Man Crashes SUV At River's Edge

A crash on Milltown Blvd this morning could have been a lot worse.

Just before 10am, a man driving an SUV losing consciousness in the back parking lot behind 98.1 The Tide with his vehicle slamming into one of the town's heritage signs -- very close to the edge of the St. Croix River. 

Once first responders arrived, the driver became aware and said he had fallen on the ice a few minutes prior to getting into his vehicle.

He was taken to the Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen to get checked out, with no visible injuries.

Two Teachers And A Student Hurt In School Stabbing

Fredericton police shedding more light on a stabbing incident at Eastern College on Prospect street this morning.

Police arrived just before 830 to find two teachers and one student had been hurt by a machete-style knife and one man was arrested.

Three victims were sent to hospital and media reports have one teacher requiring surgery.

Fredericton police chief Leanne Fitch says if a student had not intervened and subdued the suspect a bad situation would have been a lot worse.

Fitch adds they believe its an isolated incident and they do not believe there is any additional threat to the community.

Price Of Milk Increasing Next Month

You'll be paying a little more for milk starting next month, with the New Brunswick Farm Products Commission announcing the price is going up by 3.1 cents per litre.

Commission chair Bob Shannon they needed to raise the price because for several reasons, the most significant being the cost of production, processing and the delivery of milk to consumers.

The increase will be divided among dairy producers, dairy processors and retailers. Producers will receive 1.32 cents per litre, processors will get 1.37 cents per litre, and the balance goes to retailers. Pricing under the School Milk Program will remain unchanged for the school year.

Missing Boy Found

A 14-year-old boy from Fredericton who was reported missing late last week has been found.

Josh Wood was last seen around Leo Hayes High School Friday morning but is now back home safe and sound. 

Police believe he may have spent the time at a friend's home.

Union Defends Wage Demand

The Canadian Taxpayers Association has called the demand of a wage increase of 26 per cent over 4 years by striking professors at U-N-B in Fredericton, Saint John and Bathurst as outrageous when their average salary is 100 thousand dollars. 

That characterization is being refuted by Union President Miriam Jones who tells Tide News the university finds the money to spend on non-academic projects.  She claims taxpayers would not have to pay any extra because U-N-B has the money but Jones has an issue with how the university is spending it.

According to Jones, over the past ten years, 48 academic positions have been lost but the university added 84 non-academic jobs for the projects it wants.

Upcoming Renovations To Saint John Regional Hospital May Cause Delays

The Specimen Collection department at the Saint John Regional Hospital will be under renovation from January 28th to February 25th. 

Horizon Health Network says there could be some delays in services. You're being asked to make sure you have an appointed booked with the Specimen Collection department  before going to the hospital.

Your other options during the time of renovations include, the Specimen Collection Departments at St. Joseph's Hospital and the Kennebecasis Valley Clinic. Both are available by appointment.

If you have questions about a specimen collection appointment call 506-648-6683.

Rothesay Council Officially Endorses Natural Gas Exploration

Rothesay council taking an official position on the exploration of natural gas in New Brunswick. 

Town council voting in support of the motion made by Mayor Bill Bishop, who tells us he hopes it prompts the provincial government to keep moving forward with exploration. He says the province's finances are in a sad state and natural resources are the wealth of New Brunswick.

Saint John Council voted to support the exploration of natural gas in the province back in early December.

Missing 14-year-old boy in Fredericton

Fredericton Police are asking for your help in finding a missing person. Fourteen-year-old Josh Wood has been missing since Friday night. He was last seen around Leo Hayes High School Friday morning. 

 A news release from the Fredericton Police Department states, "Wood is approximately 5'6" in height, 130lbs, blue eyes, and was wearing  a Sharks hockey jacket with #9 on the back, black Adidas splash pants, white sneakers and white baseball cap,"

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fredericton Police Force at
460-2300.

Hemmings House Pictures Launches "Instagram Photo Festival"

Here's an idea on what to do with all of your Instagram pictures of Saint John. Simply add #lovesaintjohn, and you'll be part of the "Instagram Photo Festival" being launched by Hemmings House Pictures.

Director of photography Mark Hemmings, tells us, he thought it would be a great way to showcase


 photos of Saint John that are taken on cell phones or tablets, ending up on Instagram.

 "The grand hope is that people will fall in love with Saint John. I think the best way to do that is to photograph your own city and to appreciate how interesting it is," he says.

Hemmings House Pictures will host a mini-festival in March, showcasing the images taken around the Port City. Hemmings hopes people will submit photos that are unique to Saint John, no matter how small.

Millidgeville pharmacy sees spike in the number of people coming in for flu shots

A local pharmacy saying it's seen a spike in the number of people coming in for flu shots this year. 

This after more cases of H1N1 in Alberta, and reports of four flu related deaths in New Brunswick. Ryan Kennedy is a pharmacist and owner of the Millidgeville Pharmasave.

He  says he's concerned about running low on vaccinations, but is hoping to get more stock next week. 

He tells us about the amount of people coming in for flu shots this season. "Multiple people, double digits every day," he says, which is certainly not in line with what we were doing last year." 

Adding, "We've been able to maintain a bit of a supply that was running low. Some of the other dispensaries in the market have run out, so they've been forwarding people here."

He says this has meant longer wait times than usual, but people have been understanding.  The New Brunswick Pharmacy Association recently telling us the number of people getting flu shots has doubled this year.

Staying On Top Of Healthy Eating Resolutions

It can be tough to stay motivated throughout the year to achieve the healthy eating goals you made at the very beginning.

Nutritionist Leslie Fancey has some tips for keeping on top of your New Year's Resolutions. She says it's important to be realistic, which will help you stay motivated. 

