closed between 3 and 4 this morning. 

The car had been parked on the side of the highway before the fire. Police tell us it was fully engulfed in flames and there were some small explosions until the blaze was extinguished.