First degree murder charge laid in death of Mary Claire Scott

A charge of first degree murder was laid against 32-year old William David White in connection with the death of 59-year-old Mary Claire Scott.


RCMP have been investigating the death since the evening of November 30 after family members contacted police concerned they had not heard from  Scott in several days. Investigators were following a variety of tips which lead them to Bible Hill, N.S., where  White was arrested without incident on December 10th.   White was living in the Scott residence prior to November 30th.

Mr. White is expected to appear in St. Stephen Provincial Court later this afternoon. He is currently being escorted to St. Stephen from Nova Scotia.

Fire in Seeley's Cove

Damage to a home in Seeley's Cove is being called extensive after fire ripped through it this week. Sargeant Greg MacAvoy with St. George RCMP tells Tide News, they were called to the home on Wednesday night and one woman living there got out safely.




Investigators are still going over the scene trying to figure out what sparked the blaze.

Close Call for Home-Owner

A close call for a home-owner in Maces Bay last night. A firefighter with the Musquash Department was driving past the home and noticed the back deck was on fire. A bucket full of ashes taken from the wood stove was melting around the wood floor. The firefighter used an extinguisher from his vehicle to smother the flames.


He then helped the homeowner and a neighbour put snow and water onto the deck to cool hot spots. Firefighters then used a hoseline to wet down the deck to insure everything had been extinguished and checked that the fire hadn't extended into the house. Damage was minimal and a reminder to use a metal bucket to collect the ashes from your wood stove.

Government Buildings get Top Honors

Three government buildings have been recognized as some of the Provinces most energy efficient new commercial buildings. They are Bayside Middle School, the NBCC St. Andrews Campus and the Provincial Fish Health Laboratory. This is all part of Efficiency NB's Start Smart program.



The design and construction of the buildings were managed by the Department of Supply and Services.

Update on H1N1 Province Wide

Continuing good news on the H1N1 front. Activity around the Province continues to decline with 170 people sent to hospital since the pandemic began back in April. 32 have been set to intensive care and 26 of those had underlying medical conditions. The death toll still stands at seven..........four men and three women. As far as the supply of vaccine, 92,500 doses arrived this week with 70,000 more expected to arrive next week.




Mass clinics will continue until the 18th but some will finish sooner than that. To this point, 55% of the population has received the shot with more clinics today.There is one at Lawrence Station starting at one and running until eight.

Lobster For Sale on Long Wharf

With lobster fisherman finishing up another tough year, they are going to try and close it out on a positive note. With their catch going for four dollars a pound, they hope to bring in some new business along Long Wharf in St John. Boats will tie up in the area and sell off the boat next Saturday on the 19th. John Mcdade is a fisherman and tells us, along with making some money, they hope to bring some awareness to what they do.


The event is being organized by the Fundy North Fishermen's Association which represents inshore fishermen between Saint Martin's and St Stephen for over 20 years. The sale runs between eleven in the morning and three in the afternoon.

Country Rockfest

It appears Halifax is looking to beat Moncton to the punch when it comes to concerts next summer. Country Rockfest is coming to the Halifax Common August 6th and 7th.


George Canyon and Johnny Reid start things off on Friday. On Saturday, Billy Currington, Lonestar, Kevin Costner and Modern West take the stage followed by the headliner-Alan Jackson.

 Tickets go on sale Tuesday at some Atlantic Superstores or you can call 1-902-451-1221.

Superintendent Sits Comfortably In His New Position

Almost two weeks in his new position the Superintendent for District Ten is finding his comfort zone. Derek O' Brien tells tide news he has been busy over the past couple of weeks. He says he is looking forward to the big learning curve ahead of him and hopes to visit all the schools in the district in the new year.

O' Brien was the principal at St Stephen Elementary for the past 10 years.

NB Power Forum in Moncton

Moncton provided the back-drop for Labour groups and political parties who got together yesterday for a summit to discuss the possible sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec. Tom Mann is one of the spokespeople for the groups which is based on the original Face Book group opposed to the proposed sale. He tells Tide News, the savings and benefits in the proposal is in-balanced for every rate payer in the Province.


Mann adds with no mandate or public discussion....this proposal should never have seen the light of day.