"Keeping up with a sensible weight loss of maybe about a pound to a pound and a half a week. That's a much more healthy way to lose weight than setting expectations high and thinking 'oh, I'm going to lose three to five every week.' It's just not sustainable, it's not even desirable to lose that much," she says.

She adds, stocking your cupboards with whole natural foods, can help you resist temptation, along with making a list before grocery shopping to help you stay on track.

She also suggests having an accountability buddy such as "a friend or a spouse, someone who you can show your food diary to, or share issues or challenges that you're facing."

Man Hospitalized After Stabbing In Saint John

Saint John Police responding to an incident at Woodhaven Drive overnight. A male was stabbed at a home and taken to hospital. There have been no arrests.
 
The man had non life-threatening injuries, and has been released from hospital. The incident is under investigation by the Major Crime Unit.

Overnight Parking Restrictions For Lower West Side

There will be no parking on Saturday night and Sunday morning in the following areas:  King Street West from and to Ludlow street, on Ludlow from King Street West to Prince Street, and on Prince Street close to the Ludlow intersection. 

Everyone is bring advised to avoid these streets on Sunday as well. If your park on those streets during no parking hours you will be ticketed and towed. There will be temporary no parking signs.

Tomorrow, and on Jan 26th, turbine rotors will be moved from Port Saint John to the Point Lepreau Generating Station. The City says delays can also be expected on Route 1 between 7:30 and 10:30 am.

MCF Says Rehab Shouldn't Affect Appearance In June

Maritime CountryFest taking to social media to address issues with this year's big name star.

The Fredericton festival posting to Facebook they had received word from Trace Adkins' Agent Darin Murphy.

Murphy says "Trace has entered a treatment facility after a setback in his battle with alcoholism. As he faces these issues head-on, we ask that his family’s privacy be respected. The rehab is a 30 day program."

Maritime adding they are confident this will have no impact on his appearance, set for Saturday, June 14th and wish him all the best with his recovery.

Reports say Adkins got into a drunken brawl this week with a Trace impersonator aboard his Country Cruise to Jamaica. He left the ship for rehab as soon as it docked.

Toby Keith Is Coming To Harbour Station

Country fans will be psyched to hear this one!    Toby Keith is coming to Harbour Station for a concert on May 2nd.

Keith will bring his "Hammer Down" tour to Saint John.     In March, the country star has four concerts in Australia before coming back to the states.

Ticket prices range between $79.95 and $119.95 plus service charge and tickets go on sale next Friday January 24th at 10am.

Expect Delays As Turbines Are Moved To Point Lepreau

You might be wondering what you're seeing on the highways--so we'll tell you now.

On Sunday and again on January 26, two turbine rotors weighing about 130 tonnes each will be transported from the Port at West Saint John to the Point Lepreau Generating Station. Moving them will cause t traffic delays and road closures, as they will be traveling at about 15-20 km/hour for most of the 50 km journey.

There will be police escorts--and a replacement truck and specialized mechanics will also be part of the convoy.

It will take about six hours to move each rotor. They will replace two of the three rotors in service at the Point Lepreau Generating Station.

From the city: 

"Motorists and truck traffic are advised to avoid traveling on King Street West, Market Street and Ludlow Street in Saint John West between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 26. Delays can also be expected on Route 1 between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on the eastbound and westbound lanes from Ludlow Street in Saint John West to Route 790 at Lepreau. The northbound and southbound lanes of Route 790 will be affected from Route 1 to the Ridge Road (up to Point Lepreau) from 8:30 a.m. until noon. All delays will be intermittent, but may last more than 30 minutes and will include road closures and detours."

Four Flu Deaths In The Province With 300 Cases

The chief medical officer of health revealing four people have died due to illness relating to the flu with the dominant strain this year being H1N1.

Dr. Eilish Cleary says there are over 300 confirmed cases of the flu with 51 people have been hospitalized.

15 were admitted to intensive care units but Cleary says most of those who were hospitalized have been discharged.

Four New Additions To Efficiency NB

A few new faces joining Efficiency N.B. A new chair and three members have been appointed to the group's board of directors.

The president and C-O-O of Groupe Savoie in Saint-Quentin, Alain Bossé being named the chair, while the owner of Quispamsis-based technology and management consulting firm Horizon3 Ventures, Richard Jones, being appointed vice-chair. Gisèle Levesque and André Benoit joining as board members. 

All of them were nominated based on their professional skills, backgrounds and knowledge in the field of energy efficiency.

The Number Of Fatal Collisions Down 30% In 2013

The number of fatal collisions dropping 30 per cent in 2013. That's the lowest number of in five years. 

 The New Brunswick RCMP saying there were 38 fatal crashes and 48 victims last year. Sargent James Bates tells Tide News, the strategy they're using seems to be working.
 
"Our focus will remain on ensuring that people are wearing their seatbelts, focus on not driving while impaired, reducing speed on our roads and intersections, to avoid dangerous situations," he says. 

Adding, the focus will also remain on decreasing distracted driving in vehicles. A lack of seatbelts, impaired driving and speeding were the leading causes of fatalities in 2013.

Police Association President Weighs In On RCMP Vs. Municipal Departments

As Saint John examines the cost of RCMP policing the city, several other municipalities appear to be moving away from the Mounties.

NB Police Association President Dean Secord tells Tide News as the RCMP have transitioned to three districts,  many communities have been told they'll be getting a so-called "drive through service," in which officers decide what calls they service--and some mayors aren't happy with that.

Saint George has already voted to see if they can be released from the RCMP contract and Black's Harbour voted to do the same last night. In Saint John, City Manager Pat Woods has been tasked with a report comparing the costs of the SJPD to the RCMP.