Gas Prices

Drivers in St Stephen who use self serve regular are getting a bit of a break this morning after the weekly setting with just slight changes in the maximum prices that can be charged. The maximum price for self serve regular is 100.4 a litre, which is a drop of two cents from last week. Most gas stations here at home are now selling it for 98.3. The maximum price for diesel rose from 104.9 to 105.8 a litre.


As of early this morning, there had been no change with diesel still at 103.2. There has been a slight increase in the maximum price of furnace oil as it went from 88.2 to 88.4 a litre.

Storm Clean Up

The cleanup is well underway in St Stephen after yesterday's storm which didn't turn out to be as bad as many people feared. Jean March with Enviroment Canada tells Tide news St Stephen recieved 10 cm of snow last night. NB power is  reporting no outages after the high winds last evening


The roads are slushy this morning and drivers are being reminded to drive carefully heading to work.

Airport Getting Ready for Storm

There is a lot of things winter weather can throw a wrench into but it really impacts the routine at the Saint John Airport. President and CEO Bernie Leblanc tells Tide News, the challenge with any storm isn't just how it impacts us here at home but from coast to coast.


Leblanc reminds anyone due to catch a flight or has someone arriving at the airport, to call ahead at 696-0200.

St Stephen Fire Department Warns Residents to Be Careful

In the meantime , if your power goes out the St Stephen Fire Department is warning residents not to be careless when burning wood. Fire Chief Jeff Richardson tells tide news when you have high winds and snow together don't overload your wood stove.


Richardson says when overloading your wood stove your can create carbon dioxide so it is important to have a carbon dioxide detector. He says if your power goes out, keep in mind if you are using a portable genarator or a propane Bbq use it out side never inside a home.

NB Power On Standby

NB power crews are watching the winter storm and high winds as it moves towards Charlotte County today (tonight). Spokesperson Heather Mclean tells tide news residents should be prepared just in case the power goes out.


Mclean says make sure to have extra batteries for your flash light, have a heat source, a power radio and pay very close attention if your using a genarator. She says if the power goes out, Nb power will try their best to get to you as fast as the can.

Storm

A major winter storm is headed for the St Stephen region. Jeremy March of Environment Canada tells Tide News the weather maker is developing along the eastern seaboard.


March says you can expect something like 15 centimeters of snow with gusty winds before turning to rain around midnight. 

Kidney Dialysis Machine Still A Hot Topic

( Minister Of Health Mary Schryer, Photo by Kim Hall )


Don't give up hope that's what the Minister of Health says about a kidney dialysis machine for Charlotte County residents. Mary Schryer was in St Stephen and tells tide news she knows how important this is it just take a little time.


Schryer says it is still on the table about a kidney dialysis machine and as soon as she knows more information the people of Charlotte County will be the first to know.

Ganong Brother Ltd Backs Up Wage Gap Between Men And Women

( President of Ganong Bros Ltd. Photo by Kim Hall)


Mary Schryer Minister responsible for the status of women launched a provincial project this week that will try to reduce the wage gap between men and women in the workplace. Ganong brothers in St Stephen is one out of seven organizations that supports this project. Doug Ettinger The present of Ganong Brothers tells tide news this is a very significant announcement from the minister and he backs it up 100%.


 Ettinger says they might not be perfect on this file but they are starting on a journey and overtime they want to make sure Ganong is a fair working environment for all their employees.

St. Andrews residents urged to donate blood

Canadian Blood Services is asking St. Andrews and area residents to donate blood in the coming weeks. Faced with the risk of the H1N1 virus, the organization is hoping to build up the blood supply.


A blood donor clinic is scheduled for December 17 at the St. Andrews NBCC Campus.

Wage Gap

Men and women must be considered equal in the workplace says the minister responsible for the status of women. Mary Schryer has launched a provincial project which will try to reduce the wage gap between men and women in the workplace. Schryer tells tide news women are just as important to a company as men are.



Ganong brothers in St Stephen is one of seven organizations participating in this project.

Point Lepreau

Hydro Quebec is warning there will have to be another major shut down of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant within the next five years. That word coming from Hydro Quebec's President and C-E-O Thierry Vandal.


Vandal says he looks upon what's going on at Lepreau as a learning experience in preparation for the refurbishment of a nuclear power plant in Quebec.